Air Fryer Cranberry Chicken Thighs

Published Date: October 20, 2022

Category: Air Fryer Appetizers

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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!

🛒 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:

Are the Air Fryer Cranberry Chicken Thighs Spicy?

It really isn’t, but if you’d like to add spice, try adding some red pepper flakes to taste.

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.

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.

Try Some of My Other Favorite Air Fryer Recipes

Cranberry chicken thighs cooked in an air fryer.

Print

Air Fryer Cranberry Chicken Thighs

Super juicy and full of flavor, these Air Fryer cranberry chicken thighs are a delicious and easy meal to whip up after Thanksgiving.

Prep Time10 mins

Active Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Yield: Servings

Calories: 584kcal

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

Storage 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.

Other FAQ Suggestions:

Is this recipe spicy? It really isn’t, but if you’d like to add spice, try adding some red pepper flakes to taste.
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.
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.