Published Date: October 20, 2022
Category: Air Fryer Appetizers
Super tender and juicy and packed full of flavor, these Air Fryer Cranberry Chicken Thighs are the perfect recipe to whip up when you’ve got some of that delicious cranberry sauce leftover from your Thanksgiving dinner. Plus, you need just 4 ingredients to put them together!
Table of Contents
🛒 INGREDIENTS
- Catalina salad dressing
- Onion soup mix
- Cranberry sauce
- Chicken thighs
*see recipe card for detailed amounts
HOW TO MAKE AIR FRYER CRANBERRY CHICKEN THIGHS
- Mix 1 cup Catalina dressing, 1 packet of dry onion soup mix, 1 can of cranberry sauce, in a large bowl. Reserve 1 cup for later.
- Add the chicken thighs to the bowl with the sauce and coat evenly.
- Place the chicken thighs into the air fryer basket in an even layer without overlapping. (You can use a parchment or silicone liner if you don’t want to clean your air fryer basket later)
- Cook at 400 degrees for 10 minutes then flip each of the thighs. Baste each one with more sauce and cook for another 10 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165 degrees.
- While those finish cooking, you can heat the reserve sauce in the microwave or on the stovetop and serve it with the thighs as extra sauce.
HELPFUL NOTES:
- The key to getting that beautiful glaze and tons of flavor on the chicken thighs is to keep basting it in the delicious coating.
- If you don’t have chicken thighs, you can replicate the same recipe with pretty much any cut of chicken too.
STORAGE AND REHEATING INSTRUCTIONS:
Place the leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for 3-4 days. They may be frozen for up to 3 months.
FAQS & SUBSTITUTIONS/VARIATIONS:
It really isn’t, but if you’d like to add spice, try adding some red pepper flakes to taste.Â
Yes, you could substitute the same amount of French dressing. To make it more similar to the flavor of Catalina dressing, you should also add 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce.Â
I like to serve it with rice, but you could use noodles, mashed potatoes, or even just a salad if you like.
Try Some of My Other Favorite Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer Cranberry Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
- 1 Air Fryer Liner
Materials
- 1 cup Catalina salad dressing
- 1.25 ounce Onion soup mix
- 15 ounce Cranberry sauce
- 3 pounds Chicken thighs
Instructions
- Mix 1 cup Catalina dressing, 1 packet of dry onion soup mix, 1 can of cranberry sauce, in a large bowl. Reserve 1 cup for later.
- Add the chicken thighs to the bowl with the sauce and coat evenly.
- Place the chicken thighs into the air fryer basket in an even layer without overlapping. (You can use a parchment or silicone liner if you don’t want to clean your air fryer basket later)
- Cook at 400 degrees for 10 minutes then flip each of the thighs. Baste each one with more sauce and cook for another 10 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165 degrees.
- While those finish cooking, you can heat the reserve sauce in the microwave or on the stovetop and serve it with the thighs as extra sauce.
Notes
- Place the leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for 3-4 days. They may be frozen for up to 3 months.Â
- Is this recipe spicy?  It really isn’t, but if you’d like to add spice, try adding some red pepper flakes to taste.Â
- I can’t find Catalina dressing – is there a substitute? Yes, you could substitute the same amount of French dressing. To make it more similar to the flavor of Catalina dressing, you should also add 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce.Â
- What makes a good side dish for this chicken? I like to serve it with rice, but you could use noodles, mashed potatoes, or even just a salad if you like.
Can you use thigh’s with the skin and bone?
Author
Yes, you can! The temp and time will be the same, the skin might just shrivel some but it will be crispy and still really good!