Easy Air Fryer Chicken Thighs and Vegetables (Meal Prep)

This easy air fryer chicken thigh recipe is the simplest one-pot meal prep. Crispy soy-marinated chicken thighs and a medley of healthy vegetable are cooked together in the air fryer for a high-protein 30-minute meal.

Tips for meal prepping air fryer chicken thigh and vegetables

Versatile serving ideas for air fryer chicken and vegetable meal prep

This air fryer meal prep recipe is simple and versatile. While the soy sauce air fryer chicken thighs and vegetables can be combined with brown rice or another form of carb to make a complete and balanced meal, the chicken and vegetables can also be enjoyed other ways. I’m a firm believer in the notion that a good meal prep recipe should be versatile enough to serve in a variety of ways. Here are some more serving ideas for air fryer soy sauce chicken and vegetables to keep your meal rotation fresh and interesting throughout the week.

• Air fryer soy sauce chicken thigh and salad for a light lunch salad: If you are using boneless chicken thighs, once cooked in the air fryer and cooled completely, the chicken can be easily chopped up to top a salad or any other dish. The cold air fryer chicken thigh can be tossed together with salad and fresh vegetables like cucumber and carrots for a quick and healthy salad.
• Serve with pasta or quinoa salad for a high-protein meal: This air fryer chicken and vegetable is neutral enough to serve alongside various other dishes as a primary protein. For an effective post-workout meal that is very high in protein, serve alongside these already high-protein plant-based carb dishes like edamame pasta or quinoa salad.
• Make a wrap: Spread a pita flatbread with hummus or edamame hummus, top with roughly chopped air fryer chicken thighs and its accompanying vegetables, sprinkle on some cheese, and you’ve got a satisfying chicken wrap.
• Blend into a soup (just the vegetables): If you have extra air fryer roast vegetables you can cook a pot of lentils, add the air fryer roast vegetables, then blend everything together into a healthy lentil vegetable soup.

How to store air fryer chicken thighs and vegetables for meal prep

Storing this chicken and vegetable meal prep is very easy. After the chicken thighs and vegetables have been thoroughly cooked, let cool to room temperature, then pack away into airtight containers.

Store in the fridge for up to a week. You can store the roast vegetables and chicken thighs separately for ease of use if you are planning on using them separately in different meals.

Variations for air fryer chicken thighs and vegetables

Marinade variations for air fryer soy sauce chicken thighs

This recipe as written uses soy sauce, garlic powder, and chili powder. Think of this as a starting point. You can easily modify the chicken thigh marinade to incorporate other flavors. You can even switch out the soy sauce for regular salt. Using a dry rub with salt instead of soy sauce will give you cleaner drippings onto the vegetables. Here are some ideas:

• Salt, dry powdered sage, garlic powder, chili powder. I love this combo; it tastes like fried chicken!
• Soy sauce, cooking wine, garlic powder. This is a more traditional Asian flavour profile. My Taiwanese grandma used to make chicken legs in the mini toaster oven using only these three ingredients for flavor.
• Salt, curry powder. A simple, pared down curry air fryer chicken.

Vegetable variations for air fryer chicken thigh meal prep

This one-pot air fryer meal prep recipe for chicken and vegetables is very flexible and much can be switched up. However, not all vegetables will work for this recipe. Certain vegetables may be too watery or not suitable for roasting in the air fryer. Here are some ideas for varying the vegetables in this recipe if you are not a fan of bell peppers, broccoli, or cauliflower.

• Sweet potato chunks. Rich in vitamin A, potassium and other nutrients.
• Pumpkin slices or butternut squash. Similar to sweet potato in flavor and nutritional profile.
• Asparagus. Good source of vitamin K, B vitamins, and copper.
• Shiitake or king oyster mushrooms. These mushrooms are more meaty, less prone to shrinkage and therefore better suited for air frying. (link).
• Brussel sprouts. Another good vegetable for air frying or roasting because it doesn’t shrink or get watery. Brussel sprouts are similar to broccoli in terms of nutritional profile.

How to make easy air fryer chicken thigh and vegetable meal prep

Making chicken thighs and vegetables in the air fryer for meal prep is really easy and simple! Here’s what to do, step by step.

1. Marinade the chicken thighs. You can air fry the chicken thighs straight away or cover and let them marinade in the fridge for 24 hours.
2. Cut your veggies (here, I’m using bell pepper, broccoli, and cauliflower) into chunks, and put in the air fryer base.
3. Put a metal rack on top of the veggies and place the chicken thighs skin side up. Having the thighs skin side up will give you a crispier chicken skin which will in turn facilitate the chicken fat rendering and dripping down. We want the fat to drip down onto the veggies, so we don’t need to add extra oil.
4. Air fry for 20-30 minutes (depends on the size of your chicken thighs, whether bone in or boneless, and how much vegetables are being cooked). Measure the internal temperature of the chicken thighs with a thermometer. It should be 165 F/ 74 C or higher.
5. Remove the chicken thighs and check the vegetables. If you are using less vegetables or quick cooking ones like bell pepper, they may be cooked through at this point. However, if the vegetables are not cooked through, give it a mix, then air fry for a further 5-15 minutes.

Tips for making air fryer chicken thighs and vegetables

• Measure internal temperature. It is especially important to measure internal temperature when meal prepping poultry for food safety. Since this is a one pot air fryer dish, the cook time in the recipe card will only be an estimate. Actual air frying time and doneness will depend on factors like the size of your air fryer (and whether it is overcrowded); the amount, type and moisture level of your vegetables; the size of your chicken thighs and whether they are bone in or boneless.
• For faster cooking chicken, use boneless chicken thighs.  Another tip for faster cooking is to avoid overcrowding your air fryer.
• For faster cooking vegetables, toss in a tablespoon or two of oil before air frying. This adds extra fat but may cut down on cooking time.
• For faster overall cooking, use less chicken thighs and vegetables. Cooking more chicken and vegetables in the air fryer in one session will be more efficient overall but will require longer cooking time. Think about the size of your air fryer and how much it can handle optimally.
• Use a rack for the chicken. Using a metal rack for the chicken will help with air circulation and makes removing the chicken thighs easy.
• If necessary, remove chicken thighs and air fry vegetables for longer, until cooked through and crispy.

Nutrition facts for air fryer chicken and vegetable meal prep

For more information and detailed nutritional facts see here.

One air fryer soy sauce chicken thigh with one serving of air fryer vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, and bell pepper), served with ½ cup of cooked brown rice has the following macros:

• 38 grams protein
• 33 grams fat
• 34 grams carbs
• 4.9 grams fiber.

For nutritional facts without rice, see nutrition card below.

Recipe Card

Print Recipe

Easy Air Fryer Soy Sauce Chicken Thigh Vegetable Meal Prep

Crispy soy sauce marinated chicken thighs and a medley of healthy vegetables make an easy one-pot air fryer meal.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Canadian, Fusion

Diet: Low Lactose

Keyword: Air fryer, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Chicken, High Protein, Meal Prep

Servings: 4

Calories: 478kcal

Equipment

• 1 Air fryer
• 1 food thermometer

Ingredients

• 4 chicken thighs skin on (around 2 lbs) (boneless preferred)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp chili powder

Vegetables, around 2-3 cups (see note 1)

• 1 head broccoli
• ½ head cauliflower
• 1 bell pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a bowl, mix soy sauce, garlic powder and chili powder.
• Marinade the chicken thighs in soy mixture. You can air fry the chicken thighs straight away or cover and let it marinade in the fridge for 24 hours.
• Cut your veggies into chunks and put in the air fryer base.
• Put a metal rack on top of the veggies and place the chicken thighs skin side up. Having the thighs skin side up will give you a crispier chicken skin which will in turn facilitate the chicken fat rendering and dripping down. We want the fat to drip down onto the veggies, so we don’t need to add extra oil.
• Air fry at 400 F for 20-30 minutes (see note 2). Measure the internal temperature of the chicken thighs with a thermometer. When done, it should be 165 F / 74 C or higher.
• Remove the chicken thighs and check the vegetables for doneness. At this point you can also add salt and pepper to the vegetables. If the vegetables are not cooked through, give them a mix, then continue air frying for a further 5-15 minutes.

Notes

Note 1: Use less vegetables for faster cooking.

Note 2: Actual cooking time will depend on your air fryer model, the size of your chicken thighs, whether bone in or boneless, and how much vegetables are being cooked.