Air Fryer Chicken Breast

Learn how to make the juiciest Air Fryer Chicken Breast recipe in 25 minutes. It is easy, tender and bursting with flavor!

And for last minute dinner, here is how to cook frozen chicken breast in air fryer.

Time for juicy air fryer chicken breast because we love chicken breast recipes around here! And we do not settle on dry and flavorless chicken.

I’ve already perfected recipes for grilled chicken breast, oven baked chicken breast, Instant Pot chicken breast and crock pot chicken breast. Now it’s time to perfect it in my latest gadget.

Cooking chicken breast in air fryer results in juicy, tender chicken breast with a light, flavorful crust and tender, moist middle. Every single time!

My love for air fryer recipes began with crispy air fryer chicken wings, air fryer chicken tenders and juicy air fryer chicken drumsticks. Today we are making perfectly cooked air fryer chicken breasts!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• It’s quick: You can have air fryer chicken breast on the table in about 25 minutes.
• Super easy: This chicken recipe is more economical due to short cooking time and small appliance.
• The oil amount is minimal: Just enough to help the seasonings adhere and lock in the juices.
• Failproof results: You’ll get wonderfully tender, juicy and moist chicken breast every single time!
• You don’t have to brine chicken breasts in salt water!

Ingredients for Air Fryer Chicken Breast

One of the best things about this air fryer chicken breast recipe is that it is so simple and made up of entirely clean ingredients and pantry staples. You only need 6 basic ingredients.

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts: I use 8 – 9 ounces and around 2-inches thickness breasts. If your chicken breasts are larger or smaller, you may need to adjust the cook time. Please see below.
• Oil of choice: I use avocado oil or olive oil.
• Seasonings: I use a simple combination of onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, and smoked paprika. And salt and pepper.

How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Breast

Here is a quick overview how to make air fryer chicken breasts. There is full recipe card below.

• Preheat the air fryer and prep chicken: Preheat it to 380 degrees F for 5 minutes. Add chicken breasts to a bowl and drizzle with oil. Then rub using your hands or toss with tongs to coat.
• Rub chicken with seasonings: Add the spice blend, salt and pepper, and then rub chicken breasts to make sure all sides of the chicken are evenly coated.
• Air fry chicken breast: Spray the basket of air fryer with cooking spray, place chicken breasts in air fryer in a single layer and cook chicken for 16 minutes. No need to flip chicken breasts or shake the basket. 
• Check the temperature: Open and insert meat thermometer into the thickest part of your air fryer chicken breasts to make sure it has reached at least 150 degrees F.

How Long to Cook Chicken Breast in Air Fryer?

Size Changes Everything

How long to cook chicken breast in air fryer depends on the size of your chicken breasts. For average-sized chicken breast that’s around 2-inches thick, I recommend between 16-18 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the chicken breast reaches 150 degrees F.

Here is a handy timetable for quick reference:

Size	Weight	Cook Time
Small Chicken Breasts	5 to 7 ounces	14 minutes
Medium Chicken Breasts	8 to 9 ounces	16 minutes
Large Chicken Breasts	10 ounces or more	18 minutes

Let It Rest

Make sure to allow air fryer chicken breasts to rest for 5 minutes to allow juices to redistribute and chicken to finish cooking.

As per food safety website, to be safe to eat, chicken must reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. However, there’s no need to cook chicken breasts in air fryer until that point.

I recommend cooking the chicken until it’s 150 degrees F and the residual heat will then continue to increase the internal temperature while the chicken rests.

You get to avoid dry, overcooked chicken. It is my secret to juicy and not dry air fryer chicken breasts.

Air Fryer Chicken Breasts Came Out Undercooked

Thought you had the right time but your air fryer chicken breast came out undercooked? After checking with the instant read thermometer, if you see temperature is below 150 degrees F, cook the chicken breasts for extra 2 minutes.

It sure is a delicate balance and figuring out the cooking time based on size, your air fryer and personal preferences. It is a matter of practice.

Tips for Best Results

For the best air fryer chicken breast follow the below tips!

• No need to brine: Dry rub and optimal cooking temperature and method, will take care of juicy chicken breasts.
• Size matters: I recommend to pick the same size chicken breasts for even cooking when shopping. Also know the weight of each piece to select correct cooking time.
• Cook in a single layer: The hot air needs to circulate the chicken to get the job done. Overlapping or stacking chicken breasts in air fryer is not recommended.
• There’s no need to shake the basket: While flipping chicken can help to yield crispier results, this dry rub chicken breast isn’t intended to be super crispy. So leaving it alone will help avoid dry chicken. 
• Allow it to rest: Once cooked, transfer the air fried chicken breast to a large foil covered platter and allow it to rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to settle and redistribute. 

FAQs

What to Serve Air Fryer Chicken Breast With?

After resting, the air fryer chicken breast is ready to serve. I recommend slicing it against the grain.

Use this air fryer chicken breast recipe for weekly meal prep. I love it for lunch with simple spring mix salad! Or turn it into one of easy healthy dinner ideas for family serving with:

• Roasted cauliflower
• Mediterranean quinoa salad
• Instant Pot mashed potatoes and garlic green beans
• Grilled vegetables
• Sauteed zucchini

Variations

Once you have the basic air fryer chicken breast method down, then you can experiment with different spices, marinades, and more.

• Sauces: Try it with Thai chili sauce or healthy BBQ sauce.
• Fresh garlic: If you have a little extra time, feel free to use fresh grated or minced garlic over the chicken breasts like I do in air fryer lamb chops!
• Add vegetables: If you have enough space in the basket, you can add some veggies directly in with the chicken breasts to cook simultaneously. You could include zucchini, brussel sprouts, red peppers, broccoli and asparagus. 
• For even juicier results: You can marinate the chicken breasts using one of these 5 chicken marinades. When marinated, place the chicken breasts straight into the air fryer basket and cook. There’ll be a little more “cleanup” afterward of the basket but otherwise it couldn’t be more simple.

How to Store and Reheat

Make ahead: After rubbing the chicken breasts with spices, you can allow them to sit covered in the refrigerator overnight for up to 12 hours before cooking. 

Storing: Refrigerate leftover air fryer chicken breast in an airtight container for easy meal prep for up to 1 week. Make sure to move it to the refrigerator within 2 hours for food safety and keep it whole for the juiciest results.

Freeze: Cool completely before transferring the chicken breasts to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. I recommend slicing or shredding the chicken breasts before freezing. That way, it’ll thaw faster and can be added to meals immediately.

You can thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before eating or reheating. 

Reheat: I recommend to do so either in air fryer or a pot. Here is how to reheat chicken breast in air fryer.

Or reheat air fryer chicken breast in a lidded pot with a splash of water or broth to steam them until warm. This will keep the chicken tender and moist compared to trying to reheat them in the oven.

More Air Fryer Recipes to Try

• Air fryer chicken tenders
• Air fryer turkey breast
• Air fryer shrimp
• Air fryer salmon

More Chicken Breast Recipes

• Pan fried chicken breast
• Spinach stuffed chicken breast
• Cajun chicken breast
• Baked BBQ chicken breast
• Garlic butter chicken breast