Our honey mustard frozen chicken thighs in air fryer recipe is the stuff dreams are made of! From a frozen package of chicken thighs to warm, crispy, and honey mustard glazed deliciousness in under 30-minutes, your dinner just became a whole lot more amazing and a WHOLE LOTTA YUM!
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Thighs
Like many recipes, this frozen chicken thighs in air fryer recipe came to be out of necessity. We simply had forgotten to take anything out and while ordering out sounded good, it just didn't make sense. A quick glance around the kitchen showed we had all the supplies to create honey mustard chicken thighs. And knowing the air fryer is a champ at cooking frozen foods fast, we decided to give it a go.
Naturally gluten-free, our air fryer chicken thighs are also low-carb and keto-friendly. While we do use honey, each honey mustard chicken thigh has just 5-net carbs! Air fryer frozen chicken thighs will also work well for a dairy-free lifestyle and can be eaten if you follow paleo (but we do recommend you don't eat a ton of these on paleo as mustard is a grey area).
Keep the whole meal light and flavorful by pairing your air fryer frozen chicken thighs with this broccoli and cauliflower salad and these air fryer frozen green beans!
Why You'll Love This!
- No thawing required! This air fryer frozen chicken thigh recipe is designed to work with frozen meat and give you a dinner that is cooked completely through.
- Your honey mustard frozen chicken thighs in air fryer recipe needs just a few minutes of prep and just 13-minutes in the air fryer meaning dinner is done in under 30-minutes!
- No processed foods or sauces here! We are going to make the honey mustard glaze ourselves in no time.
The air fryer is a kitchen powerhouse appliance and we rely on it a lot in our kitchen! When we can create chicken dishes, like our air fryer frozen chicken breast and our air fryer chicken tenders, the air fryer continues to prove how vital it truly is.
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Ingredient Notes
With just a handful of ingredients, this frozen chicken thighs in air fryer recipe is about to become one of your favorite dinner recipes!
- frozen boneless chicken thighs
- olive oil
- stone ground mustard
- honey
- garlic salt
- black pepper
Variations
- Honey mustard glaze - If you prefer, you can use a bottled honey mustard sauce rather than making your own. However, be sure to check the label on any store-bought sauces to ensure that it is compliant with your eating plan.
Equipment
An Air Fryer- We have an Omni Plus oven style air fryer and a small 3.2L Farberware basket style air fryer.
Step by Step Instructions
Your frozen chicken thighs in air fryer recipe is super simple! We are going to start with a lower cooking temperature to help thaw our chicken thighs, then season and turn the heat up to finish it off.
Prep
Start by preheating your air fryer to 320F for 5 minutes.
While the air fryer is preheating, combine the oil, mustard, honey, garlic salt, and pepper in a small bowl and combine. Set this aside to brush on your chicken later.
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Temp
Your air fryer frozen chicken thighs are going to cook at two different temperatures. The first is 320F and this is when you will use the air fryer to defrost your chicken thighs.
The second temperature is 400F and this is where we are going to do the majority of the cooking.
However, both temperatures are important so remember to use both when making your frozen chicken thighs in air fryer recipe.
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Cooking Time
Once your air fryer has preheated, add the frozen chicken thighs to the air fryer to start defrosting the meat.
After 3 minutes check the frozen chicken and pull the thighs apart. It'll be partially defrosted but still frozen in spots, but it will be thawed enough to separate the pieces.
Brush the honey mustard glaze on both sides of the chicken thighs. Turn the heat up to 400F and air fry the thighs for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking, or until the internal meat temperature reaches 165F (we recommend using a meat thermometer to check for doneness).
Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- For best results, only cook frozen chicken that is individually quick frozen or comes in a tray where the meat is packed in one layer. A block of frozen chicken thighs won't turn out in this recipe.
- Frozen chicken thighs in air fryer will need two different cooking temperatures. Start your frozen chicken thighs at 320F for 3 minutes, then follow up with 400F for 10 minutes and an internal temperature of 165F.
- Air fryer models can vary slightly in cooking time, we suggest checking the thighs a couple of minutes before the recipe states in case you have an air fryer that's cooking hotter.
- Our air fryer frozen chicken thigh recipe is for boneless chicken thighs; however, we do have instructions for bone-in thighs below.
- We don't suggest adding the glaze to the frozen thighs at the beginning of the recipe since the honey in the glaze will burn. Be sure to add it in the step after you partially defrost the chicken at a lower temperature first.
Common Questions
This chicken thigh recipe is super versatile and will pair well with a variety of sides. Rice, cauliflower rice, salad, green beans, and corn on the cob are all great options.
If you have bone-in chicken thighs you can use the same method but you will need to add a few minutes to the cooking time. Be sure to cook your chicken thighs to an internal temp of 165F.
Store any left over honey mustard chicken thighs 4-5 days in the fridge in a covered container.
More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
- Frozen chicken breast in air fryer
- Frozen chicken nuggets in air fryer
- Air fryer chicken tenders (no breading)
- Frozen chicken tenders in air fryer
Come connect with us on Instagram! Be sure to tag us (wholelotta.yum) when you make a recipe. You can also find us on Facebook, and Pinterest.
📖 Recipe
Honey Mustard Frozen Chicken Thighs in Air Fryer
Make juicy and flavorful air fryer frozen chicken thighs with a honey mustard glaze super fast! No more worries if you forgot to defrost the chicken before making dinner.
Ingredients
- 4 frozen chicken thighs, boneless
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 Tbps stone ground mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 320F for 5 minutes.
- While the air fryer is preheating, in a small bowl mix the oil, mustard, honey, garlic salt, and pepper. brush over the chicken on both sides.
- Add the frozen chicken thighs to the air fryer to start defrosting the meat. After 3 minutes check the frozen chicken and pull the thighs apart. It'll be partially defrosted but still frozen in spots.
- Brush the honey mustard glaze on both sides of the chicken thighs.
- Turn the heat up to 400F and air fry the thighs for a total of 10 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking, or until the internal meat temperature reaches 165F.
Notes
For best results, only cook frozen chicken that is individually quick frozen or comes in a tray where the meat is packed in one layer. A block of frozen chicken thighs won't turn out in this recipe.
Be sure to preheat the air fryer before cooking to help get consistent cooking results.
Air fryer models can vary slightly in cooking time, we suggest checking the thighs a couple minutes before the recipe states in case you have an air fryer that's cooking hotter.
We don't suggest adding the glaze to the frozen thighs at the beginning of the recipe since the honey in the glaze will burn. Be sure to add it in the step after you partially defrost the chicken at a lower temperature first.
Want to use your own bottled favorite glaze? Use it instead of our honey mustard glaze.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 328Total Fat 22gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 166mgSodium 623mgCarbohydrates 5gNet Carbohydrates 5gFiber 0gSugar 4gProtein 31g
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