Best way to season chicken for air fryer

Rules do apply to seasoning air fried chicken versus oven cooking, due to how the loose and dry mixture is free to blow inside the air fryer unless its adhered to the chicken.

Only way to season chicken ready to be air fried would be to apply seasoning as you do, then allow the moisture of the raw chicken to absorb into the mix, thus making it wet and less dry. Air fryers circulate a powerful air flow which could blow seasoning everywhere - with oil applied to chicken a great alternative.

Why you would want to think about seasoning any kind of chicken portions prior to being air fried, is because air fryers feature a strong air flow.

Circulation inside an air fryer could pick up loose, dry seasoning, which could lead to it being blown off the chicken and flung all over the air fryer basket interior.

Applying seasoning for oven roasting is different, as the oven isn't as powerful has an air fryer, and doesn't have a convection feature so strong, it will blow items around.

What you must do is sprinkle on the seasoning to your chicken drumsticks to wings, breasts to legs; then allow several minutes for the seasoning to adhere to chicken - with access moisture pulled up into the seasoning.

Chicken would ideally be defrosted for this to work, whereas 'cooked from frozen' chicken would require applying the seasoning with the chicken surface still rock hard - leading to the seasoning being blow off in a matter or seconds.

Saying that, you can think about oiling frozen chicken prior to applying seasoning, which should keep it stuck on as it air fries.

In addition, if you need to season chicken prior to marinating the chicken, then there's no issue at all.

Last option, but one I don't recommend to make sure seasoning remains stuck on the chicken surface - is too air fry seasoned chicken inside roasting bags. Paper or plastic roasting bags can burn inside an air fryer - but on the plus side - all the flavours of the seasoning remains locked inside the bag.

How to apply seasons for air frying

Applying seasoning to any kind of chicken will need forward planning. An air fryer could and probably will, fling the loose seasoning around inside the air fryer, unless you can find a practical solution - which is why seasoning must be allowed time to adhere.

• STEP 1: Sit Chicken at room temperature - Allow your chicken portions to thaw out a little by sitting them at room temperature for 30-40 minutes
• STEP 2: Apply seasoning over top - Sprinkle on your season mix over the top, including sides and bottom if you like, just as you normally would

• STEP 3: Allow moisture to absorb into seasoning - Moisture will come out of chicken, thus absorbing into the dry seasoning, which will turn become harder to blow away
• STEP 4: Firmly press in seasoning; insert into air fryer - Go one better by using any cutlery like a knife - or better still the back of a spoon - and firmly press the seasoning into the chicken, to compress in the surface, before placing in air fryer

NOTE: Above option is the best way to season chicken for cooking in an air fryer, with no additional ingredients, although a little oil to adhere the seasoning, will help a bunch.

Oil & Seasoning option

Apply seasoning to any kind of chicken portion like I've done here with a chicken breast, which can be done with a dry piece of chicken, with an option to apply an oil rub.

With the loose seasoning freshly applied to your chicken, all it will want to do is fling around inside the air fryer, due to the extremely powerful air circulation - which is essentially like sand on a windy day.

To guarantee no seasoning will come off your chicken, and blow freely around inside the air fryer - and potentially in the mechanism - apply an oil rub to your chicken.

Smother your chicken in a little oil by rubbing it in with your hands on top, the sides and of course the bottom, which doesn't matter as much.

With the oil, with an option to use Olive, Sunflower or other types of cooking oil, you can now carefully sprinkle on your seasoning.

Seasoning will quickly and easily adhere to an oiled chicken portion, thus preventing the seasoning from coming off early - when it begins air frying in the powerful air chamber.

Enclose Seasoned Chicken in roasting bag

Whilst the following suggestion for applying seasoning to air fried chicken is great for locking in the flavour of the seasoning, be warned - use of ROASTING BAGS IN AN AIR FRYER isn't 100% safe.

Why seasoning applied to chicken for use in an oven-safe roasting bag will help in the case of an air fryer, is because the dusting of seasoning will be locked away in a bag.

It could be a MAGGI roasting bag which is made in a clear plastic film bag, which will do well to not only to keep any kind of chicken moist, but you can rest assured, the seasoning which comes with the kit, remains safely inside the bag.

Its possible the bag will reveal some seasoning stuck against the inside plastic bag, which should come to some relief, as no cleaning up is required.

Similarly, a made in parchment paper NANDO'S Bag & Bake bag can be used to lock in seasoning, again in an effort to make sure the fine seasoning doesn't blow around.

With both roasting bags, they can be used for any type of seasoned chicken portions like wings, drumsticks and thighs; I successfully air fried chicken breasts this way, which turned out to be super tender and juicy.

If you are struggling to air fry juicy and tender chicken, give a roasting bag a try, providing it can be wrapped tightly around the chicken portion.

The more seasoned chicken you use inside a roasting bag, will help to dampen the bag - which does balloon up when it cooks - thus its easier to keep access plastic/paper bag WELL CLEAR of the HEATING ELEMENT.

DO NOT season inside air fryer

Air frying seasoned chicken by either pressing the seasoning firmly into the raw chicken or oiling first, only applies to seasoning the chicken when its out of the air fryer.

All directions outlined thus far, refer to chicken sat on a plate or on the chopping board, to be prepared for the air fryer.

If you sprinkle seasoning onto a portion of chicken spaced out inside your air fryer, you are 100% sure to not only apply too much seasoning - the seasoning itself will scatter on and around the chicken.

Its therefore possible the seasoning will bake onto the air fryer basket interior, which could lead to burning, and of course the inability to remove burnt-on seasoning.

Best way to air fry seasoned chicken is to allow them to soak up dry seasoning mixtures, or where oil is used to adhere to the chicken - which is applied several minutes before placing in the air fryer.

Season any chicken wings, thighs, breasts, drumsticks and legs - on a plate or board -  long before its due to be air fried.

Summary

Unfortunately, there is a difference between air frying and oven cooking seasoned chicken, with air frying causing issues concerning loose and dry mixes flinging around inside the air fryer, unless its adhered to the chicken portions.

Air fryers feature powerful air circulation, which is enough to blow off every grain of seasoning.

To counter that you can apply seasoning to chicken in a way in which access moisture coming out of the raw chicken will adhere to the seasoning - ensuring its wet and impossible to freely blow around.

Be sure to apply seasoning to the chicken several minutes before air frying, to allow plenty of time for the moisture to soak into the seasoning. In addition, use your hands or cutlery to press the seasoning firmly into all the chicken portions.

Alternative method for keeping seasoning firmly stuck to the chicken, is first oiling the chicken to apply the seasoning on top.

If you plan to season the chicken prior to marinating, then follow instructions as normal for oven cooking, because air fryer cooking rules don't apply.

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