Can you put Raw Chicken in an air fryer

Air frying can cook raw chicken at the recommended temperature but faster, which means most of us will be eating juicy chicken in no time at all.

Raw chicken can be taken out of its packaging and put directly IN an air fryer basket, and be ready within 25 minutes. Air fryers will cook raw chicken extremely well, with juicier chicken produced at a third off the time it takes on the recommended oven cooking instructions, at 200c or 400f.

Raw chicken added to an air fryer, with no preheating needed, will ensure the meat cooks to a perfect juicy white texture, where the skin will go golden as intended, with a crispy skin for those of us who like to eat it that way.

Nothing is needed to cook raw chicken in a safe way as long as you don't cross-contaminate parts of the air fryer with hands previously in contact with the bacteria riddled raw chicken.

I would suggest oiling up the chicken thighs or legs prior to air frying as it will help crisp up the chicken, while keeping it juicy at the same time.

You will want to air fry raw chicken at a high heat, which will be safe to in an air fryer, because we want to cook chicken faster, to ensure it cooks until juicy.

Seasoning is important for flavour but not necessary, and so to is sprinkling on herbs and spices for a flavourful chicken meal.

I like to add all kinds of herbs and spices to plain flour; cover it over my raw chicken; spray the flour-covered chicken in spray oil; then proceed to air fryer the chicken portions, flipping over once.

You can't really air fry wet battered chicken but you can cook chicken covered in a dry flour rub.

Its important to cut open your chicken at the meatiest, thickest part of the portion to be sure its cooked thoroughly, with no pink or red spots.

Raw chicken can go in an air fryer

Of all things an air fryer can cook, I would place raw chicken in my top meats an air fryer can cook extremely well.

Raw chicken isn't a problem from a safety concern because it will be cooked for up to 25 minutes on a high heat, thus killing off contamination; although its vitally important you wash you hands in between touching raw chicken and touching every thing else.

Air frying raw chicken will provide you an opportunity to spruce up plain skin-on or no skin chicken thigh, breasts or legs - with a little salt and pepper - and perhaps something a little more tasty, like a dry flour rub containing a mix of herbs and spices.

Take up to four portions of raw chicken which you can add directly into the air fryer basket, or pop them on top of foil to protect the basket itself, and begin the air frying process by cooking bone-in chicken portions upside down.

Which means any thighs or legs will be skin-side down for the first ten minutes, then you'll flip each portion with the skin - and therefore the meatiest part - the correct way up for the remaining time.

Up to 30% less cooking time

While we must be extra careful to be sure our raw chicken is cooked all the way through, including zero red or pink areas, we will want to avoid overcooking our chicken as it will dry out.

Air frying raw chicken will provide us an opportunity to cook it so its well cooked but incredibly juicy.

I will say an air fryer can cook all cuts of bone-on chicken portions to a juicy texture especially, though I can't guarantee the same results with chicken tenders or breasts.

What you will need to do is read the oven cooking instructions on the original packaging of your chicken portions, then cook the chicken a third of the time off.

To be clear, if the oven cooking instructions recommends cooking the chicken thighs for 30 minutes at 400f or 205c, then a third off will mean you cook the raw chicken for just 20 minutes - with an option to continue cooking for an additional 4-5 minutes to be sure.

Air frying cooks chicken faster because the heat is concentrated within a small container, which means chicken will be cooked much faster when compared to an oven.

Seasoning or marinades optional

Plain chicken can be taken out of its packaging and put straight in an air fryer, and be ready to eat within 30 minutes.

You will want to open the packaging up to an hour prior to cooking, to allow the cold chicken too drop to room temperature. In doing so we can cook the chicken faster while avoiding additional time to heat up the cold chicken interior.

At room temperature you can think about seasoning your plain raw chicken with salt and pepper, but not before covering the chicken in cooking oil of your choice, to be sure it stay moist - and with an opportunity for you to baste the chicken several times.

Salt and pepper can be added along with other spices and herbs like garlic and onion powder, with no hard and fast rules on what you can use.

Of course a Teriyaki, Chili or BBQ sauce can be generously applied to all your raw portions of chicken thighs or legs, with a little sauce saved until the end to top up on any run off, with sauce used to also dip the chicken.

Conclusion

Air fryers can practically cook anything you would in a conventional oven, with only the size of certain foods preventing them being air fried in a small cooking compartment.

Which means you will be safe in the knowledge any kind of raw chicken can be air fried, and with more than great results I might add.

Cook the raw meat directly in the basket as you would with fries for example, but begin by air frying each chicken portion upside down; then flip all portions the right way up to finish them off until you have a beautiful golden crispy chicken skin.

Raw bone-in chicken portions can take 35 to 40 minutes in a conventional oven, but will only take 25 minutes at 200c [or 400f] in an air fryer.

Never allow additional time like you would in an oven as an air fryer would be sure to cook super juicy chicken, but unfortunately quickly dry it out if too much time is added.

Skin-on, plain raw chicken can be seasoned prior to adding to an air fryer, with an option to use a dry flour rub, or smear your raw chicken in your favourite sauce.

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