Sweet Chili Air Fryer Chicken (Printer-friendly)
Sticky sweet chili glazed chicken thighs, air-fried until crispy on the outside and juicy within.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1.5 lbs)
→ Marinade & Glaze
02 - 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
03 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari)
04 - 1 tablespoon honey
05 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
06 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Garnish
09 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
10 - 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
11 - Lime wedges, for serving
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat the air fryer to 380°F for 3 to 5 minutes.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt until fully combined.
03 - Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels to ensure the skin crisps properly during cooking.
04 - Add the chicken thighs to the bowl and toss until evenly coated with the marinade. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade for glazing later.
05 - Arrange the thighs skin-side down in the air fryer basket in a single layer, working in batches if necessary. Air fry for 10 minutes.
06 - Flip the thighs skin-side up and brush generously with the reserved marinade.
07 - Continue air frying for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the skin is golden and crispy.
08 - Let the chicken rest for 3 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro and sesame seeds, then serve with lime wedges.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The glaze caramelizes into a lacquered coating that tastes like it took hours, not twenty minutes.
- Cleanup is almost nothing since the air fryer basket catches all the drips and splatter.
02 -
- If you crowd the basket the chicken will steam instead of crisp, so always leave a little breathing room between pieces.
- Drying the skin before coating makes a bigger difference than any other single step in this entire recipe.
03 -
- Reserving a small amount of uncooked glaze for brushing mid-cook gives you that layered, glossy finish that looks professionally done.
- If your air fryer tends to run hot, check the chicken at the 16-minute mark because once the sugar in the honey burns there is no coming back from it.