Vent: My brother called my air fryer chicken 'sad' and I finally get it now

He was over last weekend and saw me pull out some plain, unseasoned chicken breasts I'd just cooked. He said, 'Dude, you have a whole flavor machine and you're making hospital food...' I tried his trick of marinating in pickle juice for 3 hours before air frying. The chicken came out so juicy and tangy, I can't believe I was just hitting the button on frozen stuff. What's your go-to marinade or rub that actually works in the air fryer?

3 comments

3 Comments

fiona9851mo agoTop Commenter

Know that sad chicken life too well. Try a simple rub of smoked paprika, garlic powder, and brown sugar. It sticks great and gets a nice crust.

faith_thomas1mo ago

My last chicken looked so sad I almost gave it a tiny blanket and a pep talk. That rub sounds way better than my usual "shake some salt and hope for the best" method. I'm trying it on thighs tonight because they can handle my cooking mistakes. If this works, you've saved my weeknight dinners from total gloom.

the_henry1mo ago

Heard adding a little coffee to rubs is a game changer.