These air fryer chicken breasts are a delicious way to serve up tasty chicken for your meal. Made to have a juicy center and crisp outer skin these breasts are well flavored and fabulous.
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Making chicken breasts in the air fryer is a super easy and convenient way to get dinner on the table quickly. It's one of our favorite Air Fryer Recipes for Beginners. Serve it up as-is, or take it one step further to make Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Breasts.
We love cooking chicken in the air fryer all summer long. With the summer heat outside, we can keep the house cool inside and still have food that tastes like it came off the grill.
This air fryer chicken breast recipe is sure to become one of your favorites like it has mine. For more ideas check out my Air Fryer Chicken Leg Quarters, Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Thighs, and Air Fryer Chicken Thighs and Potatoes.
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💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's quick! Cooking breasts on the stovetop requires babysitting it to make sure it cooks evenly throughout and it can take up to an hour in the oven but in your air fryer, it's only 20 minutes!
- Lots of possibilities. Sometimes I even like to cook up this recipe and then dice my cooked chicken to stir into a pasta alfredo like my Blackened Chicken Alfredo- the kick of spice really helps to elevate the taste of that jar of storebought alfredo sauce!
- Minimal ingredients. All you'll need to make this recipe is some chicken, olive oil, and seasonings.
🛒 Ingredients
Chicken breasts- You will need some boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. Trim off the fat before using.
Seasonings- For the best possible flavor, you'll want to use paprika, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and ground black pepper.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
Different Chicken Cuts: This recipe works with any cut of chicken including bone-in thighs, drumsticks, wings, or Air Fryer Chicken Leg Quarters. Prepare and season them exactly the same way, then air fry at 400°F for 8 minutes, flip, and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes until they reach 165°F.
Adjust the Seasonings: Swap the Italian seasoning for Cajun seasoning, lemon pepper, fajita seasoning, or ranch seasoning mix for a new flavor without changing the recipe steps.
Lower-Calorie Option: Use olive-oil spray instead of brushing on oil to reduce added fat while still getting great browning.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Buy chicken in bulk. Family packs of chicken breasts (or mixed cuts) are cheaper per pound. Freeze individually for easy meals later.
Use cheaper cuts. Bone-in thighs or drumsticks work perfectly in this recipe and cost significantly less than breasts, same method, same seasoning, same great results.
Stretch the protein. Slice cooked chicken and serve over rice, pasta, baked potatoes, or salads to make one chicken breast feed multiple portions.
Pair with in-season produce. Swap side veggies for whatever is cheapest at the time (zucchini in summer, carrots or cabbage in winter).
🥄 Instructions for Air Fryer Chicken Breasts
Step 1: Brush the basket tray of your air fryer with olive oil.
Step 2: Turn the air fryer on and heat it up to 400 degrees F for 2 minutes while you prepare the chicken.
Step 3: Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil using a pastry brush.
Step 4: In a bowl, mix together the seasonings. Sprinkle over the chicken and rub the seasonings all over the chicken to coat all sides.
Step 5: Place the seasoned chicken breasts into the preheated air fryer.
Step 6: Cook at 400 degrees F for 8 minutes. Cook it presentation side up.
Step 7: Flip the chicken over to the other side and cook for another 10-15 min or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Cooking Extra Chicken: I like to cook one more chicken breast than needed. This provides an already cooked chicken breast for easier meal prep for future dinners.
- Checking Doneness: To ensure the chicken is cooked through, insert an instant-read food thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. It should register at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit. While the meat and juices may retain a slight pink coloration, they should not appear raw.
❄️ Storage and Reheating
Storage: Store cooked Air Fryer Chicken Breasts in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Slice or dice before storing for faster reheating and easier meal prep.
Reheating: Warm leftovers in the air fryer at 350°F for 4-5 minutes, or microwave a portion for about 2 minutes until heated through.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
Serve these air fryer chicken breasts with quick sides like roasted veggies, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, Caesar salad, garlic rice, baked potatoes, coleslaw, or simple buttered noodles. They also pair well with BBQ sides like corn on the cob, pasta salad, or a fresh fruit salad for a lighter meal.
- Blackened Chicken SaladRecipe $12.58 / Serving $6.29
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- Lemon Garlic Butter PastaRecipe $2.82 / Serving $0.47
- 5 Ingredient Mac and CheeseRecipe $3.64 / Serving $0.36
❓ Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can follow along with this recipe and cook it exactly the same way using either fresh or frozen chicken breasts. Frozen breasts may need an extra minute or two to cook fully.
You will know that your chicken is finished cooking when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast.
Some air fryers come with a feature where all you have to do is press a button to preheat the appliance but many do not come with this luxury. Simply preheat the air fryer to the cooking temperature that you need and let it run for 2-5 minutes to reach temperature before adding in your food.
🍽️ More Recipes You'll Love
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- Air Fryer Grilled Ham and CheeseRecipe $2.47 / Serving $1.24
- Air Fryer Frozen WafflesRecipe $1.07 / Serving $0.54
🐝 If you tried these Air Fryer Chicken Breasts, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil - ($0.14)
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts - ($5.34)
- 1 teaspoon paprika - ($0.08)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder - ($0.08)
- 1 teaspoon oregano or Italian seasoning - ($0.08)
- ½ teaspoon salt - ($0.01)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper - ($0.02)
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer. Brush the air fryer basket with olive oil. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 2 minutes.
- Season chicken. Brush the chicken breasts lightly with olive oil. In a small bowl, mix together the paprika, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Sprinkle the seasoning evenly over the chicken and rub to coat all sides.
- Air fry. Place the chicken breasts in the preheated air fryer, presentation side up. Cook at 400°F for 8 minutes.
- Flip and finish. Flip the chicken and continue cooking for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Rest and serve. Remove the chicken from the air fryer and let rest briefly before serving.
Notes
- Storage. Store cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating. Reheat in the air fryer at 350°F for 4 to 5 minutes until warmed through, or microwave for about 2 minutes.
- Cooking tip. Thicker chicken breasts may need the full cooking time; always verify doneness with a thermometer.
Nutritional Information
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