This is the crispiest, juiciest fried chicken - and it's made in the air fryer! My Air Fryer Fried Chicken recipe means no more needing to deep fry in oil - keep reading for my key tips!
In a small bowl, mix together the Seasoning Mix ingredients until combined.
Add the chicken to a tray and season both sides of the chicken with half of the seasoning mix. Add the chicken to a bowl with the buttermilk and hot sauce and mix. Let the chicken sit for 15 minutes (or as long as overnight for more flavor) while you prepare the Dry Batter.
In a large bowl add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and remaining half of the Seasoning Mix. Whisk together to combine. Add a few drops of water to the Dry batter and mix them with your hands to create craggily bits.
Dredge the chicken pieces in the Dry Batter until fully coated, pressing with your hands to ensure the batter sticks to the chicken. Spray the chicken generously with neutral oil spray on both sides.
Preheat the air fryer to 375F, then place the chicken skin side down and air fry for 12 minutes (if you air fryer basket can't fit all the chicken in one batch, cook the thighs together first). Flip and give the top side another spray of neutral oil and air fry for another 6-8 minutes until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F. Let cool for a few minutes then enjoy!
Notes
My #1 tip is to generously use a neutral oil spray that has a high smoke point - my go-to is avocado oil. Spraying a layer of oil is so important - it prevents the chicken from sticking to the air fryer basket and most importantly, helps the chicken breading develop a crispy texture and golden brown color, just like deep frying. The oil encourages a maillard reaction or the chemical reaction that creates browning and adds depth of flavor. A little oil goes a long way when making air-fried foods!
The breading is a trio of cornstarch, flour, and (my secret ingredient) baking powder. The combination of cornstarch and flour results in prevention of gluten development which makes the breading crispier and golden brown. The baking powder increases the pH of the chicken skin, which helps break down proteins and creates tiny air bubbles, which makes for a crispier texture when "fried".
After recipe testing, I’ve opted for a combination of buttermilk and hot sauce as the binder because it’s thin enough to allow the breading to stick to the chicken while also tenderizes and adds flavor to the meat. If you are sensitive to spice, you can leave out the hot sauce and cayenne pepper in the recipe.