Chicken breast is a versatile protein that is easy to prep ahead in the air fryer for easy meals.
I tend to have a few cooked chicken breasts in the fridge at all times. That’s because it’s such a versatile ingredient that can quickly be used in a sandwich, salad, or pasta dish with zero effort. Because I like having them on hand, I’m also always looking for new ways to cook them.
If I want to cook a lot of chicken breasts quickly, I do them in the Instant Pot like this recipe. This gives your chicken a poached or stewed texture. If I just need 2 or 3, I turn to my air fryer. The texture from the air fryer is more like a traditional roasted chicken breast, which I prefer for most uses. You end up with juicy, tender chicken ready to be enjoyed!
I find that chicken breasts cook a little bit quicker in the air fryer than in a regular oven. Also, if I only have a few breasts to cook, it doesn’t make sense to heat up my whole oven.
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Video: Air Frying Chicken
How To Cook Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts In The Air Fryer
How To Cook Bone-In Chicken Breasts In The Air Fryer
How To Cook Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts In The Air Fryer
You’re simply going to coat the chicken in a little bit of oil. I use olive oil in an oil sprayer like this one. I love it because I can fill it with my own oil, making it much cheaper than buying cooking spray. Also, the sprayer works really well. I’ve had mine for years!
Then you season the chicken with salt and whatever other seasonings you’d like. I tend to keep it basic with just black pepper and garlic powder. Maybe try out ourMontreal Chicken Seasoningblend recipe if you want a little more flavor.
Put the chicken breasts into the air fryer basket. I put them rounded side down to start so after I flip them partway through cooking, the nicer side is up and gets the final bit of browning.
Cook them for 10 minutes and then flip them. My air fryer has a non-stick basket so it’s important to use tools that are non-metal. I turn to these kinds of silicone-coated tongs for this task a lot. After flipping them, you’re going to cook them until they reach 165°F inside, as read on an instant read thermometer. It will take between 5-8 minutes depending on the size of your chicken breasts. The ones I used for testing were medium breasts of about 8 ounces..
I sometimes take them out a bit before they hit 165°F (at 155°F) but that isn’t always the safest so I don’t recommend that you do that unless you are aware of the risk.
Finally, you take the chicken breasts out of the basket (use those silicone tongs again) and let them rest for 2 minutes before serving or slicing for future use. You can store them in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 days which makes this great for easy meal prep.
How To Cook Bone-In Chicken Breasts In The Air Fryer
OK, so if you have chicken breasts that are on the bone, whether or not they have skin, this is what you’ll do.
The method is exactly the same as for boneless chicken breasts except the chicken pieces need to be cooked for a little bit longer.
Oil and season them as instructed. Then put the chicken breasts into the air fryer skin-side down (or rounded-side-down) and cook for 15 minutes. Flip them over and cook until they reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant read thermometer, about 12-15 minutes more.
Remove from basket and let rest at least 2 minutes before serving.
Notes
If using chicken breasts that are on the bone (with or without skin) oil and season them as instructed. Then put the chicken breasts into the air fryer skin-side down (or rounded-side-down) and cook for 15 minutes. Flip them over and cook until they reach 165°F on an instant read thermometer, about 12-15 minutes more.
This post originally appeared in September 2019 and was revised and republished in August 2022.
Air fry according to the size of your chicken breasts — again, 4-5oz breasts will take 10-12 minutes, 6-8oz breasts will take 13-15 minutes, and 9-120z breasts could take 16-20 minutes — or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees as measured by an instant read thermometer, flipping the chicken breasts ...
Place chicken in the air fryer basket, presentation side down, and cook for 8 minutes at 375°F. Flip the chicken over and continue cooking until the thickest part registers 155°F on an instant-read thermometer, typically about 6 to 8 minutes longer.
Yes, you put raw frozen chicken in the air fryer! You won't be able to brine it first or pound it to an even thickness (so the results are not *as* juicy) but if you forget to thaw your chicken, it's a great option to have on hand.
Which is better between air frying vs. oven baking? Air-frying is a healthier alternative to deep-fried foods, but oven-baking often preserves good nutrients while filtering out the bad ones, making oven-baked foods even healthier than most air-fried foods.
Cook at 360° for 9 minutes. Then flip the chicken breast over and cook for another 9 minutes. Larger chicken breasts need more cook time, and smaller ones need less time. Open the air fryer immediately so it doesn't continue cooking in the heat.
Spray the bare side, which is now facing up, and sprinkle on the remaining seasoning. Cook for 10 minutes on 360 degrees. Flip over (tongs are extremely helpful), and cook until internal temperature reaches at least 165, about another 8 to 12 minutes on 360 depending on the size of your chicken breasts.
Getting a good sear through medium high heat, then reducing the heat to LOW and COVERING the chicken while it cooks. The butter, oil, and chicken juices create a super flavorful liquid that acts as a way to steam the chicken at a low temperature, ensuring that it is moist & tender on the inside.
"Due to the compact design of an air fryer, there's not as much room for the juices to evaporate like they sometimes do in other methods," Dang said. Air fryers also don't have preheating times. The fans in an air fryer turn faster, making the outer layer of food crispier, compared to a convection oven.
While you would typically add oil to a pan before adding your food, the case is not the same when using an air fryer. In a bowl, toss your food in a few teaspoons of vegetable oil or olive oil along with your seasoning before putting it in the air fryer. This method works best for cooking fresh meats and vegetables.
Foil is safe to use in an air fryer so long as you follow three basic rules: never let foil touch the heating element; make sure the foil is weighted so it doesn't blow around the basket; and avoid contact with acidic ingredients, which can cause the foil to leach onto your food.
Another method to understand if the chicken is sufficiently cooked or not is to use an instant-read thermometer to observe the inner heat of the meat cut. If the temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, then it means the chicken cooked sufficiently.
After seasoning or marinating chicken, place on parchment paper in the Air Fryer. Set Air Fryer to 350 Degrees for 8 minutes. Turn chicken over and cook for an additional 8 minutes.
Coat the chicken in the oil and set aside. In a bowl, combine the salt, garlic, paprika and mixed herbs with a good grinding of black pepper, then scatter onto a plate. Roll each oiled chicken breast in the seasoning and put in your air fryer basket. Cook at 180C for 18-20 mins, turning after 10 mins.
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