That BBQ char you get from grilling with delicious sauce can be done in an air fryer and this Whole 30 air fryer BBQ chicken proves it. The sauce is slightly sticky in true BBQ fashion. In the end, we use the cooking sauce from the Ninja Foodi to create an epic dipping sauce.
As a Texan living in Austin, Texas I’ve never been further than ten minutes from epic BBQ. Franklin’s is around the corner but I love La Barbecue more since it’s female-owned and their BBQ sauce is better. Texas BBQ has made a name for itself and my standards for BBQ are very very high because I’ve tasted it all my life. I’m working on a separate post for BBQ sauce because the variety of sauce is what can really make BBQ sing. In Texas, we have espresso BBQ sauce, pepper BBQ sauce, vinegary BBQ sauce, and also mild. All shine in their own way and usually, you get about five sauces and switch it up throughout the meal.
The air fryer we use is the Ninja Foodi. This beautiful device pressure cooks, dehydrates, air fries, bakes, broils and steams. You can cook a whole chicken and have a deliciously moist inside with very crispy skin and it’s all done in one machine. We’ve had it for almost a year and it has almost replaced our entire kitchen, except for making tea, pouring boiling water out of the Ninja Foodi bowl would lead to so many injuries.
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What is Whole 30?
Whole 30 is a beautiful reset for the body as you eliminate common disruptive foods from your meals for 30 days. You replace the bread, legumes, dairy, and any sweetener with whole foods like sweet potatoes, chicken, ghee, and fruit. This air fryer bbq chicken is gluten-free, sweetener-free, and dairy-free and is still oh so delicious to the point I make this even off Whole 30. Whole 30 is so delicious because you’re making fresh food with incredible ingredients. Learn more from their website.
After finishing 5 rounds of Whole 30 I feel far more in tune with my body and know how dairy and bread affect me. Rather than feel like I can never eat bread it feels easier to digest bread now that my body has healed. Check out my top 12 Whole 30 tips for surviving and thriving.
Why Use an Air Fryer?
Air fryer chicken, and really any air-fried meat, is so crispy and it holds moisture inside. Honestly, going to a restaurant becomes more and more disappointing because we’re making such epic food at home. The air fryer circulates air faster than an oven so food crisps up in a way you don’t get from just baking.
Ingredients for Whole 30 Air Fryer BBQ Chicken
Ghee – A substitute for butter on Whole 30 and then for the rest of your life. Ghee is deliciously caramelized tasting and is lactose-free. Check out our top ghee brands post here where we taste tested 10 ghees (so full after) to see which was best.
Chicken Thighs – Chicken breasts will also work. Thighs have a higher fat content and in Whole 30 you learn to embrace fat and let it fill you. If you have never tried chicken thighs now is a great time to learn for yourself how delicious they are.
Coconut aminos – Coconut aminos basically replace soy sauce. They have a strong umami flavor and also a sweet taste. If you’re wanting to add sweet umami to a recipe use these.
Fish Sauce – Fish sauce is used in loads of sauces at restaurants and adds a depth of flavor. We use a touch of fish sauce for the whole 30 air fryer bbq chicken because bbq has to have umami.
Ketchup – Ketchup is a foundation for a lot of BBQ sauce and contributes to that tomato flavor and delicious saucy char. For Whole 30 look for sugar free ketchup like Primal Kitchen or any sugar free brand you can find.
Apple Cider Vinegar – Vinegar, salt, sweetness and umami are what create that iconic barbecue flavor. Apple cider vinegar is delicious and is used often in Whole 30.
Jam – Jam is optional for this recipe. I love adding jam to BBQ sauce because it adds a depth of sweetness without sweetener and thickens the sauce. The sauce is delicious without it though. Look for a sweetener-free jam (not even Splenda). I tested several jams for this recipe and found all blueberry jams tasted like grape juice, the first ingredient. Thrive has delicious sweetener-free jams (except the blueberry) and they all work. I loved the superfruit jam and the apricot jam.
Tools for Whole 30 Air Fryer BBQ Chicken:
Ninja Foodi or Air Fryer:
The Ninja Foodi is one of our life loves and has an air fryer capability with it. You can use the grill rack or the basket for the chicken. Any Air fryer will work for this recipe.
For brushing the chicken with the sauce and the ghee. You can also use this to stir the sauce so you only dirty one tool. We use silicone brushes because they look cool and the hairs don’t go everywhere like they do with other brushes.
Although we would all love to eyeball chicken and now exactly when its done this skill is not a human one. Invest now in a food thermometer so none of your meat is overcooked again.
Use these to flip the meat. Silicon is best to avoid scratching your air fryer.
Using the Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Function
The thing about the Ninja Foodi is that it was designed to be wide and hold things like entire turkey thighs. You can pressure cook something and then broil, bake or air crisp it (they’re trying to change the fried wording since it’s pretty myth like as it is more crispy than fried tasting). Read our one year review of the Ninja Foodi here.
I used the instant pot for a year and while it created delicious food I really started to miss crispy food, especially when doing a Whole 30. The Ninja Foodi can bake, broil, air crisp, steam, dehydrate and make yogurt just like the Instant Pot can. Instead of taking a full chicken to the oven to broil and having to energize the whole oven with heat, you just dump out the water, put the basket back in, and air fry or broil it in the same device.
While we used the Ninja Foodi for this recipe any air fryer will work. Only cook as many thighs in your air fryer as you can fit into the air fryer without them touching. You want the circulation of heat in the air fryer to be able to move between the thighs for maximum air crisping.
How to Personalize Your BBQ Glaze and Make it Yours
BBQ is so versatile and that’s what creates its unique and hotly debated legacy. BBQ sauces range from Alabama and it’s mayo-based sauce, to Carolina with a vinegar heavy sauce. I’ve tasted espresso BBQ sauce and super spicy sauce too. Try the base recipe first and then experiment to find what you love.
Tip:
Keep the liquid to ketchup ratio similar in order to keep the glaze thick. If you are not wanting a thick glaze then run free and vinegar it up. Vinegar will create that tanginess. If you want a sweeter sauce decrease the vinegar and increase the coconut aminos. Coconut aminos have a natural sweetness since they’re made from coconut nectar. This Whole 30 air fryer BBQ chicken becomes your own easily with these swaps.
To Vinegarize Your Glaze:
Instead of using 2.5 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar make it 3 tablespoons
To Sweeten Your Glaze:
Use 2 Tablespoons of coconut aminos and two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
Add Smoke to Your Glaze:
Add two drops of liquid smoke for a smoky delicious flavor that doesn’t require a grill.
Umamify Your Glaze:
If you want extra umami flavor then add an extra teaspoon of fish sauce (or more if you know your umami spot). Be very careful with adding more fish sauce as it is very strong and can overpower your other flavors very quickly.
How to Make Whole 30 Air Fryer BBQ Chicken
For this air fryer chicken, you simply combine the sauce ingredients, coat the chicken in ghee and salt then spread the sauce over the thighs. Then pop them into a preheated air fryer sauced side down. Add another layer of sauce and air fry the bbq chicken for 14-18 minutes. Add more sauce every 4 minutes and flip the chicken over. Enjoy immensely.
Preheat Your Air Fryer or Ninja Foodi:
Preheat your air fryer at 400 degrees for ten minutes.
Combine the Whole 30 Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Glaze Ingredients:
Combine one and a half tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, with 1 and a half tablespoons of coconut aminos and 1/2 a tablespoon (2 teaspoons) of fish sauce. I just use one tablespoon and fill it halfway with aminos and halfway with fish sauce. Add in 1/2 a cup of ketchup and a teaspoon of chili powder then salt and pepper to taste.
Set aside 3 tablespoons of glaze to turn into dipping sauce at the end.
Salt and Ghee the Chicken Thighs:
Salt the chicken thighs. Take 2 Tablespoons of ghee and add them to a bowl (so you aren’t dipping a utensil that’s touched raw meat into your ghee). Brush it onto your chicken.
Glaze the Chicken Thighs:
Spread BBQ glaze on one side of the chicken. Then add the chicken, glazed side down to the air fryer basket. For the Ninja Foodi, we used the black basket.
Brush on BBQ Glaze Again:
Every four minutes open the air fryer and brush on more glaze. Flip the bbq chicken, then add more glaze to the other side.
Use a Thermometer to Check Doneness:
Check the doneness of the chicken with a meat thermometer. These air fryer bbq chicken thighs are done at a temp of 165 degrees.
Create a Meat Juice BBQ Sauce:
Another trick to BBQ sauce is using the leftover meat juice, packed with flavor. Pour the meat juice into any leftover BBQ sauce and use it as a dipping sauce for the chicken.
Enjoy!
Looking for other Whole 30 Air Fryer Recipes?
Whole 30 Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Air Fried Crispy Turkey Thighs
Other Whole 30 Summer Recipes?
Whole 30 Lavender Pork Chops with Peaches
Easiest Lettuce Wrapped Sandwiches
Pin It for Later!
Whole 30 Air Fryer BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
1 Pound Chicken Thighs (we used Imperfect Foods)
2 Tablespoons Ghee
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan Sea Salt
Sauce:
1/2 Cup Sweetener Free Ketchup
2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Coconut Aminos
2 teaspoons Fish Sauce
1 teaspoon Chili Powder (just check for no added sugar)
Optional:
2 Drops Liquid Smoke (for smoky flavor)
Pepper to tasteÂ
Sweetener Free Jam - see notes
Equipment:
Ninja Foodi or any Air Fryer
Instructions
1. Preheat your air fryer or Ninja Foodi to 400 degrees for ten minutes.Â
2. Combine all of the glaze ingredients by stirring with brush. If using jam stir an extra 30 seconds to disperse the jam. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside 3 tablespoons of glaze to turn into dipping sauce at the end.
3. Salt the chicken. Add the ghee to a separate bowl then brush it onto the chicken.
4. Brush one side of the chicken with the bbq glaze then add it to the air fryer, sauced side down, then brush the other side with glaze.Â
5. Set the air fryer to fifteen minutes.Â
6. Brush more glaze on the chicken every four minutes then flip and add glaze to the other side.Â
7. Check the internal temp with the thermometer. It's ready to be devoured at 160 to 165 degrees.Â
8. Pour the leftover grease from the Foodi (check air fryer to make sure it's not burnt if not Foodi) into your sauce for a magically delicious time.Â
9. Dip chicken into your secret sauce and bliss out.
Notes:
Outside of using Thrive Market jam I’ve tried several sweetener-free jams with grape juice as the first ingredient instead of sugar. They tasted so much like grape that no other flavor came through. Outside of the blueberry Thrive Market jam (which tasted like grape), the other flavors are delicious. The apricot goes deliciously with BBQ.
Another delicious brand is bionaturae which is crafted in Italy. Sooo delicious. On Amazon you can only buy it in bulk so I recommend checking it out at the store. If you know any other delicious brands please comment with them below. If you know any delicious sweetener-free jams please comment with them.
The jam is fully optional and there’s already added sweetness from coconut aminos so you’ll get that sweet and salty vinegar BBQ taste no matter what. The jam adds extra texture and fruity sweetness that is delicious.
Check out Thrive Market and get a $24 welcome gift:
I’ve used Thrive Market for about two years and love it. They constantly have free gifts, discounts, and have a net-zero carbon imprint.
