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Today I’m bringing you ActiFry Chicken Thighs! (Air Fryer Chicken Thighs). Whether you’re a busy mum or dad there are days when you simply don’t have the energy to cook but the thought of a ready meal depresses you for its lack of freshness and nutrients.
I had such a night recently when my energy levels had hit rock bottom after a busy day and the last thing I wanted to do was cook. Yes I’m sure even Jamie Oliver doesn’t feel like cooking when he gets home after a day in the kitchen and the same can be said for food bloggers! So with a packet of chicken thighs in the fridge I tried to think of the easiest and quickest option for them. Yes I could roast them in the oven but I have grown a little weary of the mess that causes and the billows of burning chicken fat that it causes when next using the oven!
Then bingo the Tefal ActiFry caught my eye and I knew that it would be perfect for the job of roasting my chicken thighs in a really efficient way and with minimal mess. Its usual to add a spoon of oil to food being fried but as the chicken thighs had their skins on I knew this would be necessary so just coated them in paprika and onion granules for a bit of flavour. You could use any spices you wish or simply salt and pepper but the paprika did give a nice colour.
To go with our succulent and tasty chicken thighs I simply heated up some rolls in the oven and prepared some salad ingredients including avocado. Once the chicken thighs were cooked I simply removed the bone and placed the chicken meat in the buns with the salad and some mayonnaise. If I’d had some oven chips I might have cooked some to go on the side too.
This really was minimal effort food using fresh ingredients and far better than resorting to a ready meal and also much cheaper! I bought my chicken thighs in Aldi for £1.99 so this was an extremely cheap meal. I also got my rolls reduced from Tesco for 25p and had them in the freezer. And if you want to know the cheapest place to get avocados then go to Morrisons where they are 99p for 4.
More Recipe Ideas for when you’re too tired to Cook!
As each of my ActiFry Chicken Thighs in a bun cost about 70 p a serving I’m entering them into Credit Crunch Munch which I run with Fuss Free Flavours which is being hosted by Jo’s Kitchen this month.
Actifry Chicken Thighs with a coating of paprika and onion granules - good simple food!
Course Main
Cuisine British
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 35 minutesminutes
Total Time 40 minutesminutes
Servings 4
Author Camilla Hawkins
Ingredients
750gapprox 4 - 5 pieces Chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
Paprika
Onion granules
Instructions
Trim any excess skin from the chicken thighs.
Dust both sides of the thighs with onion granules and paprika.
Place in ActiFry equally spaced apart and set to cook for 35 minutes. (No oil needed).
You will have to keep an eye on the thighs for the first few minutes as they might get caught on the paddle and need a gentle shove with a wooden spoon to get them back on their way! (This just happened once to me).
Hi I’m making chicken drumsticks in my t-fal actifry machine can I remove the paddle in the middle to cook my chicken ??? Thanks
Reply
Camilla
Hi Lorraine, yes you can cook without the paddle but would need to manually turn the chicken. Drumsticks are quite small so I’m not sure why you’d need to remove the paddle?
Reply
TheStrayedCat
SO easy and good! Thanks!
Reply
Camilla
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed it:-)
Reply
Johnny
I heard that the cooking temp in an actifry is preset at 350 F!should anyone care to know!
Reply
Camilla
Or 180C not sure it that changes with the faster frying models.
Never operate the appliance without the mixing paddle – unless specified in the ActiFry recipe – or the appropriate accessory. instructions and recipe book; make sure that you use the right amount of ingredients. to replace it, remember to think about how you can contribute to protecting the environment.
But that's not the end of the story. From the cook's perspective (that's me and you), this fast and easy dinner is a clear winner. Bone-in chicken thighs cook in 16 to 20 minutes in the air fryer at 400 degrees F. You don't need to marinade the chicken thighs before air frying.
Gentle techniques—such as braising at a relatively low heat and grilling over an indirect fire—work best. The goal is to keep the meat at an internal temp between 140 and 195 degrees—the collagen-breakdown sweet spot—for as long as possible.
ActiFry goes where many traditional deep fryers, chip fryers or air fryers fear to tread. You see, ActiFry is the only brand of air fryer that can cook saucy recipes, too, like creamy curries and casseroles.
With the AirFryer you can fry, bake, grill, and roast, whereas with the Actifry there is only one way to cook your food. ... You can even use a small oven mold with the AirFryer. One advantage that the Actifry does have in this area is its stirring paddle.
Over a medium-high flame, heat the oil to 375 F. Test the oil to make sure it's hot. Add the chicken, being careful not to overcrowd the pan, and cook for 7 to 8 minutes per side, or until the outside is browned and the meat is cooked through.
While chicken thighs only need to be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees as read by a meat thermometer, I recommend you bake them until they reach 180 – 190 degrees. This takes 30-40 minutes at 400 degrees.
Place the chicken on the air fryer basket / grate in an even layer, leaving a bit of space for air to circulate around. Air fry the chicken at 415 degrees for 10 minutes. If you have larger pieces of chicken, you'll want to go closer to 13 minutes. You're looking for an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Chicken is a very versatile meat that can be roasted, fried and even steamed for delicious results. Chicken thighs, however, benefit the most from being roasted or fried, as it allows the fat to render and results in a succulent texture.
Brines and marinades help tenderize the meat by bringing more moisture in the protein. With that extra moisture, you lose less when you cook. The simplest way to do this is with a dry brine — unwrap the chicken breasts, salt them on both sides and let them sit in the fridge for at least an hour.
When baking chicken thighs with the skin on, you're trying to achieve crispy chicken thighs in the oven. Therefore, leaving them uncovered ensures a crispy skin that turns perfectly golden.
You'll know the chicken thighs are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. For the most accurate temperature reading, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, taking care to avoid touching the bone for bone-in chicken thighs (this leads to an inaccurate reading).
For the ultimate juicy and tender chicken thigh experience, aim for an internal temp between 175 and 185 F. Any temperature higher than that can dry out or burn your meat, but the perfect 175° to 185° range will get you well above the minimum safe temperature and maximize the poultry's flavor potential.
In fact, the more you cook chicken thighs (up to a point), the better they get because that connective tissue dissolves, leaving behind fork-tender meat. So if you've got a batch of chicken thighs for dinner, it's not only okay to overcook them, it's encouraged.
For a good start of the device, we advise you to cook for at least 20 minutes with half a litre of water. From the second cooking time, your ActiFry will give you complete satisfaction. Never leave the dosing spoon in the device during operation. Never cook without a paddle.
These generally have a basket like the classic basket air fryer, with a paddle that rotates through the food, stirring it constantly. These air fryers can also make all the classics, as the paddle can be removed.
A: Yes you can use it without the paddle inside. I would just recommend turning over whatever you are cooking half way through or take out the paddle cook it half way and put it back in once the food has a crust, if you want your food to be moved around.
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