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!
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 7-quart 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, you can make this Easy Homemade Barbecue Sauce if you truly wanted to have more prep to do.
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.
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 tab 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. From Steamed Corn On The Cob to Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad, you're sure to find numerous side dishes to pair with your saucy chicken.
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🥘 Ingredients
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.
Olive oil- Use olive oil to coat the chicken well so that it gets more crispy. This also helps the seasonings to adhere to the meat.
BBQ Sauce- Use your favorite homemade sauce or store-bought.
For specific quantities, see the recipe card below.
🍽 Equipment Needed
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🔪 Instructions
Check out how to make Air Fryer BBQ chicken breasts with these simple step-by-step instructions:
Brush chicken breasts with olive oil.
Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken.
Place chicken into your preheated air fryer.
Air fryer 400 degrees F for 8 minutes.
Flip over and cook for another 10 minutes.
Brush with BBQ sauce and then cook for additional 2 minutes.
Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
📖 Variations (Different Chicken Cuts)
Air Fryer BBQ Boneless Chicken Thighs
Boneless chicken thighs are one of the faster cooking chicken pieces because they're thinner and there's no bone to warm up and workaround. To cook boneless chicken thighs, cook them for 15 minutes, flipping at the halfway mark. Then add the sauce and cook for another 2 minutes to warm up the sauce.
Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Quarters
These are one of the lengthier cooking pieces. To do this you will cook at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes and then flip over to cook the other side for 10 minutes. Then apply sauce and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
All Other Cuts of Chicken
For any of these cuts:
- Bone-in Chicken Thighs or Air Fryer Chicken Leg Quarters
- Chicken Drumsticks
- Fresh (not frozen) Chicken Wings
You will cook the same exact way as the air fryer BBQ boneless chicken breasts in the recipe card below. 10 minutes, flip, 10 more minutes. Then add sauce and warm up to 2 minutes.
🍴 Recipe Tips
Chicken safety
You will know that your chicken has finished cooking properly when you can insert an instant read food thermometer into the meat hand have it register as 165 degrees F. The meat and juices may still have a slight pink coloration to them but it should not look raw.
When making your air fry BBQ chicken breast I recommend checking on the internal temp when you flip the breast over at the halfway point. This will help to give you a good indication of how fast it is heating up and if it's really close to being done cooking or if it can actually last the final 10 minutes without becoming overcooked.
👩🏻🍳 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 Creamy Orange Fluff Salad, Dill Pickle Potato Salad, or Bacon Ranch Brussel Sprouts.
💭 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 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 great air fryer recipes to check out soon
- Air Fryer Custard Toast
- Air Fryer Biscuit Donuts
- Air Fryer Grilled Ham and Cheese
- Air Fryer Frozen Green Beans
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Boneless & Skinless Chicken Breasts ($7.96)
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil ($0.13)
- ½ teaspoon Salt ($0.05)
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper ($0.02)
- ½ cup BBQ Sauce ($0.32)
Instructions
- Brush chicken breasts with olive oil.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken.
- Place chicken into your preheated air fryer.
- Air fryer 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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