Does Air Fryer Chicken Taste Good?

An air fryer is an electric kitchen appliance that circulates hot air to cook food. It usually consists of a basket for the food and a heating element in the form of a fan. The heat and the movement of the hot air result in crispy, delicious food with less oil than other cooking methods.

Does air fryer chicken taste good?

The chicken cooked in an air fryer has excellent flavor; the meat is crispy on the outside but juicy inside. However, many other variables can affect the chicken flavor. There is no way to control those variables. You will never get the same chicken flavor every time you cook chicken in an air fryer.

An air fryer is an attractive appliance compared to other fried chicken dishes. It is very effective at creating fried skin and moist meat. This is why people use them for cooking chicken and fish. However, there are several things that air fryers can’t do, or at least not as well as other methods of cooking chicken.

The high temperature cooks your food quickly, while the fan constantly blows hot air onto it, ensuring that all parts of your food are evenly cooked. The rapid circulation also dehydrates your food, which gives it a crisp exterior like deep-frying but without the added calories and unhealthy fats.

In this guide, we’ll cover whether air fryer chicken tastes good in detail by comparing it with other food cooking in the air fryer.

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Cooking Chicken Legs in Air Fryer

Air fryer chicken legs turn out crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.

You can absolutely cook chicken with the skin on or off, but it will be crispier if you leave the skin on. If you decide to remove the skin (but not the bones) from your thighs or drumsticks, they’ll still be just as delicious.

Also, it really doesn’t matter if your chicken is fresh or frozen for this recipe. You will season and coat in a cornstarch mixture before air frying anyway! It works best if your chicken is at room temperature for about 15 minutes before cooking to cook evenly throughout.

To get super crispy air fryer chicken legs (or any other part), you must make sure that they are dry before applying coatings. Patting them with a paper towel helps remove excess moisture. You can also brush chicken with oil before cooking! That will also help give them an excellent fried exterior when they come out of the air fryer!

The peppers you use in this recipe are up to you! I like garlic powder, salt, and pepper because these are staples in my kitchen already, and I don’t need to buy anything special. But feel free to add any flavors you love, such as lemon pepper or Cajun seasoning blend!

Cooking French Fries, Fish, and Other Food

We’ve cooked everything from french fries to fish in the air fryer and found that it’s excellent at getting foods fried without deep frying them in oil.

The temperature inside an air fryer is not hot enough to burn or char food, as you might see with a deep-fryer. However, leaving food in the air fryer for too long can become too crisp or dry out. When cooking something like French fries, we recommend checking them after 10 minutes to ensure they’re not becoming too fried on the outside. Once you find the sweet spot for your favorite foods, you’ll be able to set time and temperature perfectly every single time.

Cooking Whole Chicken in Air Fryer

Air fryers are great for cooking up all kinds of foods, and they’re especially good at making classic fried chicken (wings and drumsticks). We wondered: if it can do a great job with fried chicken, could it also make an entire roasted bird?

The short answer is yes. And the long answer is: Yes! The air fryer cooked the whole chicken to juicy perfection and gave its skin that signature crispiness that makes you want to eat it. No oil was required, so there’s no greasy aftertaste. It flavors just as good as deep-fried or oven-roasted chicken but is healthier than both. In fact, this method may be our new favorite way to cook a whole bird because it leaves us with crispy skin and tender meat with significantly fewer calories than traditional methods.

Cooking Fried Chicken in Air Fryer

If you’re into that sort of thing, many people say that the air fryer is the best kitchen gadget ever invented. If you’re not into that sort of thing, people are also saying it’s just another one of those things you see on TV and is a waste of money unless you use it daily.

If you wish to make tasty air-fried chicken as good as frying, then marinate the chicken with buttermilk, spices, flour, and corn starch mixture.

Also, check our guide on using the parchment paper in an air fryer.

How to Add Flavor to Chicken?

If you want to make air-fried chicken that flavors just as good as fried, the recipe is that you have to soak the chicken in buttermilk and season it with spices, and coat it with a mixture of flour and cornstarch.

Whisk the flour, cornstarch, and spices in a medium shallow bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the buttermilk batter into the flour mixture and mix it with a fork. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge chicken in the flour mixture and press flour on the top chicken to form a thick crust.

If you’re new to air frying, there’s a lot of information to read. So I’ll give you a quick overview of what you need to know before starting air frying. First, the size of your fryer should be larger than the diameter of your chicken breast. The amount of oil should be 2-3 inches deep, and it should not touch the chicken. You want the oil to be hot enough to sizzle when the chicken is added.

The breading makes the chicken more flavorful and adds a nice crispy texture. I like to use a fork because it is easier than using a spoon. You can also use a slotted spoon instead of a fork, but I find that it’s harder to control the amount of breading you add to the chicken. 

Chicken is one of my favorite foods. I love that it’s easy to cook and is packed with protein. It’s also inexpensive and healthy. Plus, it’s versatile: you can eat it plain or add it to recipes for soups, stews, salads, and more.

Is Chicken Better in the Oven or Air Fryer?

The air fryer offers a few advantages over the oven. While a range has to preheat and then cook for a long time at relatively low temperatures, the air fryer is ready to go in seconds and cooks very quickly with high heat. As such, the air fryer uses much less energy than an oven. The hot circulating air produces a nice crispy skin on your chicken (or whatever).

While you can’t cook as much at once in an air fryer as in an oven, it takes up significantly less space in your kitchen than in a range. It’s also much easier to clean up after cooking something like fried chicken than scrubbing burned bits off of pans afterward.

Can an Air Fryer Cook Raw Chicken?

Yes, you can cook raw chicken in an air fryer. You need to preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees F for about 5 minutes and pat your chicken dry and coat with olive oil. Also, season with salt and pepper to flavor (you can use whatever other seasonings you want). After that, put the chicken in a single layer in your air fryer basket and cook for 8-10 minutes until no longer pink inside (use a meat thermometer if unsure).

While it is possible to cook raw chicken in an air fryer, doctors recommend cooking poultry at 165 degrees Fahrenheit or above, a temperature that many air fryers cannot react to quickly enough to prevent foodborne illness from occurring; under normal conditions.

Is It Better to Cook a Whole Chicken in an Air Fryer?

An air fryer is a perfect way to cook a whole chicken. It’s quick, convenient, and produces crisp skin and moist meat without heating up your house for hours on end.

An air fryer is a great option when cooking by yourself but still want a hearty meal. While it may not be the best choice for large family gatherings, this appliance can easily handle cooking one or two chickens at once (many have double racks). Frying multiple chicken pieces at once saves time and energy—and if you’re ordering takeout or delivery anyway, why not save some money too?

You can also use an air fryer to make small appetizers like chicken wings or even homemade fried pickles.

Read Also: Best Air Fryer Made in USA

Conclusion

In conclusion, air fryer chicken is an excellent substitute for deep-fried chicken. Air frying can produce similar results to deep frying with less fat and calories, making it healthier.

With all of that being said, if you do not own an air fryer and are on the fence about purchasing one, I highly recommend it. If you have any questions about the product or would like to know more about how I use mine, please leave your comments below, and I will be sure to respond!