Air Fryer Honey Soy Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 chicken thighs (boneless or bone-in)
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 tsp grated ginger (optional)
• 1 tsp chilli sauce (optional)
• 1 tbsp oil, pepper

Steps

1. Prick the chicken thighs a few times with a fork so the marinade actually penetrates the meat instead of sitting on the surface.
2. In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, honey, grated garlic, grated ginger, chilli sauce, oil and a good crack of pepper.
3. Spoon out about 2 tbsp of this mixture into a separate small bowl and set aside for glazing later — keeping it separate means it never touches raw chicken.
4. Add the chicken to the remaining marinade, turning to coat well, and let it sit for at least 20 minutes.
5. Line the air fryer basket with foil or parchment (leaving gaps for airflow), since the honey in the marinade will stick and burn on bare metal.
6. Preheat the air fryer to 190°C, then arrange the thighs in a single layer with space between pieces.
7. Air fry for the first half of the cook time — about 9–10 min for boneless, or 12 min for bone-in.
8. Flip the thighs so the other side gets direct heat, then continue air frying for the remaining time, for a total of 18–20 min (boneless) or 24 min (bone-in).
9. Check the thickest part of the largest thigh reads 74°C on a thermometer, with the surface a deep caramelised brown, before pulling it.
10. Brush with the reserved glaze for the last 3 minutes of cooking, watching closely since the honey can catch and blacken fast in a hot basket.

Tip: Line the basket with foil or parchment. Honey glaze sticks and burns on bare metal.

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Nutrition (per serving)

Estimated from standard ingredient data — actual values vary by brand and exact quantities used.

Serving & Storage