I finally figured out why my air fryer chicken was always dry

I was making chicken thighs again last Tuesday, and my wife just said 'it tastes like jerky'. That hit me. I was cooking them at 400 degrees for 20 minutes straight, no break. I looked it up and saw a tip about starting high to crisp, then dropping the temp. Tried 400 for 10 minutes, then 350 for 8 more, and it was totally different. Has anyone else found a better temp combo for dark meat?

4 comments

4 Comments

jenny472mo ago

My buddy did that and his chicken came out like shoe leather.

karen3611mo ago

Your buddy probably left them in too long or used way too much salt. A quick 30 minute brine with just a couple tablespoons of salt per quart of water works great, you just can't go overboard.

wyatt_mitchell262mo ago

Maybe the brine was too strong or too long. A heavy salt mix can actually pull moisture out instead of putting it in. Did he say how much salt he used?

phoenixw112mo ago

Found that a quick brine helps a ton with dryness too. Soak the thighs in salty water for even just thirty minutes before you pat them dry. It keeps the inside way more juicy, even if you mess up the temps a little.