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You are here: Home / Main Meal / ActiFry Chicken Thighs & other quick recipe ideas for when you’re tired!

ActiFry Chicken Thighs & other quick recipe ideas for when you’re tired!

Updated 14 January 2022 Published 16 March 2015 70 Comments

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ActiFry Chicken Thighs in a dish.

Today I’m bringing you ActiFry Chicken Thighs! (Air Fryer Chicken Thighs). Whether you’re a busy mum or dad there are days when you simply don’t have the energy to cook but the thought of a ready meal depresses you for its lack of freshness and nutrients.

I had such a night recently when my energy levels had hit rock bottom after a busy day and the last thing I wanted to do was cook. Yes I’m sure even Jamie Oliver doesn’t feel like cooking when he gets home after a day in the kitchen and the same can be said for food bloggers! So with a packet of chicken thighs in the fridge I tried to think of the easiest and quickest option for them. Yes I could roast them in the oven but I have grown a little weary of the mess that causes and the billows of burning chicken fat that it causes when next using the oven!

Then bingo the Tefal ActiFry caught my eye and I knew that it would be perfect for the job of roasting my chicken thighs in a really efficient way and with minimal mess. Its usual to add a spoon of oil to food being fried but as the chicken thighs had their skins on I knew this would be necessary so just coated them in paprika and onion granules for a bit of flavour. You could use any spices you wish or simply salt and pepper but the paprika did give a nice colour.

ActiFry Chicken Thighs, chicken in a bun, salad, cheap, quick, easy, dinner, recipe

To go with our succulent and tasty chicken thighs I simply heated up some rolls in the oven and prepared some salad ingredients including avocado. Once the chicken thighs were cooked I simply removed the bone and placed the chicken meat in the buns with the salad and some mayonnaise. If I’d had some oven chips I might have cooked some to go on the side too.

This really was minimal effort food using fresh ingredients and far better than resorting to a ready meal and also much cheaper! I bought my chicken thighs in Aldi for £1.99 so this was an extremely cheap meal. I also got my rolls reduced from Tesco for 25p and had them in the freezer. And if you want to know the cheapest place to get avocados then go to Morrisons where they are 99p for 4.

ActiFry Chicken Thighs, chicken in a bun, salad, cheap, quick, easy, dinner, recipe

More Recipe Ideas for when you’re too tired to Cook!

  • Yogurt & Parmesan Chicken Breasts from Fab Food 4 All
  • Quick Ciabatta Pizzas from Fab Food 4 All
  • Best Baked Feta Pasta from Fab Food 4 All
  • Leek Mushroom and Goats Cheese Tart from Planet Veggie
  • One Pot Creamy Sausage & Tomato Spaghetti from My Fussy Eater
  • Cherry Tomato Bread & Butter Pudding from Farmersgirl Kitchen
  • The Easiest Dinner Traybake from It’s Not Easy Being Greedy
  • Veggie Sausage & Roasted Vegetable Tray Bake from family-friends-food
  • Puff Pastry, Cheese, Courgette & Mint Tart from Kavey Eats
  • Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca from Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary
  • Spicy Chorizo and Egg Fried Wholegrain Rice from Anne’s Kitchen
  • Easy Crab Chilli & Rocket Pasta from Cook Sister

As each of my ActiFry Chicken Thighs in a bun cost about 70 p a serving I’m entering them into Credit Crunch Munch which I run with Fuss Free Flavours which is being hosted by Jo’s Kitchen this month.

Credit Crunch Munch

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ActiFry Chicken Thighs in a dish.
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ActiFry Chicken Thighs

Actifry Chicken Thighs with a coating of paprika and onion granules - good simple food!
Course Main
Cuisine British
Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes minutes
Total Time 40 minutes minutes
Servings 4
Author Camilla Hawkins

Ingredients

  • 750 g approx 4 - 5 pieces Chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
  • Paprika
  • Onion granules

Instructions

  • Trim any excess skin from the chicken thighs.
  • Dust both sides of the thighs with onion granules and paprika.
  • Place in ActiFry equally spaced apart and set to cook for 35 minutes. (No oil needed).
  • You will have to keep an eye on the thighs for the first few minutes as they might get caught on the paddle and need a gentle shove with a wooden spoon to get them back on their way! (This just happened once to me).
  • Check the meat is cooked and not pink and serve as required. I put my boned thighs in rolls with salad and mayonnaise.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lorraine

    08/02/2024 at 7:41 pm

    Hi I’m making chicken drumsticks in my t-fal actifry machine can I remove the paddle in the middle to cook my chicken ??? Thanks

    Reply
    • Camilla

      09/02/2024 at 12:35 pm

      Hi Lorraine, yes you can cook without the paddle but would need to manually turn the chicken. Drumsticks are quite small so I’m not sure why you’d need to remove the paddle?

      Reply
  2. TheStrayedCat

    27/06/2022 at 11:54 pm

    SO easy and good! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      28/06/2022 at 10:04 pm

      Thank you, so glad you enjoyed it:-)

      Reply
  3. Johnny

    11/11/2021 at 10:57 pm

    I heard that the cooking temp in an actifry is preset at 350 F!should anyone care to know!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      12/11/2021 at 12:04 pm

      Or 180C not sure it that changes with the faster frying models.

      Reply
  4. Terrance McDaniel

    03/10/2019 at 10:40 am

    Crispier skin? Try reducing the temperature and increasing the cooking time

    Reply
    • Camilla

      03/10/2019 at 11:30 am

      There is no temperature control on an ActiFry, it works at one temperature.

      Reply
  5. Charlie

    13/06/2019 at 10:54 am

    I have a Secura air-fryer (Recommended by Jaden @ Steamy Kitchen), which I really like.
    I made this last night and it turned out good, enjoyed it very much.
    The next time though I will cut the time from 35 to 30 minutes just to give it a little more juiciness.

    Thanks so much for the recipe :~D

    Reply
    • Camilla

      13/06/2019 at 2:50 pm

      Thanks Charlie, yes all models vary so best to gauge with a digital thermometer towards the end of the cooking time:-)

      Reply
  6. Kavita Favelle

    13/11/2018 at 11:47 am

    Great recipe for when you want a tasty meal fast, thanks Camilla!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      13/11/2018 at 3:06 pm

      Thanks Kavey:-)

      Reply
  7. Jill from Canada

    04/11/2018 at 9:30 pm

    Great recipe! Next time try it without the paddle….. I flip the thighs after 15 minutes. The skins is unbroken and crispy but the chicken is still moist.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      04/11/2018 at 9:46 pm

      Thanks. The skin is unbroken with the paddle so I’ll stick to this hands free way:-)

      Reply
    • Patty Miller

      26/12/2018 at 2:52 pm

      Hi Jill,
      I was wondering if you could do lots of different meats with the ActiFry. I just got one and the paddle through me off.

      Reply
      • Camilla

        26/12/2018 at 5:24 pm

        I’m not Jill but I have a great Beef & Vegetable Stirfry recipe here: https://www.fabfood4all.co.uk/beef-and-vegetables-stir-fry-with-noodles-tefal-actifrydays-challenge/

        Reply
  8. Leila Benhamida

    10/03/2018 at 4:49 pm

    Mouth watering. Lovely with Paprika. Will have mine with some couscous ,

    Reply
    • Camilla

      10/03/2018 at 11:22 pm

      Thanks Leila-) Couscous sounds good:-)

      Reply
  9. Sandy

    19/10/2017 at 1:21 pm

    What temp set sir fryer on for chicken thigh recipe says cook 35 min

    Reply
    • Camilla

      19/10/2017 at 3:29 pm

      Hi Sandy, the ActiFry doesn’t have a temperature setting, just a time setting.

      Reply
  10. Ronny E Intilia

    11/11/2016 at 9:56 pm

    What is the cooking temperature…..I missed it.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      12/11/2016 at 12:33 am

      The ActiFry doesn’t have a temperature setting.

      Reply
      • Massey Jones

        09/02/2023 at 4:37 pm

        The 1st Generation (ActiFry Original) has small symbols at the top, suggesting frying time; generally around 30 minutes for meats and raw potatoes. The trick is to use as little oil as possible, and let the hot air do the work; some meats will supply their natural oil, while cooling.

        Reply
        • Camilla

          09/02/2023 at 11:30 pm

          This query was from 7 years ago. I think ActiFrys have moved on a lot since then:-) I don’t know what generation mine was but my 2nd more powerful one was exactly the same with just a timer on it.

          Reply
  11. Lindsey Stuart

    23/10/2016 at 2:55 pm

    Oh chicken is my favourite meat, they look delicious and easy to make thanks to you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      23/10/2016 at 6:16 pm

      Thanks Lindsey:-)

      Reply
    • Mike H

      29/01/2021 at 9:27 am

      I bought a basket for my ActiFry this nobles me to cook two things at same time plus there not expensive to buy £14 original ActiFry accessory

      Reply
  12. Shannkn

    05/07/2016 at 10:15 am

    Can you cook frozen chicken in a actifry? If so how long? X

    Reply
    • Camilla

      05/07/2016 at 3:49 pm

      Hi Shannon, no but you can in the new style electric pressure cookers like the Pressure King Pro!

      Reply
      • MH

        29/01/2021 at 9:30 am

        Yes you can cook chicken from frozen in your ActiFry just give it 5 mins longer I do it all the time

        Reply
        • Camilla

          29/01/2021 at 2:16 pm

          Maybe OK with lean strips of breast meat but I wouldn’t recommend for my readers to do this with bone in chicken thighs, just not worth risking Salmonella poisoning. And what is fine for one person could kill another as we all have different constitutions and are of different ages.

          Reply
  13. Sam McKean

    29/05/2016 at 8:11 pm

    Such a simple but brilliant idea, thanks for the inspo!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      29/05/2016 at 9:14 pm

      Thanks Sam:-)

      Reply
  14. Susan Mann

    12/05/2016 at 5:26 pm

    These look fab. Thanks for sharing lovely x

    Reply
    • Camilla

      12/05/2016 at 5:49 pm

      Thanks Susan:-)

      Reply
  15. Sheila

    04/12/2015 at 1:27 pm

    I’ve just purchased my Actifry and was wondering what to do with some chicken wings and drumsticks and seen this recipe which looks very nice and easy so this is what we having for tea tonight fingers crossed x

    Reply
  16. Marion Weir

    01/06/2015 at 3:14 pm

    Adding to my list of recipes. One of my kind, generous children will eventually buy me an actfry lol 😀

    Reply
    • Camilla

      01/06/2015 at 4:06 pm

      Fingers crossed LOL:-)

      Reply
  17. Maya Russell

    18/04/2015 at 7:15 am

    An actifry is going on my list of things I want. Really, really, want!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      18/04/2015 at 8:17 pm

      I don’t blame you:-)

      Reply
  18. Jane Davies

    11/04/2015 at 10:51 am

    This looks great, would love to be able to make quick food that is healthy, must get an actifry !!!!!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      11/04/2015 at 11:23 pm

      It is fab:-)

      Reply
  19. brenda heads

    06/04/2015 at 8:37 pm

    I love chicken cooked in my actifry.

    Reply
  20. Jane Davies

    03/04/2015 at 8:10 am

    This looks amazing, and to be able to enjoy it without feeling guilty !!!!!
    Must get an actifry !

    Reply
    • Camilla

      03/04/2015 at 5:29 pm

      Can’t recommend highly enough:-)

      Reply
  21. Rosie Wilcock

    02/04/2015 at 10:34 am

    This recipe is definitely getting saved so I can have a go at replicating it as it looks amazing and i don’t eat red m,eat anymore so this is perfect for me

    Reply
    • Camilla

      02/04/2015 at 11:59 pm

      Great:-)

      Reply
  22. Ursula Hunt

    28/03/2015 at 11:10 am

    Fried chicken is a lovely treat to have now and again

    Reply
    • Camilla

      28/03/2015 at 2:16 pm

      This is air fried Ursula so not naughty at all:-)

      Reply
  23. Emily Leary

    20/03/2015 at 11:11 pm

    Simple and really showcases how great the Actifry can be.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      20/03/2015 at 11:27 pm

      It’s such a fab machine, I find myself talking about it at the school gate and then having to explain exactly what it does LOL as some people think it’s a deep fat fryer I’m talking about. Had a great meal tonight in one:-)

      Reply
  24. Sarah, Maison Cupcake

    19/03/2015 at 10:44 am

    They’ve browned up nicely. I need to find a home in my kitchen for the multifryer as it’s quite useful but takes up a lot of space.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      19/03/2015 at 12:44 pm

      I bet you have lots of kitchen gadgets but I have used my ActiFry so often now it sits in the corner where my slow cooker used to be.

      Reply
  25. Jo of Jo's Kitchen

    18/03/2015 at 1:11 pm

    I must try this. I use my Actifry all the time but have never done chicken thighs in it

    Reply
    • Camilla

      18/03/2015 at 10:56 pm

      Nor had I Jo until exhaustion led me to this beautiful outcome LOL:-)

      Reply
  26. Karen @ Karen's Kitchen Stories

    18/03/2015 at 3:36 am

    That looks really tasty!

    Reply
  27. Nayna Kanabar (@SIMPLYF00D)

    17/03/2015 at 7:27 pm

    I have an actifry and find it really useful too. I am looking to find more vegetarian recipes I can make in it.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      17/03/2015 at 7:55 pm

      They are fab aren’t they Nayna, I bet it could do a really good ratatouille:-)

      Reply
  28. Sarah Cooper

    17/03/2015 at 1:08 pm

    I have an actifry – I must try these.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      17/03/2015 at 1:35 pm

      Great, I love mine:-)

      Reply
  29. hdh74

    17/03/2015 at 12:44 am

    Looks delicious. Got me coveting an actifry now. And a bigger kitchen – I love gadgets – but where to put them?

    Reply
    • Camilla

      17/03/2015 at 11:19 am

      I know what you mean about a bigger kitchen! We use the ActiFry so much that it’s taken the spot where the slow cooker was:-)

      Reply
  30. Janice

    16/03/2015 at 9:27 pm

    Great idea! Thanks for including my recipe in your round up, so many quick and easy recipes.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      16/03/2015 at 9:30 pm

      Thanks Janice and I’m definitely going to try to remember to make your lovely savoury bread and butter pudding:-)

      Reply
  31. Tracy

    16/03/2015 at 7:19 pm

    You have made me want an actifry just so that I can make this! Looks delicious, and much better than reaching for a ready meal.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      16/03/2015 at 7:49 pm

      Thanks:-) Exactly and far healthier:-)

      Reply
  32. Ciara (My Fussy Eater)

    16/03/2015 at 6:04 pm

    Yum , this looks delicious. Thanks for the mention! x

    Reply
    • Camilla

      16/03/2015 at 7:50 pm

      Thanks Ciara, a pleasure:-)

      Reply
  33. Kavey

    16/03/2015 at 5:58 pm

    Always good to be armed with some quick and simple dinner ideas!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      16/03/2015 at 8:05 pm

      Exactly:-)

      Reply

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