Air-Fryer Fried Chicken with Slaw

• 200 g raw Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (7.1 oz raw)
• 40 g Nonfat Greek yogurt (2¾ tbsp)
• 8 g Hot sauce (0.3 oz)
• 1.2 g Salt (¼ tsp)
• 15 g All-purpose flour (2 tbsp)
• 25 g Cornflakes (0.9 oz)
• 1 g Smoked paprika (½ tsp)
• 1 g Garlic powder (⅓ tsp)
• 0.3 g Cayenne pepper (⅛ tsp)
• 0.5 g Black pepper (¼ tsp)
• 4 g Vegetable oil spray (¾ tsp)
• 100 g raw Green cabbage (3.5 oz raw)
• 40 g raw Carrot (1.4 oz raw)
• 15 g Light mayonnaise (1 tbsp)
• 5 g Apple cider vinegar (1 tsp)
• 2 g Sugar (½ tsp)

You'll need: Air fryer (or oven and baking sheet), 2 bowls, Zip-top bag, Rolling pin or mug, Grater, Tongs.

Method

1. Marinate the chicken

   Coat the chicken thighs in the yogurt, hot sauce and half the salt in a bowl. Leave them for at least 10 minutes, or up to a day in the fridge.

   Yogurt does what buttermilk does: it tenderizes the meat and helps the crust stick.

2. Make the crunchy coating

   Heat the air fryer to 200°C (400°F). Crush the cornflakes in the zip-top bag until coarse, then shake in the flour, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, pepper and the rest of the salt. Add the chicken pieces one at a time, still coated in their yogurt, and press the coating on all over.

   Press, don't just roll. A thick, craggy coating is what gives fried-chicken crunch.

3. Air-fry

   Spray the chicken all over with the oil. Air-fry in one layer for 16–18 minutes, flipping halfway and spraying any dry floury spots, until deep golden and crunchy and 74°C (165°F) in the thickest part. No air fryer? Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F) at the start and bake on a lined baking sheet instead, turning halfway; each batch takes about 5 minutes longer.

   Any patch of dry flour stays white. Spray it and it browns.

4. Toss the slaw

   While the chicken cooks, finely shred the cabbage and grate the carrot. Toss them with the mayonnaise, cider vinegar and sugar. Serve the hot chicken with the cold slaw.

   Make the slaw while the chicken cooks. Ten minutes of resting softens the cabbage just enough.

Swaps

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs → Chicken breast, cut into 3 piecesLeaner; cook it 2–3 minutes less so it stays juicy.
• Cornflakes → Panko breadcrumbs, same weightA lighter, finer crunch.