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Air Fryer Chicken Breasts will be your new favorite way to cook chicken! The meat is perfectly seasoned with my own versatile spice blend, needs very little oil, and takes just minutes to prepare.

Faster than baking, this juicy chicken breast is ready after just 15 minutes in the air fryer! Air Fryer Chicken Breasts are the perfect protein for a simple meal. Pair with some Garlic Cheese Toast and a Kale Salad for an easy weeknight dinner.

chicken breasts, sliced, on a white wood background, parsley
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Chicken breast is pretty much a staple protein in our home, and we like to mix it up using all our favorite chicken recipes, like Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches, Baked Chicken and Rice, and for making Homemade Chicken Nuggets.

I’m pretty well known for my baked chicken breasts, so once I got an air fryer that was the first thing I wanted to try because:

  • Air frying your chicken is just like baking – you get a tender air fryer chicken breast that’s so juicy with a ton of flavor – but you never have to turn on your oven!
  • My signature DIY spice blend is so simple but incredibly flavored.
  • You can use this recipe weekly and create make-ahead meals for lunches or a quick dinner.

Ingredients

  • Chicken Breasts – My recipe used boneless, skinless chicken breasts. It’s best if the breasts are about the same size and thickness for even cooking. Large breasts may require a light pounding so they aren’t too thick.
  • Olive Oil – A little oil brushed on the meat helps the seasoning stick to the chicken and it helps to keep it juicy by locking in moisture.
  • DIY Spice Blend – My Chicken Seasoning has the perfect blend of salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. It sounds super simple but it adds so much flavor you’ll want to make a big batch and put it on everything! It’s pretty excellent on pork chops too.

How To Make Air Fryer Chicken Breast

Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Don’t worry about washing it – that just spreads bacteria around your sink and really isn’t necessary.

4 uncooked chicken breasts with seasoning.

While your air fryer is heating to 375 degrees, rub the chicken all over with olive oil and seasonings. If you’d prefer, you can just use a cooking spray instead of olive oil.

2 image collage of chicken in an air fryer

Place the meat in the air fryer basket, and cook chicken breasts for 15 minutes. Flip over after about 10 minutes and finish cooking.

FAQs

Is air fried chicken healthy?

Air Fryer Chicken Breasts need only 2 tablespoons of oil, and you could probably use half of that if you really wanted to. Chicken breasts in the air fryer use about 70-80% less oil than traditional fried chicken, making this method a much healthier option.

Can you put frozen chicken breasts in the air fryer?

Yes! Follow the recipe and just add about 10 minutes to the cooking time. Cook any cut of chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. If you don’t have a digital instant read meat thermometer, I highly recommend picking one up. They are inexpensive and one of the most useful tools you can have in your kitchen.

Chicken is one of those versatile entrees that you can serve with just about anything. Slice it up to top your favorite salad (mine is my simple Arugula Salad), or fill Chicken Caesar Wraps. Serve on top of pasta or with roasted purple potatoes on the side.

If you really aren’t in the mood for making more mess and dishes, just slice a loaf of crusty bread and open a bag of prepared salad mix for a complete meal that’s equally simple and delicious.

Storage

Using up leftovers: Keep leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use it in salads, sandwiches, and wraps. Air Fryer Chicken Breast is great for doing food prep for healthy meal prep and meal plans, and delicious cold or warm.

Freezing: Wrap chicken in plastic wrap to keep out freezer burn and place in a resealable freezer bag. Freeze for up to three months. Reheat in the microwave for small portions and in the air fryer for larger portions.

Make Ahead: I recommend cooking as soon as possible because you don’t want chicken sitting in your fridge for too long. However, you could season the chicken several hours in advance of cooking them.

Expert Tips

  • Rest – Make sure to let your chicken rest for about 5 minutes after cooking. This gives the juices time to redistribute throughout the meat so they won’t spill out all over your cutting board.
  • Serving size – Note that this recipe uses 4 chicken breasts but makes 6 servings. The recommended serving for chicken is 4 ounces, and the average chicken breast is 6-8 ounces. You can fit about 4 medium-sized breasts in your air fryer.
  • Altering the recipe – Can I double the recipe? What if I just want to feed 2 people? Double the recipe means cooking two separate batches in the air fryer, but yes you can absolutely do that. You can also cut the recipe in half to feed 2 people, although I’d recommend cooking all 4 pieces and saving some for easy weekday lunches.
  • Seasoning – Feel free to use a different seasoning rub. I love lemon pepper, taco seasoning, or cajun seasoning.
sliced chicken breast on a whilte plate with parsley and a fork

Why I Love My Air Fryer

Once I started playing around with air fryer recipes, I realized there was so much I could do! Even make an entire day’s worth of meals!

Start with Air Fryer French Toast Sticks and Air Fryer Bacon for breakfast, Air Fryer Grilled Cheese for lunch, and Air Fryer Chicken Wings and Easy Air Fryer Home Fries for dinner! You don’t have to stop there because you can whip up some Air Fryer Apple Hand Pies for dessert!

The Best Air Fryer

One of the best air fryers is this highly rated Instant Vortex Plus from Instant Pot. It is affordable at $119. It has 6-IN-1 functionality and will air fry, broil, roast, dehydrate, bake, and reheat. Plus the nonstick basket is dishwasher safe.

Buy on Amazon

More Air Fryer Recipes

Recipe

Air Fryer Chicken Breast Recipe

4.53 from 17 votes
Kristin Maxwell
Air Fryer Chicken Breasts are the best way to cook chicken! The meat is perfectly seasoned, needs very little oil and cooks in 15 minutes!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 6 servings
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Equipment

  • Air Fryer

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts 4 medium sized breasts
  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
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Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika. Set aside.
  • Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle seasoning mix over both sides.
  • Place the chicken in the basket of the air fryer and cook at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.
  • Flip the chicken over and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the outside is golden brown and the inside is cooked through to 160-165 degrees F.
  • Let the chicken rest 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

The seasoning blend used in this recipe is my go-to for chicken, pork and even fish. You can switch it up and use any seasoning you like. 
Frozen chicken breasts can be cooked in the air fryer – just add about 10 minutes to the cook time and use a meat thermometer to ensure it’s cooked through. 
Keyword air fryer chicken breasts

Nutrition

Calories: 216kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 32gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 563mgPotassium: 559mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 127IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 1mg

Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.

Have you tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was by leaving a review or sharing on Instagram with the tag #yellowblissroad

Kristin Maxwell

Kristin Maxwell is the creator and main recipe developer, writer, and photographer of Yellow Bliss Road. A self-taught cook and self-appointed foodie, she specializes in easy, flavorful and approachable recipes for any home cook.

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4.53 from 17 votes (16 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Amy Brown says:

    This recipe is so simple and so delicious! Our picky 10 year old LOVES this chicken, even ate 2 whole chicken breasts for dinner last night! I made up a big batch of the seasoning and put in a spice shaker to make it even quicker and easier going forward, as this will definitely be a staple in our home! As always, such an easy and delicious recipe!

    Reply
    1. Kristin says:

      Awesome feedback Amy! Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply