The Safety Mistake You're Probably Making When Air Frying Chicken

Air fryers can cook practically anything, and one of the easiest meats you can air fry is chicken. You can quite , which will come out looking like a rotisserie-style bird. And to make life easier, no matter which cut you're using, you can .

Even so, — and not using a meat thermometer is a big one. A meat thermometer is the best way to know that your chicken is properly cooked. As you're probably already aware, undercooked chicken is not the safest.



Raw or undercooked chicken can contain bacteria that lead to foodborne illnesses, and cooking it well is an effective way to avoid this. According to , all chicken cuts should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. If you're air frying an entire chicken, insert the thermometer into the inner part of the thigh and wing, as well as the thickest part of the breast.

For smaller cuts, always insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, away from any bones. How to check doneness without a thermometer Using a meat thermometer is the safest way to check that your air-fried chicken is fully cooked, but if you don't have one on hand, there are a few visual cues to look out for. If you cut through the thickest part of your chicken, you should see white meat and clear juices coming out.

If the meat is still pink, or the juices are red, this is a sign it probably hasn't reached a safe internal temperature and needs more time. Keep in mind, if your chicken is undercooked, you should wash the utensils you used to check on the meat before using them again. It's also good to have a rough time frame for how long your chicken will take to cook.

Air-fried sliced chicken breast needs around 10 to 13 minutes, wings can take up to 20 minutes, and a whole chicken can take around an hour. Another way to check doneness on bone-in cuts like chicken wings is to see whether they have some flexibility in the joints — a sign that they are cooked. Checking the internal color of the meat is still necessary though and, in our opinion, so is investing in a meat thermometer.

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