Air Fryer Chicken Breast…an easy way to cook chicken with loads of flavor! The trick is to use simple ingredients and let the air fryer do all the work. You’ll have juicy seasoned chicken breast in less than 30 minutes!
Air Fryer Chicken Breast
This Chicken breast in the air fryer is an excellent weeknight dinner main, or a way to make flavorful chicken for all kinds of preparations. I use it for making chicken casseroles, chicken salad for weekly meal prep, or in soups. Air frying chicken breasts is the best way to avoid dry chicken. This really is a foolproof recipe.
I am no stranger to cooking chicken in the air fryer. My Air Fryer Roasted Chicken has 300, 5 star reviews and my Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer has over 360, 5 star reviews.
Ingredients needed
I love a well seasoned piece of chicken that is juicy and uses delicious spices! For your cooking convenience, I have listed here the full ingredient list for the best air fryer chicken breast. (The full printable recipe card is toward the bottom of the page.)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- pepper to taste (if desired)
- 1 tablespoon (14g) Avocado oil or olive oil
- 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, about 1 pound (450g)
Equipment needed
- Air Fryer: of course, for an air fryer chicken recipe, you are going to need an air fryer. There are so many different brands out there. There are air fryers that have a basket, and then there are air fryer ovens.
- Air fryer with a basket: This is probably what comes to mind when you think of an air fryer. There are different capacities, upwards of 10 quarts. They tend to cook food more quickly than conventional ovens and Air fryer ovens.
- Air fryer oven: This is a multi-function countertop oven that can usually air fry, toast, bake and broil. From my testing, the air fryer oven took a little longer to cook the boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- Instant-read meat thermometer: If you want to make sure your chicken is perfectly cooked, you really need a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken.
Juicy chicken breast in the air fryer - the preparation
This recipe couldn't be any more simple, but I want to make sure you can make it perfectly every single time. Here I will give you step by step instruction with photos.
1. Pre-heat the air fryer to 375F (190C): I like to always preheat my air fryer while I am prepping the chicken. Most air fryers have a pre-heat setting which lasts 2-3 minutes, but I never use it and just turn it on the air fry setting for 5 minutes.
2. Season the chicken: First coat with the avocado oil, then season both sides of the chicken with all of the spices.
3. Air fry the chicken breasts: Put the chicken breasts in the air fryer basket and air fry at 375 degrees F (190C) for 18-20 minutes (basket air fryers), flipping half-way through. For Air fryer ovens, add a few minutes more. Of course, the cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken breast.
4. Cook to the proper temperature: Pull the chicken breast from the air fryer when it reaches 155F to 160F (68C to 71C) internal temperature using an instant-read thermometer inserted halfway through the thickest part of the meat. Let the chicken rest on a plate for 5-10 minutes before cutting. This "carryover cooking" will bring the chicken up to the safe temperature of 165F (74C).
Carryover cooking, also known as residual heat cooking, is a phenomenon that occurs in food when it continues to cook even after it has been removed from a heat source. This happens because the heat already present in the food continues to transfer to the cooler interior of the food, causing the internal temperature to rise even after it has been taken off the heat.
The result is juicy air fryer chicken breasts without having to turn on the regular oven. In the recipe card, I also give instructions for cooking chicken cutlets which can be finished in half the time.
Great recipes to use leftover chicken
- Curry Chicken Salad
- Keto Chicken Salad with Avocado and Bacon
- Keto Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Keto Chicken and Vegetable Casserole
Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Breast With Amazing Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- pepper to taste (if desired)
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, about 1 pound (450g)
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the air fryer to 375F (190C) for 5 minutes. Combine the seasonings in a small bowl and set aside. With the chicken breasts on a cutting board or plate, coat each piece of chicken with the oil on both sides using a basting brush. Evenly coat both sides of each chicken breast with the seasoning mixture.
- Place chicken in the air fryer basket in a single layer (see notes for an air fryer oven). Air fry at 375F (190C) for 18-20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Pull the chicken breast from the air fryer when it reaches 155F to 160F (68C to 71C) internal temperature using an instant-read thermometer inserted halfway through the thickest part of the meat. Let the chicken breasts rest on a plate for 5-10 minutes before cutting. This carryover cooking will bring the chicken up to the safe temperature of 165F (74C)
- Preheat the air fryer to 375F (190C) for 5 minutes. Combine the seasonings in a small bowl and set aside. Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and using a sharp knife, cut each breast in half lengthwise, resulting in 4 chicken breast cutlets.
- Coat both sides of each piece of chicken with the oil using a basting brush. Evenly coat both sides of each chicken breast with the seasoning blend.
- Place the seasoned chicken breasts in the air fryer in a single layer and cook at 370F (190C) for 10-15 minutes, flipping at the 4 minute mark. Check after 8 minutes for doneness with an internal meat thermometer. Pull the chicken breast from the air fryer when it reaches 155F to 160F (68C to 71C) internal temperature using an instant read thermometer inserted halfway through the thickest part of the meat. Let the chicken rest on a plate for 5-10 minutes before cutting. This carryover cooking will bring the chicken up to the safe temperature of 165F (74C)
Notes
- To cut the chicken in half lengthwise for chicken cutlets - place one hand flat on top of a chicken breast and, holding your knife parallel to the cutting board, slice it horizontally from the thick end to the thin end.
- Air fryer oven: From my testing, the air fryer basket cooked the whole boneless skinless chicken breasts in 18-20 minutes, while the air fryer oven took 25 minutes. Cook time will also depend on the size of your chicken breasts.
- Storage: Keep the leftover cooked chicken in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze cooked chicken breasts in a freezer safe container or bag for up to 3 months.
Mandee says
Could you tell me what would change with the temperature or time if I used frozen chicken?
jenniferbanz says
It would probably double the time at least
Lana says
You can defrost your chicken first by putting the frozen chicken into a ziplock bag and letting the chicken soak for 30 min +, flipping the chicken every 20-30 mins to make sure both sides are defrosted and the follow the recipe as directed.
Pat says
Made this tonight with pensky’s Cajun seasoning. Yum! Might just have to be my new go to chicken breast recipe and keep changing up the seasoning.
Maggie says
An easy and lighter way to enjoy my favorite fried chicken! YUM!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
So easy! I love my air fryer and can't wait to try these!