--- title: "Chicken thighs in an air fryer: 180 °C for 22–28 min" description: "Chicken thighs takes 22–28 min at 180 °C / 356 °F in an air fryer, against 35–45 min at 200 °C in an oven." url: https://atoneplace.net/air-fryer/chicken-thighs/ site: "At One Place" --- # Chicken thighs in an air fryer **chicken thighs in an air fryer: 180 °C / 356 °F for 22–28 min** Oven equivalent: 200 °C / 392 °F for 35–45 min An air fryer is a small convection oven, so chicken thighs cooks at 180 °C rather than 200 °C and takes 22–28 min instead of 35–45. That is roughly the usual 20 °C drop and a fifth off the time. ## Side by side | | Oven | Air fryer | | --- | --- | --- | | Temperature | 200 °C / 392 °F | 180 °C / 356 °F | | Time | 35–45 min | 22–28 min | | Preheat | Yes | Yes, 3 minutes | | Turn or shake | — | Start skin-side down, turn after 12 minutes. | ## The temperature that actually decides it **Safe internal temperature: 74 °C / 165 °F** Times above are for planning. Whether chicken thighs is done is decided by the internal temperature and nothing else — appliance wattage varies by roughly a factor of two across the category, and thickness changes the time more than any setting does. A probe thermometer in the thickest part is the only reliable answer. ## What goes wrong - Thighs are far more forgiving than breast — the extra fat and connective tissue means overshooting 74 °C by a few degrees improves them rather than ruining them. - Bone-in takes roughly 5 minutes longer than boneless. - Render the skin by starting skin-side down, then finish skin up for crispness. > Air fryer wattage and basket size vary widely, so treat the first batch as a calibration run and write down what worked. These figures are compiled guidance, not a published standard. ## Common questions ### What temperature for chicken thighs in an air fryer? 180 °C, or 356 °F, for 22–28 min. ### How do you convert 200 °C oven to an air fryer? Drop about 20 °C and cut the time by roughly a fifth, giving 180 °C for 22–28 min. ### What internal temperature should chicken thighs reach? 74 °C / 165 °F, per USDA FSIS. Times are guidance; the thermometer decides. ## Related pages - [Chicken breast in an air fryer](https://atoneplace.net/air-fryer/chicken-breast/) - [Chicken wings in an air fryer](https://atoneplace.net/air-fryer/chicken-wings/) - [A whole chicken in an air fryer](https://atoneplace.net/air-fryer/whole-chicken/) - [Frozen chips in an air fryer](https://atoneplace.net/air-fryer/frozen-chips/) - [Bacon in an air fryer](https://atoneplace.net/air-fryer/bacon/) - [Frozen chicken nuggets in an air fryer](https://atoneplace.net/air-fryer/chicken-nuggets-frozen/) - [Leftover pizza in an air fryer](https://atoneplace.net/air-fryer/reheat-pizza/) - [Salmon fillet in an air fryer](https://atoneplace.net/air-fryer/salmon/) - [A jacket potato in an air fryer](https://atoneplace.net/air-fryer/jacket-potato/) - [Burgers in an air fryer](https://atoneplace.net/air-fryer/burgers/) - [Steak in an air fryer](https://atoneplace.net/air-fryer/steak/) - [Sausages in an air fryer](https://atoneplace.net/air-fryer/sausages/) ## Sources - Food Safety and Inspection Service — US Department of Agriculture (https://www.fsis.usda.gov/) [Public domain (US Government)]