Buffalo Chicken Thighs (Oven or Air Fryer)

Ingredients

So few ingredients for so much flavor!

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs Boneless chicken thighs, although still fairly lean without the skin, have more fat than chicken breasts. That makes them juicier and more flavorful.
• Hot Sauce You could use any hot sauce, and if you want to make your own sauce, I have a great recipe for cayenne pepper sauce (so easy) But if you prefer to buy it, I recommend Frank's Red Hot for authentic buffalo flavor. Frank's has a fairly tame spice level, however if you like a really spicy buffalo sauce, you can also buy the "Xtra Hot" version. Frank's hot sauce contains salt and garlic, so there's no need to add salt or garlic powder. You can also buy your favorite buffalo sauce, which will contain butter flavoring. If you do, ignore the next list item: you can skip the butter.
• Butter Don't skip the butter! The addition of butter to the hot sauce is what makes it buffalo sauce. The butter makes the wing sauce rich and smooth, just like the one you get at your favorite pub. Olive oil or margarine are not good substitutes.

Oven Instructions

Detailed instructions can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post. If you prefer air fryer buffalo chicken thighs, see the section below for air fryer instructions.

1. In a bowl, toss the chicken with half of the hot sauce. Cover, refrigerate, and allow to marinate.
2. Place chicken thighs on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake 20 minutes.

3. Combine the melted butter and Frank's hot sauce in a large bowl. Submerge each chicken thigh in the buttery buffalo sauce to coat.

4. Return each piece to the baking sheet.
5. Bake 5 minutes more to set the sauce.

Air Fryer Instructions

• Combine the chicken pieces with half of the hot sauce in a bowl, coating each thigh. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.
• Preheat the air fryer to 400°, or 380° if that is it's highest setting.
• Spray the air fryer basket lightly with oil. (I use avocado oil).
• Put the chicken thighs in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
• Cook 18-20 minutes.
• In a bowl, stir the butter into the remaining hot sauce.
• Remove each chicken piece and submerge in the hot sauce / butter mixture to coat, returning each one back to the air fryer basket.
• Cook for a further 3 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 165°
• If you are using an air fryer, you may need to cook in two batches depending on the size of your air fryer model. I have the Gourmia GAF698 which is 6 quarts and I'm able to cook the recipe in one batch.

Substitutions

• Chicken. If you don't want to use boneless thighs or have another favorite cut of chicken on hand, you can use any of these:
• Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs. Bone-in chicken thighs take longer to cook, so you will need to add another 10-15 minutes (depending on which cooking process) of cooking time To get that crispy skin, increase the oven temperature to 425° for the last 10 minutes of cook time. If you are using an air fryer, increase the cooking time by 5 minutes
• Chicken tenders If you prefer white to dark meat, I recommend chicken tenders. Using the oven, decrease cook time by 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the tenders. For air frying, cook at 400°. Decrease cooking time by 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. You can also use boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes or strips.
• Wings Of course, the original buffalo chicken, wings are an obvious choice for this simple recipe. Cook wings in the oven for 40 minutes at 400°, or in the air fryer for 25 minutes at 400°

Serving Suggestions

Serve your buffalo chicken thighs as an appetizer or snack along with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing for dipping. Or make these delicious thighs the main dish with rice and green beans or carrots. Salads are a good side dish for as well, especially potato salad, pasta salad or coleslaw.

If you want to use a garnish, try blue cheese crumbles or green onions.

Helpful Tips

• Use kitchen scissors to trim the fat from the chicken thighs.
• Frank's Red Hot is a medium hot sauce. If you love buffalo chicken but want less spice, try a mild buffalo sauce. If you prefer a spicy hot sauce, Frank's has an extra hot version.
• Be sure to heat the hot sauce before adding the butter. If you melt the butter and then add it to the hot sauce, the butter will solidify again.
• Chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°. Use an instant-read meat thermometer to measure the temperature.
• Leftover buffalo chicken thighs should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, preheat oven or air fryer to 400°. Arrange the cooked chicken thighs in a single layer on a baking sheet or air fryer basket. Heat for 10 minutes in the oven, or 5 minutes in the air fryer.