Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Breast

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When it comes to easy chicken dinner ideas, you need this fail proof recipe for deliciously seasoned air fryer chicken breasts! They're juicy, tender, and ready in minutes.

Why we love air fryer chicken

Let's be honest. It's hard to make boneless, skinless chicken breast look and taste exceptional without adding mega calories to it. Guess what? The air fryer is changing the game! In fact, this chicken is so juicy and delicious, it will change your mind about lean, boneless chicken – and air frying, for good.

The beauty of air frying is that it cooks food so efficiently, even lean chicken won't dry out. So, the right combination of time and air fryer temperature creates juicy, tender chicken breast that's so good, no breading or sauce is needed. Just you wait and see!

The air fryer works the same way for whole rotisserie chicken and air fried chicken legs with consistently delicious results. However, since boneless air fryer chicken breast is quicker and much leaner, it's perfect for anyone needing both qualities, especially on busy weeknights.

How does the air fryer cook chicken so perfectly?

Chicken cooked in an air fryer requires very little oil on the surface. Unlike a deep fryer, the air fryer uses convection cooking which circulates hot air. This allows chicken to cook quickly, which prevents it from drying out. Since this chicken breast has no breading, it's naturally low calorie and, as you can see, is super juicy on the surface, all the way to the center.

Ingredient notes

• boneless skinless chicken breasts – Make sure chicken breasts are fairly uniform in size for even cooking.
• olive oil - Or preferred cooking oil.
• sea salt and black pepper - These are essential seasonings.
• paprika – Hungarian sweet paprika is perfect, or use smoked paprika for a hint of smoky flavor.
• onion powder and garlic powder - Use as much or as little as you like.

You can scale this recipe up, depending on the size of your air fryer. Simply add as many chicken breasts as your fryer will accommodate without crowding or overlapping. You might need to increase the air fryer cook time by a few minutes, depending on how many chicken breasts you're cooking. Always use a meat thermometer to confirm the final internal temperature.

The best temperature for air fryer chicken breast

When it comes to chicken, I prefer to set the air fryer temperature to 380 degrees Fahrenheit. I do this because I've found that cooking chicken breast at higher temperatures tend to overcook the outside and under cook the inside. We certainly don't want that.

How to air fry chicken breasts

Here are the recipe steps for this quick and easy chicken dinner. Feel free to skip to the printable recipe card.

1. Season the chicken breasts. You can do this right inside the air fryer basket to reduce cleanup tasks. First, combine paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder in a small bowl and set aside. Next, lay chicken breast in the air fryer basket, smooth side down. Brush the facing surface with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the chicken seasoning over the surface. Flip the chicken breasts over and repeat these steps so both sides are seasoned.

2. Air fry the chicken - Follow any preheat instructions for your air fryer, if any. Insert the basket/tray of chicken in the air fryer and set the temperature to 380 degrees Fahrenheit. Air fry chicken breasts 10 minutes on the first side.

3. Flip chicken over, if needed. At the 10-minute mark of the air fry cycle, I recommend flipping the chicken breast over once, especially if your air fryer heating element sits close to the food – which is very common. Flipping the chicken allows any direct heat to distribute evenly across the surface, which prevents overcooking and promotes juicy results. We only want delicious results.

4. Continue frying. After flipping, air fry chicken breasts about 5 minutes more, or until a quick-read thermometer registers an internal temperature between 160 and 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Rest chicken for carryover cooking. Use clean tongs to transfer the chicken out of the air fryer basket. Immediately cover the cooked chicken tightly and rest 5 minutes to allow the residual heat of carryover cooking to bring the chicken to the safe minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Serve the chicken warm, sliced or shredded. Or, allow to cool completely and refrigerate for later use such as meal prep or other recipes.

How long to cook chicken breast in the air fryer

It takes anywhere from 12-18 minutes to cook boneless chicken breast in an air fryer set to 380 degrees Fahrenheit. Breast size and volume affect cook time, but the ultimate factor is determined by how long it takes chicken breasts to register a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit on a meat thermometer. Use this size guide for reference and adjust cook time as needed to reach the safe internal temperature.

• Smaller breasts (6 ounces) – about 12 minutes (flip at 8 minutes)
• Medium breasts (8 ounces) – about 15 minutes (flip at 10 minutes)
• Larger breasts (12 ounces) – about 18 minutes (flip at 12 minutes)

The best air fryer to cook chicken

Any air fryer will work for this recipe. The basket you see in my photos is from my Cosori 5.8 quart XL air fryer. I have two oven-style fryers, but this drawer-style model wins every time for smaller tasks on busy weeknights.

Recipe tips

Here are a few simple tips for making chicken breasts in your air fryer!

Don't wash chicken breasts - Rinsing chicken adds extra cleanup because it contaminates surfaces in your kitchen. The safest way to remove bacteria from chicken is to cook it to a safe minimum internal temperature.

Swap the seasonings - You can use any seasoning combination for this recipe. You can use Cajun seasoning, taco seasoning, homemade Italian seasoning, the sky's the limit!

Don’t crowd the air fryer. Since the air fryer cooks by circulating air around food, the chicken breasts need to have at least ½ inch space between them for the most efficient and optimal results.

Do wash tongs before transferring chicken. To prevent contamination, wash used tongs with soap and water or grab clean tongs before transferring cooked chicken out of the air fryer for serving.

Add sauce or gravy. As mentioned earlier, this chicken entree holds its own without sauce. But, when the mood strikes, pesto made with walnuts or arugula pesto add an Italian spin. This quick BBQ sauce always feels like home, or go into full comfort mode and make gravy without drippings.

How to store and reheat leftovers

To store air fryer chicken breast, allow to cool completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days. I recommend reheating chicken in the air fryer at around 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 5 minutes, or until it's warmed through the center.

Can you freeze cooked chicken breasts?

Yes, cooked chicken breasts from this air fryer chicken recipe can be frozen up to 3 months in freezer-safe storage containers, or longer if vacuum sealed. Thaw chicken overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat as mentioned above.

FAQ about air fryer chicken breast

Serving ideas

Turn this chicken entree into a complete meal. Air fryer mushrooms, air fryer asparagus, and air fried green beans are ready in about 10 minutes. If you need starchy sides, these baked smashed potatoes or mashed potatoes are always worth the effort. This healthy kale salad or classic coleslaw will compliment any chicken dinner nicely.

How to use leftover chicken breast

Having cooked chicken breast on hand gives you a head start on dinner prep! Shred the chicken breast and use it to make these! You can never have too many chicken recipes.

• Chicken Shepherd's Pie
• Chicken Fried Rice
• Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
• Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Teriyaki Chicken Fried Rice

📖 Recipe