Soul Food Air Fryer BBQ Chicken
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The air fryer is a modern kitchen marvel that has transformed my approach to cooking chicken. Whether fried chicken, chicken seasoned in various delightful sauces, or Southern BBQ chicken, the air fryer makes preparing chicken foolproof!
Preparing chicken has a rich cultural legacy within the Black community. Perfectly seasoned and flavorful chicken is undeniably a soul food specialty!
Fried chicken has long been a significant dish in Black culture. However, it’s important to note that African Americans didn’t invent chicken—we perfected the art of seasoning it! This is also true for making the best air-fried soul food BBQ chicken.
Can you barbecue in the air fryer?
For a delightful combination of flavors, try barbecuing in the air fryer! Cooking at 360 degrees F is ideal for achieving air fryer BBQ chicken with a juicy interior and a crisp exterior.
The air fryer is commonly used to crisp up traditional baked BBQ chicken. This method results in a BBQ sauce glaze that gives the chicken a glossy, finger-licking finish. And the best part? There’s no messy grill to clean up when the cooking is complete! (However, you can find my BBQ grilled chicken recipe HERE!)
What you need
Each ingredient is essential in this air-fried BBQ chicken recipe. Together, they create a dish that is both flavorful and has a pleasingly tender texture. The quality of these components can greatly affect the final result!
Exact measurements can be found in the printable recipe card below.
- 6 chicken pieces or a whole chicken cut: The foundation of any Southern BBQ chicken dish. These pieces soak up all the flavors you introduce.
- Famous Dave’s Country Roast Chicken Seasoning – This curated seasoning blend features bold undertones that infuse aromatic flavor into the chicken.
- Weber Roasted Garlic & Herb Seasoning – This savory combination of roasted garlic and herbs adds an aromatic punch, enhancing the BBQ recipe’s flavor, depth, and complexity.
- BBQ sauce – A richly flavored BBQ sauce is the finishing touch, uniting all the flavors under a sweet, tangy, and smoky profile, making each bite a memorable Southern soul food experience!
Pro tip: If you don’t have the spice blends mentioned above, check out my seasoning guide for chicken HERE.
Can you put raw chicken legs in the air fryer?
Yes, ensure you are using raw chicken for this recipe. Before air frying, season the chicken and coat it in BBQ sauce per the recipe instructions below.
How to air fry Southern BBQ chicken legs
Start by coating each piece of chicken thoroughly with seasonings and sauce. The air fryer will allow the BBQ sauce to caramelize beautifully, resulting in a culinary masterpiece with a glossy and inviting sheen!
Step-by-step guided instructions with pictures can be found in the printable recipe card below.
- Mix the chicken seasoning and rub the seasoning mixture on the chicken.
- Coat the chicken with the BBQ sauce with a basting brush.
- Place the chicken in the air fryer. Ensure that the chicken is arranged spaciously in the air fryer to prevent overcrowding, which can compromise the desired crispy finish.
- Halfway through, flip it and coat it with a second brushing of BBQ sauce.
- Baste the finished chicken with BBQ sauce, serve, and enjoy!
Can you use other cuts of chicken?
This BBQ recipe traditionally uses bone-in chicken. However, you can also use it for boneless air fryer BBQ chicken legs, skinless chicken breasts, drumsticks, thighs, or wings.
How long does it take to air fry BBQ chicken?
It takes only 25 minutes to prepare Southern BBQ chicken from start to finish in the air fryer. Halfway through the cooking process, at about 12 or 13 minutes in, flip the chicken for an underside BBQ basting.
The secret to perfect soul food BBQ chicken
In addition to the specially curated seasonings, this Southern soul food recipe also requires a reserved amount of BBQ sauce for the finishing touches. Once the cooking time is complete, carefully remove the cooked BBQ chicken from the air fryer. Use the reserved BBQ sauce to give the chicken a final coating, achieving that deliciously sticky Southern BBQ glaze!
Soul food sides for BBQ chicken legs
Popular soul food sides to pair with air-fried BBQ chicken are Southern baked beans, Southern coleslaw, Southern potato salad, and a macaroni salad recipe.
Equipment
- Air fryer
- Basting brush
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken or 6 chicken pieces
- 2 tablespoons seasoning salt Famous Dave’s Country Roast Chicken Seasoning or similar (it contains soulful flavors such as paprika, mustard seed, garlic powder, onion powder, bell pepper, and lemon zest all in one!). You can also check out my seasoning guide for chicken HERE.
- 2 tablespoons garlic & herb seasoning Weber Seasoning Roasted Garlic & Herb, or similar
- 1 ½ cups BBQ sauce My homemade BBQ sauce recipe HERE.
- ½ cup BBQ sauce To baste the chicken after cooking
- cooking oil spray
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the chicken seasoning and garlic & herb seasoning.
- Rub the seasoning mixture on the chicken pieces to coat them.
- Then, coat the chicken with the BBQ sauce using a basting brush.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil, or if you have an air fryer tray or baking sheet, line it with parchment paper and then spray the paper.
- Place the chicken in or on the air fryer basket or tray.
- Air fry at 360 degrees F for a total of 25 minutes.
- Halfway through, after about 13 minutes, flip the chicken over in the air fryer and return to cooking.
- Air fry at 360 degrees for the remaining 12 minutes.
- Remove the cooked BBQ chicken from the air fryer and use the ½ cup of BBQ sauce to coat the chicken with a second brushing of BBQ sauce.
- Serve this Southern soul food BBQ chicken recipe right away, and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
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I love how soul food seasoned chicken can be made easily in the air fryer with this recipe.