These air fryer BBQ chicken breasts are a perfect way to get that juicy chicken and caramelized sauce you're craving. The best part? It's done in just 20 minutes!
Recipe: $6.63 | Per Serving: $1.67 | Servings: 4
Making BBQ chicken breast in the air fryer is not only a great way to get consistently good chicken but it's a faster way to get your meal on the table. I LOVE to use our air fryer to cook up enough chicken for the 4 of us.
Making this air fryer barbecue chicken breast recipe is super simple and only takes 4 ingredients, including your favorite BBQ sauce. Although, with a few more ingredients you can make this Easy Homemade Barbecue Sauce. This is one of our favorite Air Fryer Recipes for Beginners.
For more air fryer chicken recipes make sure to check out our Air Fryer Chicken Leg Quarters, Air Fryer Chicken Thighs and Potatoes, Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Thighs, and Air Fryer Chicken Breasts.
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🍯 Why This Recipe Works
- You can adapt it to other cuts. Want to cook a different cut of chicken, like legs or thighs? Check out the variations section for cooking instructions.
- It's quick. Just toss the chicken in and let the air fryer do its thing. In less than 30 minutes you'll have a main dish ready for your plate. That's about half the time it takes in the oven!
- BBQ chicken tastes great with anything. We like serving it up with Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad, but you're sure to find numerous side dishes to pair with your saucy chicken.
🥘 Ingredients
Ingredient Notes:
Chicken breasts- You will need boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. Make sure to trim the fat off before using.
Seasonings- Because BBQ sauce is already so well flavored, we only need some salt and pepper to season the breasts with.
BBQ Sauce- Use your favorite homemade sauce or store-bought.
For specific ingredients and measurements, please see the recipe card below.
📖 Variations (Different Chicken Cuts)
- Boneless Chicken Thighs: Cook boneless chicken thighs for 15 minutes at 400°F, flipping halfway through. Add sauce and cook for an additional 2 minutes to warm it up.
- Chicken Quarters: For chicken quarters, cook at 400°F for 10 minutes, then flip and cook for another 10 minutes. Apply sauce and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Other Cuts: For bone-in chicken thighs, chicken drumsticks, or fresh chicken wings, follow the same cooking instructions as Air Fryer Chicken Leg Quarters.
🔪 Instructions for Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Breasts
Step 1: Brush chicken breasts with olive oil.
Step 2: Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken.
Step 3: Place chicken into your preheated air fryer.
Step 4: Air fry at 400 degrees F for 8 minutes.
Step 5: Flip over and cook for another 10 minutes.
Step 6: Brush with BBQ sauce and then cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Step 7: Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
🍴 Recipe Tips
- Chicken Safety Guidelines. Make sure your chicken is thoroughly cooked by using a meat thermometer. It should register at least 165°F. Even if the chicken looks slightly pink, it's safe to eat as long as it's reached the right temperature.
- Checking Doneness. When cooking BBQ chicken breasts in the air fryer, check the internal temperature halfway through. This helps you see how quickly it's cooking and prevents it from getting overdone.
👩🏻🍳 Storage
You can keep your leftover air fryer barbecue chicken breast stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days. Reheat again before eating.
🥗 Side Dishes
Some great side dishes to serve with this recipe include Orange Creamsicle Fluff, Dill Pickle Potato Salad, or Bacon Ranch Brussel Sprouts.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Yes, there's nothing wrong with placing the raw chicken in the air fryer because it will become cooked, similarly to cooking raw chicken in your oven but on a smaller scale. Just make sure that it reaches the proper temp before serving.
Absolutely! The chicken is crisp on the outside with a juicy tender chicken on the inside. It's truly a delicious way to enjoy your next meal.
You can place up to 3 pounds of chicken into your air fryer depending on its size. This is roughly 2-4 chicken breasts depending on their size and the size of your air fryer.
❤️ More Delicious Air Fryer Recipes
If you tried these Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Breasts, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your feedback in the 📝 comments section below. I would truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts ($5.94)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil ($0.14)
- ½ teaspoon salt ($0.01)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper ($0.02)
- ½ cup BBQ sauce ($0.52)
Instructions
- Brush chicken breasts with olive oil.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken.
- Place chicken into your preheated air fryer.
- Air fry 400 degrees F for 8 minutes.
- Flip over and cook another 10 minutes.
- Brush with BBQ sauce and then cook for additional 2 minutes.
- Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
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