Air-Fryer Chicken Thighs

The chicken thigh is the chicken breast's better-cooking sibling. More fat, more flavour, more forgiveness — if you overshoot the cooking time by three minutes, the thigh is still tender, whereas the breast would be jerky. Bone-in, skin-on is the gold-standard cut: the bone slows the cooking enough that the inside stays moist while the outside crisps, and the skin renders into something approaching the crackling on a Sunday roast.

This is the thigh recipe that works as a weeknight default. The herb- and-paprika rub is straightforward — nothing exotic, just the spices you have in the cupboard. The vegetables go in the basket alongside, catching the rendered chicken fat as it drips. The whole operation is twenty-five minutes unattended.

The photo shows two plates, family-style: bone-in thighs with the skin gone deep mahogany, roasted baby potatoes nestled beside them, slices of parsnip and carrot at the edges. The chicken fat has caramelised the vegetables — they're glossy and slightly burnt at the tips, which is exactly the point.