Air Fryer Spicy Ranch Chicken Thighs

It's finger-lickin' good and quick to boot!

Time: 30 Minutes

Serving Size: 3 Servings

Allergy Notes: Gluten Free, Nut Free, Soy Free

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Well hello there! It's been a minute hasn't it? You know when you mean to be gone for a week and instead it's two months? Whoops! Too be fair, I did have a good reason. I was studying for my city planning certification exam and I'm happy to report that all the months of studying was worth it and I passed! But enough about all of that- we're hear for one thing, and one thing only... air fryer spicy ranch chicken thighs.

I'll be the first to say that I originally thought the air fryer was a total fad product. What's the difference between it and a convection oven? Why do I need one more appliance? Fast forward to Christmas and my parents gave me one as a present. Boy oh boy did I eat my words fast. Other than my rice cooker, my air fryer is my FAVORITE small appliance. Sure it does great fries and chicken nuggets, but the sheer versatility it has. Salmon? No problem? Brownies? Sure thing! Sidenote, if you're in need of a good air fryer, might I recommend the Ninja Foodi SP101 Air Fryer. This thing does it all- it fries, it bakes, it toasts, it dehydrates, AND it flips up to save you counter space. This thing truly does it all and it will definitely make you some incredibly juicy chicken.

Ingredients

• 6 Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Thighs

• 1/2 cup Ranch Dressing (We are and will forever be a Hidden Valley Ranch household.)

• 2 1/2 tbsp Ranch Seasoning

• 1 tbsp Water

• 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

• 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika

• Good Pinch of Salt

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Directions

1. Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees. If your air fryer doesn't need to be pre-heated, skip this step.

2. Pat both sides of the chicken off with paper towels before placing them in a large bowl.

3. Add the ranch seasoning, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and salt to the bowl before mixing with a clean hand until the chicken is fully coated in the seasoning.

4. Line your air fryer basket/tray with parchment paper.

5. Place the chicken skin side down in the basket/tray and bake for 24 minutes, flipping half way. By starting with the skin side down, we're ensuring that the skin gets nice and crispy.

6. Mix the ranch dressing and the water together. Note that you may not need all of the water as we want just enough to thin out the ranch dressing.

7. With five (5) minutes left, baste the chicken with the ranch dressing until fully coated.

8. Finish baking and serve with your favorite sides. I served mine with roasted sweet potatoes and some zucchini from the farmer's market.