Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Recipe
This Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken recipe features crispy, flavorful chicken thigh pieces coated in a seasoned cornflour mix and cooked to perfection in an air fryer. Enhanced with a vibrant mix of onions, spring onions, and fresh chillies, this dish offers a spicy kick and aromatic taste, making it an ideal quick and delicious dinner option.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: Chinese-inspired
Ingredients
Chicken
- 5 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch in USA)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp Chinese five spice
- 500 g (1.1 lb) skinless chicken thigh fillets, quartered
- Spray oil (about 20 squirts altogether)
Also
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped into large chunks
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 red chilli pepper (serrano or fresno), finely diced
- 1 green chilli pepper (serrano or fresno), finely diced
- 3 spring onions (scallions), roughly chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the coating: Mix the cornflour, salt, black pepper, and Chinese five spice together in a large bowl to create a flavorful coating for the chicken.
- Coat the chicken: Add the quartered chicken thigh fillets to the bowl and toss thoroughly to evenly coat each piece with the seasoned cornflour mixture.
- Air fry chicken: Arrange the coated chicken pieces in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Spray the chicken with spray oil. Air fry at 200C (400F) for 20 minutes, shaking the basket twice during cooking to ensure even crisping. Once done, remove the chicken and place in a bowl.
- Air fry onions: Add the chopped onion, garlic salt, and black pepper to the empty air fryer basket. Toss together and spray with spray oil. Air fry for 5 minutes at 200C (400F) to soften and lightly caramelize the onions.
- Add chillies and spring onions: Add the finely diced red and green chillies to the onions in the basket. Toss and air fry for an additional 2 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Combine and heat through: Finally, add the roughly chopped spring onions and the fried chicken pieces back into the air fryer basket. Toss all ingredients together and air fry for 1-2 more minutes until everything is hot and well combined.
- Serve: Remove from the air fryer and serve immediately with your favourite sides for a spicy and crispy meal.
Notes
- You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of thighs, but thighs provide juicier results.
- If you don’t have spray oil, lightly brush the chicken and vegetables with a neutral cooking oil before air frying.
- Adjust the quantity of chillies according to your preferred spice level.
- Work in batches if your air fryer basket is small to avoid overcrowding, which ensures better crisping.
- The Chinese five spice adds distinctive flavor but can be omitted or substituted with equal parts ground cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise, and Szechuan peppercorn.
- Serve with steamed rice or stir-fried vegetables for a complete meal.
