Marinated Chicken Thighs
Marinated Chicken Thighs are a delicious low-carb dinner that you can make in the Air Fryer or in the Oven! And this is a family-friendly dinner that’s inexpensive if you watch for the chicken thighs to go on sale!
PIN the Marinated Chicken Thighs to try it later!
I’m featuring this recipe for delicious Marinated Chicken Thighs for this week’s Friday Favorites pick! These chicken thighs were so perfect for a quick and easy dinner, and I did love the way the air fryer crisped up the skin on the chicken!
I used the marinade from the Garlic, Lemon, and Herb Grilled Chicken Breasts that I used to make so often when I had summer dinner guests, and that tasty marinade uses ingredients most people probably have on hand, making it even more of a winner.
But I’m not trying to convince you to buy an air fryer if you don’t already have one, so I’ll give you instructions to make this tasty chicken dinner in the oven if that’s what works for you. Chicken thighs are something that go on sale regularly at my store, so put this idea into your dinner rotation and see what you think!
What ingredients do you need?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- fresh-squeezed lemon juice, I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
- Garlic Powder (affiliate link)
- Spike Seasoning (affiliate link), or use any all-purpose herb blend.
- Dried Basil (affiliate link)
- Dried Oregano (affiliate link)
- Onion Powder (affiliate link)
- Dried Sage (affiliate link)
- black pepper
Can you use other chicken parts for this recipe?
You can also cook chicken drumsticks in the Air Fryer, check out that recipe if you have kids who love drumsticks. I do also have a good recipe for Marinated Air Fryer Chicken Breasts, so check the cooking method for that if you prefer white meat chicken.
Which Air Fryer Did I Use?
I absolutely love the Cuisinart Convection Air Fryer Toaster Oven (affiliate link). It was an investment, but I use the toaster oven part often and I love the larger basket this machine has, plus the convenience of having an air fryer that could stay out on the counter. The Cuisinart is the air-fryer I used for this recipe to cook 8 chicken thighs at once, but if you have a smaller model you might only be able to fit 6 thighs.
Want more Low-Carb Air Fryer Recipes?
Check out 100 Keto Air Fryer Recipes to see a huge round-up of Air Fryer recipes from Kalyn’s Kitchen and blogs around the web!
Preparing the Chicken for Marinated Chicken Thighs:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Trim some of the skin and most of the fat from the chicken thighs. (I used kitchen shears (affiliate link) to trim the chicken.)
- I like to make short slits through the skin and into the meat of the chicken before it’s marinated, but that’s not essential.
- Mix together marinade ingredients, put chicken in a Ziploc bag or container with a snap-tight lid, add the marinade and marinate chicken in the fridge at least 6 hours, or all day while you’re at work.
- When it’s time to cook, drain the chicken well in a colander placed in the sink and discard marinade.
- Arrange chicken top-side down in the air fryer basket or on a baking rack and let the chicken come to room temperature while you preheat the air fryer to 360F/185C (if needed) or preheat the oven to 400F/200C.
Cooking Marinated Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer:
- Cook chicken in the pre-heated air fryer for 8 minutes.
- Then turn the chicken thighs over and cook about 6 minutes more.
- After six minutes, check the chicken to see if some pieces are getting too browned and rearrange the chicken thighs in the air-fryer basket if needed. (I don’t know if you can tell from the photos, but I switched some of the outside more-browned pieces to the inside.)
- Cook about 6 minutes more, or until the chicken is well-browned with crispy skin and the internal temperature is at least 165F/75C.
- Use an Instant-Read Meat Thermometer (affiliate link) for this if you have one.
Cooking Marinated Chicken Thighs in the Oven:
- If you have a baking rack that lets hot air flow around the chicken, use that on your baking sheet.
- Cook chicken top-side down in the preheated oven for 10 minutes,
- Then turn chicken pieces over and cook about 25 minutes longer, starting to check after 20 minutes.
- Cook until the chicken is well-browned, skin is crisp, and the internal temperature is at least 165F/75C.
Make it a Low-Carb Meal:
These Marinated Chicken Thighs would be delicious with Twice-Baked Cauliflower, Fried Cauliflower with Bacon and Mushrooms, Twice-Baked Spaghetti Squash with Kale, Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower, or Roasted Turnips for a low-carb meal!
More Low-Carb Dinners from the Air Fryer:
- Korean Salmon with Dipping Sauce
- Air Fryer Pork Chops
- Air Fryer Shrimp
- Air Fryer Sausage and Peppers
- Air Fryer Fish Sticks
Marinated Chicken Thighs
Marinated Chicken Thighs are an inexpensive, quick, and tasty idea for a low-carb dinner that you can make in the Air Fryer or in the Oven.
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (see notes)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 T lemon juice (see notes)
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. Spike Seasoning, or use any all-purpose herb blend.
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. dried sage
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
Instructions
- Trim some of the skin and most of the fat from the chicken thighs. (I used kitchen shears to trim the chicken.) I like to make short slits through the skin and into the meat, but that's not essential.
- Mix together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, Spike Seasoning (affiliate link) or another seasoning blend, dried basil, dried oregano, onion powder, dried sage, and black pepper to make the marinade.
- Put chicken thighs in a Ziploc bag or plastic container with a snap-tight lid, add the marinade and let the chicken marinate in the fridge at least 6 hours, or all day while you're at work.
- When it's time to cook, drain the chicken well in a colander placed in the sink and discard marinade.
- Arrange chicken top-side down in the air fryer basket or on a baking rack and let the chicken come to room temperature while you preheat the air fryer to 360F/185C (if needed) or preheat the oven to 400F/200C.
- TO COOK IN AIR FRYER: Cook chicken top-side down in the pre-heated air fryer for 8 minutes. Then turn the chicken thighs over and cook about 6 minutes more. After six minutes, check the chicken to see if some pieces are getting too browned and rearrange the chicken thighs in the air-fryer basket if needed. (I switched some of the outside more-browned pieces to the inside and I think some pieces would have burned if I hadn't done that.) Cook about 6 minutes more, or until the chicken is well-browned with crispy skin and the internal temperature is at least 165F/75C.
- TO COOK IN THE OVEN: If you have a baking rack that lets hot air flow around the chicken, use that on top of your baking sheet. Cook chicken top-side down in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Then turn chicken pieces over and cook about 25 minutes longer, or until the chicken is well-browned, skin is crisp, and the internal temperature is at least 165F/75C.
- No matter which cooking method you use, I recommend using an Instant-Read Meat Thermometer (affiliate link) to check the internal temperature of the chicken if you have one.
- Serve hot. If you want to use the air fryer and need to cook two batches for a larger family, keep the first batch warm in a 200F/100C oven while the second batch cooks.
Notes
In the large Cuisinart Convection Air Fryer Toaster Oven (affiliate link) that I used, I can easily fit 8 chicken thighs but small air fryers may only fit six.
I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice for this recipe.
This recipe is a variation of the very popularย Garlic, Lemon, and Herb Grilled Chicken Breastsย that I make every summer, and the air fryer version was tested a few times withย Jakeย andย Kara.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 100Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 2gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 21mgSodium 220mgCarbohydrates 1gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 4g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Herb-Marinated Chicken Thighs would be a good option for low-carb diets, including Keto. The original South Beach Diet doesn’t recommend chicken thighs, especially with the skin, but personally I would eat this for South Beach without worrying too much. You could remove the skin for South Beach if you prefer
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Check out Chicken Recipes or Air Fryer Recipes for more tasty ideas for dinner! Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalynโs Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes Iโm sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for marinated air fryer (or oven) chicken thighs was posted in 2018. It was updated with more information in 2023.
28 Comments on “Marinated Chicken Thighs”
Oh OK lol It said video and I was going crazy looking for it. No worries
Hi Where is the video?
Not every recipe has a video, lol! They don’t just automatically show up. I have to pay someone to make them and I can’t afford it on nearly 1,500 recipes.
Sorry if we are confusing you! This recipe has a slide-show video which is why the title says (video).
Can you provide more detail on which Cuisinart air fryer you use (model #, etc)? Your link goes to a page with several that could fit your description.
Hi Erin. My Air Fryer is several years old, so it may not be exactly like any of the ones currently on sale. But I have the TOA-70 model.
I also have the Cuisanart airfryer. My question, which rack position is used most for your recipes? Thanks!
Hi Jackie, don’t you love that Air Fryer. I almost always use the higher position for Air Frying, which puts the food in about the center of the Air Fryer.
Looks yummy, Canโt wait to try it! Iโm in the market for an air fryer and seriously considering the Cuisinart but itโs not rated as highly as the more traditional basket type. I like the look but I want it to function as well. Now that youโve had both, do you have a preference?ย Thanks in advance!
I absolutely LOVE the Cuisinart. My only complaint is the tray is hard to get clean but I started wrapping it with foil and that’s fine now.
If I don’t have the Spike seasoning, I know you said to use another herb based blend…..but what exactly? Since there are all the other herbs, I am not sure what to substitute it with. I can’t wait to try out this recipe!
Spike just adds a bit of extra flavor. You can skip it completely, or just use any all-purpose seasoning that will be good with chicken.
I like this recipe! I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing!
Hope you enjoy!
I only have skinless chicken thighs…would this still work in the air fryer?
I can’t say for sure; I haven’t cooked skinless chicken in the air fryer. Maybe Google to see if you find recipes like that and if so then this will probably work too.
Love your recipes keep an comming! On the chicken one can I eat the skin? I am on a low carb diet.
Glad you are enjoying the recipes. Iโm not qualified to give diet advice, but there is certainly not much carbs if any in the chicken skin.
Hello! It looks like you scored the chicken (top side),but I donโt see that step in the directions. ย Did you score them? ย If so, did you do that before or after marinating? ย Thanks for all of the fantastic recipes! ย Iโm a big fan. ย
Glad you are enjoying the recipes! And duh, I did leave that out of the directions; will edit. I made slits in the chicken before I marinated it. Thanks for catching that!
We had this for dinner tonight. It was delicious. I used legs and thighs. Think I am going to make this using chicken breast next week. Thank you for another fantastic recipe! My fiancee enjoyed it too!! So easy to make!! This is definitely going on our meal rotation.
Thanks for that nice feedback! I feel like I have had such a hard time learning to make the most of the air fryer, but I feel like I am finally getting the hang of it! Would love to hear what changes (if any) you make to use breasts and how that works!
I have this marinating in the fridge now for tomorrow. I will post tomorrow night and let you know how it turned out. I will be doing the airfryer version.
Hope you enjoy!
In my downsized life, I don’t have room for an air fryer, but this chicken does look delicious. I’m going to try the oven version.
Definitely the oven version will still be good. As you can tell from my post, I don’t consider the air-fryer to be a “must have” But it does make things nice and crisp!
Hi Kalyn, is there an advantage of the Air Fryer over a convection oven ?
I don’t know the answer to that, sorry. I am guessing the air fryer is more powerful but that’s only a guess. Maybe try googling it and see what you can find.