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Air Fryer Fried Chicken

by Katerina

4.80 from 5 votes

Jan 23, 2020, Updated Mar 14, 2022

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This easy Air Fryer Fried Chicken is crispy, juicy and delicious! Who knew you could fry chicken breasts in the air fryer? Marinated in buttermilk and topped with pork panko crumbs, the whole family will love this delicious fried chicken recipe.

I use my air fryer to cook everything from crispy air fryer chicken tenders to this juicy fried chicken. If you’re looking for a deliciously crispy oven method, check out my oven fried chicken breasts, too. You might also like this easy Chicken Milanese recipe!

The Best Air Fryer Fried Chicken

I came to the States when I was almost 11 years old, and upon arrival – literally right when we arrived – we were introduced to McDonald’s Happy Meals. How else do you welcome a 10-year-old and a 7-year-old to the United States? 🇺🇸  

BUT, our second stop? POPEYES! For my parents. My mom’s eyes popped out when she sank her teeth into that crispy chicken sandwich. It was true love at first bite, and that’s when we knew why it was called POPeyes. 😜 

Thus, thinking about Popeyes chicken, I was very skeptical about trying fried chicken in an Air Fryer. As you are, too, I’m sure of it. To that point, let me just say this; this Air Fryer Fried Chicken is really delicious. It’s crispy and mega flavorful, BUT do not expect KFC or Popeyes type of fried chicken. M’kay? 

Why Fry Chicken in the Air Fryer?

Traditional, crispy, buttermilk fried chicken coated with pork panko crumbs is pretty amazing. Rather than deep frying or submerging these chicken breasts into lots of oil, though, I decided to try out the Air Fryer version. 

Air fryer fried chicken is lighter and less oily, and it’s also faster, and nowhere near as messy. This method has worked so well for my air fryer chicken wings lately that I knew this fried chicken breast recipe was next on my list!

How to Make Fried Chicken in the Air Fryer

For this Air Fryer Chicken recipe, I decided to use chicken breasts, only, but this recipe works with thighs, drumsticks, and wings, too. I also used coconut flour and pork panko crumbs to keep the chicken lower in carbs, but you can use plain breadcrumbs and regular flour if you want.

1. First, you’ll want to combine buttermilk and Frank’s hot sauce in a large mixing bowl. Don’t worry about the hot sauce; it won’t make the chicken too spicy, but it will inject it with lots of flavor. 
2. Add chicken breasts (or other chicken pieces) to the buttermilk mixture and let marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, and up to 24 hours. 
3. When ready to prepare the chicken, take it out of the fridge 10 to 15 minutes before cooking.
4. On a shallow plate, combine flour with pork panko crumbs and seasonings. Now, about the flour; I use coconut flour for almost all things that require breading because I want to keep carbs at a minimum. The coconut flavor is very subtle, in case you’re worried about that. However, it’s all good if you want to just use all-purpose flour. 
5. Coat all sides of the chicken with the flour mixture, shaking off any excess flour. Place chicken in the Air Fryer basket in a single layer. Spray with cooking spray and set to cook at 390˚F for about 20 to 22 minutes. I also like to use these air fryer parchment paper liners for easier cleanup. 
6. Halfway through cooking, open up the air fryer basket; flip over the chicken, and coat it with cooking spray. Continue to cook until done. Please use an Instant Read Thermometer to make sure that the chicken is cooked through; chicken is done when the internal temperature registers at 165˚F.

Recipe Tips

• Any traditional fried chicken recipe will work in an Air Fryer, however, judging by experience, I suggest not adding a very thick breading to the chicken because it doesn’t cook through. I tried and I ended up with lots of white floury spots on the outside and pinkish spots on the inside of the chicken. If you love battered chicken, I have an awesome beer battered fried chicken recipe that you can try instead.
• I advise you to dip the buttermilk-soaked chicken only once in a well-seasoned flour mixture. For a bit more crunch, add panko crumbs to the flour mixture. 
• Use cooking spray to coat the chicken before cooking. 
• Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Serving Suggestions

One of my favorite comfort food dinners is crispy fried chicken served over a fluffy bed of buttermilk mashed potatoes with a side of something green, like steamed broccoli or a green bean salad. It’s also tasty with Mediterranean rice. These garlic parmesan roasted potatoes and spicy corn ribs are also easy dinner sides, or I’ll add this chicken to a Southwestern quinoa salad or chef salad for a filling lunch. For something sweet, I love these fudgy brownies or mini chocolate chip cookies!

Proper Storage

• Store leftovers in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 4 days.

More Crispy Chicken Recipes

• Lemon Pepper Chicken
• Parmesan Crusted Chicken Tenders
• Baked Chicken Parmesan

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4.80 from 5 votes

Air Fryer Fried Chicken

by Katerina | Diethood

Air Fryer Fried Chicken – Crispy, juicy, and deliciously fried chicken breasts cooked in the Air Fryer! Marinated in buttermilk and topped with pork panko crumbs, the whole family will love this delicious fried chicken.

Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 serves

Ingredients 

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FOR THE CHICKEN BREASTS

• ▢ 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ▢ 1/2 cup buttermilk
• ▢ 1/4 cup hot sauce

FOR THE FLOUR MIXTURE

• ▢ 3/4 cup coconut flour, (you can also use all-purpose flour)
• ▢ 1/2 cup pork panko crumbs, (you can also use regular panko crumbs or breadcrumbs)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
• ▢ salt and pepper, to taste

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Instructions 

• Combine buttermilk and hot sauce in a large mixing bowl; place chicken breasts in the buttermilk mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, and up to 24 hours.
• Take chicken out of fridge and set on counter while preparing flour mixture.
• In a shallow plate combine flour, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper.
• Preheat Air Fryer to 390˚F.
• Line Air Fryer basket with parchment paper (optional).
• Remove chicken breasts from the buttermilk, allowing excess to drip off.
• Dredge chicken in the flour mixture, shaking any excess off.
• Place a single layer of chicken breasts in the basket, with space in between the pieces. I cook 2 to 3 chicken breasts at a time.
• Spray with cooking spray and air fry for 10 minutes.
• Open the air fryer basket and flip over the chicken pieces; spray with cooking spray, and continue to cook for 10 to 12 more minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and an instant read thermometer registers at 165˚F.
• Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Let stand 5 minutes.
• Serve.

Notes

 

NET CARBS: 8g

Nutrition

Serving: 1chicken breast | Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 672mg | Potassium: 489mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 231IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1mg

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.

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