Air Fried Chicken Quarters and Veggies

The secret is in the rub. Or maybe it's in the crispy skin achieved by using an air fryer. The air fryer group is at it again. Creating delicious recipes in the blink of an eye. It's that fast. Air fryer cooking has simplified weekday dinners. If you're a busy person or simply don't want to spend much time in the kitchen, you've got to get an air fryer.

The air fryer group started during the pandemic. Everybody was looking for things to do. I don't have to tell you about it. We all lived it. The air frying sensation started around this time. 

I did some googling and found a great article in The New York Times about the air frying boom. A quick recap: The first prototype was introduced in 2010 at an electronics fair in Berlin. After this, all the major companies started producing air fryers. In 2017 is when the 'boom' happened. By 2020, air fryers were in 36% of American homes...during the pandemic.

Back to the crispy, flavorful chicken quarters created by the air fryer. Simply delicious. Phenomenally good. Perfect, quick meal. Let's get to the recipe. 

Ingredients: A chicken quarter per diner...this recipe is for two chicken quarters. I would purchase medium to small quarters so you may fry two at a time. Cook time is about 25 minutes.

Pat your chicken dry. Make sure excess skin and fat are off the chicken. Rub a little EVOO on the chicken. Mix together the seasoning before applying a rub.

Seasoning: 
A teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and paprika
1/2 teaspoon of mustard powder and sage
1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper
Rub all the goodness on each chicken quarter

Fry at 380 degrees for 25 minutes. Stick a thermometer in the chicken between the thigh and the leg. It should read 165 degrees. If not, fry again for another few minutes. 

After taking the chicken out of the fryer, let it rest. You can wrap it in aluminum foil to keep all the juiciness inside the chicken.  Wash the fryer and cook the veggies for 7-10 minutes. Go ahead and melt some garlic butter to toss the veggies in (I like to melt Chef Shamy Garlic Butter). Allow them to just turn golden brown around the edges. No need for salt and pepper. If you want to roast the veggies in the oven at the same time as air frying chicken...roast at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.