The Best Southern Fried Air Fryer Chicken
Serve up the best Southern Fried Air Fryer Chicken for dinner tonight. Crispy battered coating and tender and juicy chicken as you sink your teeth into this tasty fried chicken!
Gone are the days where you pan-cooked fried chicken. Many want a healthier or easier alternative. The air fryer fried chicken has truly taken over the world. This recipe is proof, it can do amazing things!
Southern Fried Air Fryer Chicken
Southern-fried air fryer chicken is perfectly seasoned and battered. Layout on your air fryer rack or basket and cook away.
Pair with your favorite side dishes and serve up an incredible feast!
Tips for How to Fry Chicken in the Air fryer
- Space | Make sure you leave space between each piece of chicken in the air fryer. If your chicken touches it will not crisp up properly like you want.
- Coat | Spritz your chicken with oil this will help it crisp up on the outside. You can buy a can that allows you to pour your favorite oil in and it will spray it out like a cooking spray.
- Dipping | When cooking in the air fryer you need a thinner coating then say a super thick coating like you might know and love. It will give you the best overall coat if you do a thinner batter.
One thing to keep in mind is while this chicken tastes so good, you have to remember it is not cooked in oil. So it is going to bring you a bit of a lighter flavorful than traditional pan-fried chicken.
The flavor will be a bit different so prepare yourself for that. You can not get an oil cooked chicken flavor from this air fried version.
Why Is My Recipe for Air fryer fried chicken Soggy Under Breading
If you soak your chicken in buttermilk or even an egg wash if you don’t let the excess drip off before coating it can leave a soggy texture.
The other option is the temperature wasn’t right. Each model of air fryer cooks differently. So while this recipe is perfect for my Air Fryer fried chicken your air fryer my require a different heat. Read your manual to see what they recommend for fried chicken.
There Is Still Flour on My Chicken
Spritzing the chicken with oil is going to help get rid of the flour and give your coating a brown texture.
While Pam cooking spray is frowned on it can eat off coatings in the air fryer. You can buy a spritzing bottle that you pour your oil in and spray,
How to Know When Air Fryer Chicken Is Done
Use a meat thermometer to gauge the internal temperature. Chicken is one meat you do not want to undercook.
Ensure your meat has reached 165 degrees. All chicken is different sizes so depending on how thick or small it will alter the cooking time.
Give this air fryer Southern fried chicken a try and let me know what you think!
More Air Fryer Recipes you will love
- Air Fryer Texas Roadhouse Pickles
- Crispy Air Fryer Fried Green Tomatoes
- The Best Air Fryer Zucchini Fritters
- Air Fryer Parmesan Crusted Chicken

The Best Southern Fried Air Fryer Chicken
Serve up the best Southern Fried Air Fryer Chicken for dinner tonight. Crispy battered coating and tender and juicy air fryer fried chicken as you sink your teeth into this tasty fried chicken!
Ingredients
- Whole cut up chicken
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tbs garlic powder
- 1 tbs cayenne pepper
- 2 tbs paprika
- 1 tbs salt
- 1 tbs pepper
Instructions
- Take your cut-up chicken and place it in buttermilk.
- Marinate the chicken in the buttermilk for 12-24 hours
- Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees,
- Stir together your flour and seasoning.
- Remove chicken from the buttermilk letting excess milk drip off.
- Coat each piece of chicken in the flour mixture.
- Place in a single layer in your air fryer.
- Spray chicken with a light coat of olive oil.
- Cook for 20 minutes.
- Flip chicken and cook for an additional 20 minutes.
- Check the temp of your chicken to make sure it's 165 degrees.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 143Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 736mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 7g
WOW! This chicken is begging to be eaten. Looks amazing! I’m definitely saving the recipe for later. I’m planning to make this for our next friend’s gathering. Gonna follow your recipe precisely. Hope I won’t fail. Thank u for sharing this. I’m so inspired! Looking forward to your new ideas. Keep up the good work!