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This is a simple method for making juicy, super tender, and wonderfully delicious chicken breasts in the Air Fryer! This basic air fryer chicken breast recipe is quick, healthy, and can be prepped ahead of time.
This chicken recipe is your key to easy, effortless preparation for a tasty dinner or for creating salads and sandwiches throughout the week. This flavorful chicken breast recipe, seasoned to perfection and tender juiciness, completely shatters the common misconceptions about dry chicken breasts. The secret to achieving mouthwateringly tender and juicy chicken in this recipe is BRINING!
Brining, combined with the use of an Air Fryer, ensures you can consistently achieve wonderfully moist chicken breasts with minimal effort. The quick cooking time promotes tenderness, while the brine guarantees a juicy and flavorful outcome. If the Air Fryer isn’t your preference, check out my popular recipe for Oven Baked Chicken Breasts.
Why You Should Make This Recipe
- Juicy and Delicious. With this simple guide, you’ll cook up juicy chicken breasts every single time.
- Customizable. You can customize the flavors by using any combination of herbs and seasonings.
- Nutritious. This chicken recipe is perfect for those who prefer lighter, no-breading options. However, if you’re a fan of crispy textures, the alternate Air Fryer Fried Chicken recipe has got you covered.
- Meal Prep. This air fryer chicken is a meal-prep superstar. You can prepare it beforehand and use it to add to your meals throughout the week, serving it hot or cold.
Air Fryer Chicken Breast Cooking Times
The time needed to cook chicken in the air fryer can fluctuate depending on the size of the chicken breasts.
- For smaller, 5 to 7-ounce chicken breasts, you’re looking at a quick 8 to 10-minute cook time at 375˚F.
- For chicken breasts that are around 8 to 10 ounces, the cooking time is approximately 10 to 12 minutes.
- As for the larger, 11-ounces or more chicken breasts, you can expect a cook time ranging from 12 to 16 and up to 18 minutes.
How To Air Fry Chicken Breast
In essence, this air fryer chicken recipe provides an excellent balance of taste and convenience, making it a hit with everyone who tries it. The simple method goes a little like this: brine, rub, cook, rest.
- Brine the chicken. Create a brine and soak the chicken breasts in it for 15 to 20 minutes. Then, rinse and pat dry the chicken.
- Season. Next, spray the chicken breasts lightly with cooking oil. Mix a bit of salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, dried oregano, or other seasonings of choice in a small bowl and rub onto the chicken.
- Cook. Place chicken breasts in the air fryer basket, cook at 375˚F for 10 minutes, flip, and cook for another 6 to 8 minutes until done. Check the temperature of the chicken a few minutes early to ensure it doesn’t overcook.
- Rest. Let rest for 8 to 10 minutes before cutting.
How To Air Fry Frozen Chicken Breasts
- Preheat the Air Fryer to 390˚F.
- Season chicken breasts and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping over halfway through cooking. Chicken is done when the internal temperature registers at 165˚F.
Recipe Tips
- Chicken breasts can be brined for up to 6 hours in the fridge, but avoid over-soaking thin pieces. Frozen chicken can be brined for up to 2 hours or until thawed. After brining, rinse and pat dry the chicken.
- Do not overcook the chicken breasts. You should use an instant-read meat thermometer to check for doneness. Once the chicken’s internal temperature has reached 160˚F to 165°F, it’s done!
- Do not overcrowd the Air Fryer or stack the chicken breasts in the air fryer basket. Make sure each piece of chicken has enough space around it for the hot air to circulate.
- Flip the chicken halfway through to cook the chicken evenly and get a crispy texture on both sides.
- Allow the chicken to rest for several minutes after air frying to ensure a juicy result.
Serving Suggestions
Start by serving Oven Roasted Asparagus on the side, or these Easy Oven Roasted Vegetables with your air fryer chicken breasts. For a different take, consider my Tomato Avocado Corn Salad. If you’re after a heartier complement, Maple Mustard Roasted Potatoes provide a flavorful match.
Honey Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots bring a hint of sweet and savory, while Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower offers a creamy, low-carb option. Also, some old-school Creamed Spinach could be the comfort food sidekick your chicken needs.
Storage
- Refrigerate chicken breasts in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To reheat the chicken, place it in an air fryer or oven and set the temperature to 350˚F.
Easy Air Fryer Recipes
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Air Fryer Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 4 cups warm water
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- olive oil cooking spray, you can also use butter cooking spray OR avocado oil spray
- ¼ teaspoon salt, this is optional because, keep in mind that the chicken will have absorbed some of the salt from the salted water.
- fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano, or any other dried herbs that you want to use
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in a large bowl.
- In a mixing bowl or a large measuring cup, combine warm water and salt; stir, then pour over the chicken breasts. Set aside for 20 to 30 minutes. You can also cover the bowl and refrigerate for up to 6 hours.
- In the meantime, stir together the salt (optional), ground black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and oregano.
- Take each chicken breast out of the brine and rinse under cold water; pat dry with paper towels.
- Spray chicken breasts with cooking oil on all sides. Sprinkle the seasoning blend evenly over the chicken breasts and rub in on all sides.
- Place 2 to 3 chicken breasts in the air fryer basket. Leave enough space between the breasts to ensure even cooking.
- Cook at 375˚F for 10 minutes.
- Using tongs, flip the chicken over and continue to cook for 6 to 8 more minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness.
- Remove chicken breasts from the air fryer basket and let rest on a cutting board for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Air fryers and cook times may vary depending on the size of the chicken breasts.
- Always use an Instant Read Meat Thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked all the way through.
- Do not crowd the Air Fryer basket. If you stuff the air fryer, the food will steam rather than roast or crisp up.
- Always turn your food or shake the basket to ensure even cooking.
- Store cooked chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
I see you use parchment paper. I didnโt realize you could do that. Could you explain that? Iโm also new to this and I have a split breast with bone. Would you recommend I remove the bone? Thank you.
HI!
Yep, I do use parchment paper, but these parchment liners are specifically for Air Fryers and I get them from Amazon (affiliate link) https://amzn.to/2z7LYb8 ๐
And, yes, do remove the bone, or if you decide to keep it, note that the chicken will take a bit longer to cook through.
Thank you for your reply! It came out really well. The whole breast off the bone took about 22 minutes at 375. But it was big. I paired it with my favorite fresh cranberry relish that I make with a shallot, white wine vinegar, sugar substitute, rosemary and a little grated orange or in this case skipping the orange and rosemary for cilantro and jalapeรฑo! Cheers
Made this recipe and it was so delicious! Thank you for sharing!!
I am very happy you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐
Thank you so much for this delicious ,easy recipe. I was looking for a new chicken breast recipe.
I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! ๐
Followed the instructions for air fryer but needed to almost double the time for it to be fully cooked
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!!! It was good, but I think was a little salty for me, and I only added the salt during brining and a little less than 1/4 cup. It is still a keeper recipe. Do you think if I butterflied the chicken and decrease the salt during brining, will that help with the less saltiness and gives the chicken more crispy?
Would you keep everything the same if you were using the air fryer oven? Do you still want to flip the chicken?
Hi!
Yep, I’d suggest to flip the chicken for even cooking.
Great recipe! full of favor and no need for extra salt the brining takes care of that. Made it and whole family enjoyed it.
Thanks for sharing. Such a great variety.
This was such a flavorful dish; easily a new family favorite recipe! Delicious!
Another great recipe for my air fryer! I know what I am making for dinner tonight! This looks amazing!