My sister called my air fryer chicken 'sad and pale' and I finally fixed it

She came over for dinner and straight up said my chicken looked like it was steamed, not fried. I was just throwing it in at 375 for 15 minutes like the recipe said. The next time, I cranked it to 400, patted the thighs bone-dry, and gave them a light spray of oil. The skin got actually crispy for the first time. What's your go-to trick for getting that perfect golden color?

2 comments

2 Comments

marymorgan1mo ago

400 and dry skin is the ONLY way to go.

oscarcooper1mo ago

Patting the chicken dry is the real game changer. I also let mine sit uncovered in the fridge for an hour before cooking, which dries the skin out even more. A tiny sprinkle of baking powder mixed with the salt can help crisp things up without changing the flavor. That higher heat is key too, it gets the reaction going for that golden color.