How Long For Fried Chicken In Air Fryer? | Time Chart

If you swapped deep frying for an air fryer, you still want that crunchy coating without dry meat inside. The trouble is that cooking times vary a lot between wings, breasts, and drumsticks, and guessing can leave you with dry or undercooked chicken.

It lays out time ranges for each cut, the temperature you need for safety, and simple tweaks for basket style, portion size, and starting from raw, cooked, or frozen.

How Long For Fried Chicken In Air Fryer? Time Basics

If you are wondering how long for fried chicken in air fryer?, the realistic answer is a time range, not a single number. Air fryers cook by moving hot air around your food, so the thickness of each piece, whether it is bone-in, and how crowded the basket is matters as much as the timer setting.

For most home air fryers, fried chicken pieces sit in the 360–400°F (182–204°C) range for 12–25 minutes. Smaller boneless pieces land near the low end of the range, while large, bone-in pieces need more time. No matter what any recipe says, your real finish line is an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the meat.

Air Fryer Fried Chicken Time Chart By Cut

Chicken Cut	Air Fryer Temp	Approx Cook Time
Boneless Chicken Tenders Or Strips	380°F / 193°C	10–12 minutes
Boneless Chicken Thighs	380°F / 193°C	14–18 minutes
Bone-In Thighs	390°F / 199°C	18–22 minutes
Bone-In Drumsticks	390°F / 199°C	18–24 minutes
Bone-In Breasts	375°F / 191°C	20–25 minutes
Boneless Breasts (Halved Or Cutlets)	375°F / 191°C	15–18 minutes
Party Wings (Flats And Drumettes)	400°F / 204°C	18–22 minutes
Reheating Cooked Fried Chicken	350°F / 177°C	6–10 minutes

These time ranges assume room temperature chicken, a preheated air fryer, and pieces that are roughly 4–8 ounces each. Thicker pieces or large legs or breasts can sit near the upper end of the range or slightly above it. Always check the internal temperature instead of trusting color alone.

Safety Rules For Air Fryer Fried Chicken

Time matters, but food safety comes down to temperature. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says chicken should reach at least 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part, measured with a food thermometer.

Air fryers work much like compact convection ovens, so the safe internal temperature is the same as roasting or grilling. What changes is how fast the heat reaches the center, so time charts use both temperature and thickness.

Skip raw stuffed or frozen breaded chicken products that list “do not air fry” on the box. The guidance on the FSIS air fryer food safety page explains that many start raw in the center and may not heat evenly, so follow the package directions for those items instead.

Why Internal Temperature Beats Clock Watching

Color and texture do not always line up with safe doneness. Chicken can look opaque while the center still sits under 165°F (74°C), and letting it go dark brown can dry out the meat.

A fast digital thermometer takes away guesswork. Once you know the rough time for your model, use the timer as a guide and the thermometer as your final check.

Fried Chicken In Air Fryer Time Tips For Different Starting Points

The clock you set for fried chicken in an air fryer also depends on whether your chicken starts out raw, chilled, or frozen. Pre-cooked fried chicken takes less time than raw drumsticks, and frozen pieces need an adjustment so the coating does not scorch before the center is ready.

Raw Homemade Fried Chicken

For raw chicken that you bread yourself, timing follows the chart near the top of this article. Pat the chicken dry, season it, coat with seasoned flour or crumbs, spritz with a bit of oil, then preheat the air fryer for 3–5 minutes before cooking at the temperature for your cut.

Plan on 10–12 minutes for small tenders, 14–18 minutes for boneless thighs and cutlets, 18–24 minutes for wings and drumsticks, and up to 25 minutes for large bone-in breasts. Turn the pieces halfway through and check the internal temperature near the low end of the range to avoid overcooking.

Store-Bought Fried Chicken

With pre-fried chicken from a grocery store deli or restaurant, your goal is to reheat and crisp, not cook from raw. Place a few pieces in the basket in a single layer, set the temperature around 350°F (177°C), and start with 6–8 minutes for smaller pieces or 8–10 minutes for large breasts and thighs.

Since the chicken is already cooked, the risk is more about drying it out than undercooking, but it still helps to check that the center returns to 165°F (74°C), especially if the meal has been in the fridge for a few days.

Frozen Fried Or Breaded Chicken Pieces

Many boxed chicken strips, patties, and wings now list air fryer directions on the package. When that information is missing, you can start 20–25 percent longer than you would for thawed chicken. A common range for frozen breaded tenders is 375–400°F (191–204°C) for 14–18 minutes, turned once.

Keep a close eye on the color of the coating and check the center temperature of the thickest piece. If the outside browns too fast, lower the temperature by 15–25°F and add a few minutes so the heat has time to reach the center without burning the crust.

Leftover Takeout Fried Chicken

Leftover fried chicken from your favorite restaurant air fries pretty well as long as it was stored in the fridge within two hours of cooking. Let the leftovers sit on the counter for 10–15 minutes so the chill comes off, then air fry at 325–350°F (163–177°C) for 6–8 minutes for smaller pieces or 8–10 minutes for large pieces.

This is where many people ask again how long for fried chicken in air fryer? because leftovers vary in size and breading. Start at the lower end of the range and add a minute at a time until the skin is crisp and the center is hot.

Quick Time Reference By Starting State

Air Fryer Fried Chicken Time By Starting State

Starting State	Typical Temp	Approx Time
Raw, Boneless Tenders Or Strips	380°F / 193°C	10–12 minutes
Raw, Bone-In Drumsticks Or Thighs	390°F / 199°C	18–24 minutes
Raw, Bone-In Breasts	375°F / 191°C	20–25 minutes
Frozen Breaded Tenders Or Nuggets	375–400°F / 191–204°C	14–18 minutes
Store-Bought Cooked Fried Chicken	350°F / 177°C	6–10 minutes
Leftover Fried Chicken From Fridge	325–350°F / 163–177°C	6–10 minutes
Small Pieces Or Wing Tips	375–400°F / 191–204°C	8–12 minutes

Step-By-Step Method For Air Fryer Fried Chicken

Prep The Chicken

Trim loose bits of fat or skin that may burn in the air fryer. Pat each piece dry with paper towels and season with salt, pepper, and any spices you like. If you use a buttermilk soak, let excess drip off so it does not pool in the basket.

Coat the chicken in seasoned flour, egg wash, and crumbs or a second layer of flour. Shake off extra coating so you do not end up with loose bits burning under the basket.

Preheat And Arrange In The Basket

Preheat the air fryer to your target temperature for 3–5 minutes. This helps the coating start crisping as soon as the chicken goes in. While it heats, lightly oil the basket or use a perforated liner made for air fryers instead of standard parchment that blocks airflow.

Arrange the chicken in a single layer with a little space between each piece. Crowding the basket slows browning and can leave some sides pale, so cook in batches instead of stacking pieces.

Cook, Turn, And Check Temperature

Set the timer for the low end of the range for your cut. Turn the pieces at the halfway point, moving any dark pieces toward the center of the basket.

When the timer goes off, check the internal temperature of one or two thick pieces. If the thermometer reads at least 165°F (74°C) and the juices run clear, the chicken is ready. If it reads low, add 2–3 minutes and recheck so you learn how your air fryer behaves.

Rest Before Serving

Let the cooked chicken rest on a rack or paper towel lined plate for 5–10 minutes so the juices settle back into the meat.

Common Mistakes With Air Fryer Fried Chicken

Many air fryer complaints come down to habits that throw off time and texture. A few small tweaks can turn unevenly cooked chicken into crisp, juicy pieces that finish on time.

Overloading The Basket

Stacked chicken pieces block the hot air that makes air fryers work. When the basket is crowded, the coating steams instead of crisping, and the center of large pieces can stay below 165°F (74°C). Stick to a single layer and give each piece some space.

Skipping The Thermometer

Guessing by color alone wastes chicken and raises the risk of serving meat that is not fully cooked. A small instant-read thermometer tells you in seconds whether the center reached the safe zone, and food safety advice for chicken applies just as much to air fryers.

Using The Wrong Oil Spray

Standard aerosol pan sprays can leave a sticky film on some nonstick air fryer baskets. Many manufacturers and safety guides suggest brushing on a small amount of high smoke point oil or using a pump-style sprayer instead.

Dialing In Time For Your Exact Air Fryer

Every air fryer model behaves a little differently, so treat these time charts as a starting point and adjust in small steps based on your results.

Pick one cut of chicken, such as drumsticks, and cook a test batch. Note the time and internal readings. If it hit 165°F (74°C) early, trim the time next round; if it lagged, add a short burst.

Once you know how your own air fryer behaves, you will know how long fried chicken needs in your basket on a busy weeknight or for a laid-back weekend meal, with less guesswork and more dependable crunchy results. Over time you build a steady sense of how your air fryer runs.