Having an air fryer chicken breast ready in 20 minutes without making the house smell like grilling is an absolute blessing! Having juicy chicken breasts, cooked to perfection is a must on the other hand. Use this easy air fryer chicken recipe as a quick meal or for your weekly meal prep to stay on track.
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Hello everyone!
I hope you’re doing well! I also hope you have an air fryer and some chicken breasts that you don’t know what to do with because this recipe is EPIC!
I live in a small apartment in Las Vegas with my little sister. My parents and little brother went back to Algeria, and let us stay here to finish university. So Just like any college students, we don’t live in a huge house with many windows that can aerate the space that we live in.
This has been something that has bothered me for the longest time. Coming from north Africa, I am used to balconies, windows and anything in between. This usually also means that I can cook whatever I want without worrying about the smell sticking to our living spaces.
That quickly changed when we moved to our cute little Vegas apartment… The kitchen is all the way in the corner of the house and has no windows to get some fresh air or natural sunlight that hits it. For an avid cook and baker like me, this was an absolute disaster. It meant that I wouldn’t be able to cook many things that I was used to cooking because they would stink up the place 🙁
Fast forward to Christmas 2019, my little sister got me an air fryer!!! Hurray! We can finally cook many meats and dishes without making the house smell disgusting!!
One of the first things I made in my new air fryer were air fryer chicken cutlets! They turned out incredible… Best of all, you couldn’t tell I had just cooked chicken.
Air fryer chicken breasts
Chicken breast is something that can be so simple to make but yet many of us tend to mess it up by overcooking it. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have over baked my chicken breast and had to eat it…
But with this air fryer technique you will never have to have dry over baked chicken again! Air fry it once, flip it, air fry it twice and you got yourself a delicious full of flavor crispy chicken breast in the air fryer!
What’s so special about this air fryer chicken breast recipe
- The chicken comes out juicy AF
- The chicken has a nice golden outside
- You will have perfectly cooked chicken quickly and with not much hands on work + easy clean up!!
- This makes perfect air fryer chicken with no breading
- The house won’t smell like chicken when you are done
- This chicken breast recipe is diet friendly! I have many friends who make this air fryer chicken breast to fit their keto diet needs! It’s a great weight loss recipe as well.
What air fryer works best to cook chicken breasts?
To make this air fryer chicken breast recipe, I used this Ninja air fryer that I received for Christmas. It works very well and is pretty affordable. I can usually cook 2-3 chicken breasts in there depending on the size of them.
When choosing an air fryer to cook your chicken breasts in make sure that it is large enough to fit however much you need to cook. If you’re a single person that only needs to cook for just one person, definitely go for a smaller air fryer like this one but if you need to cook for a whole family, I would suggest something like this.
Do I need to use oil to air fry chicken breast?
Well the whole point of air frying chicken is to avoid using all the oil that is involved in real frying chicken… BUT I personally like to use a tiny bit to help the spices stick to the chicken breast better.
You can either gently brush your chicken breast with olive oil or gently drizzle a little on top and massage it into the chicken using your hands.
How long to cook chicken breast in the air fryer?
Chicken breasts often vary in weight even though they all have the same shape. When air frying chicken breast you can follow this guideline to make sure that your chicken breast is cooker to perfection.
- 6 oz breast 360°F for 15 minutes
- 8 oz oz breast 360°F for 18 minutes
- 10 oz oz breast 360°F for 20 minutes
- 12 oz oz breast 360°F for 22 minutes
You will cook all the chicken breasts in the air fryer at 360°F. The duration will differ for each chicken breast depending on how much it weighs. Keep in mind that you should rotate it halfway through. For example, if you are cooking the 8 oz chicken breast, make sure to rotate it after 9 minutes and then cook it again for another 9 minutes.
Another way to tell that your chicken is ready is to check the internal temperature of your chicken. It will be ready when it’s at 165°F
What do I need to make air fryer chicken breast?
Here are the few simple ingredients to make the best air fryer chicken breast:
- Chicken breasts
- Black pepper
- Chilli powder
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Olive oil
More chicken recipes
How to make air fryer chicken breasts?
- First, start by placing the chicken breast in a large bowl. Sprinkle the black pepper, chilli powder, garlic powder and salt on both sides of the chicken breasts.
- Lightly drizzle the chicken breasts with olive oil and massage in the oil and spices so that the chicken is well coated with both.
- While you are preparing the chicken breasts, preheat the air fryer for 3-5 minutes at 360F.
- When the chicken breasts are ready place them in the air fryer basket and cook for 10 minutes on each side for a total of 20 minutes. Make sure to adjust your cooking time depending on the weight of the chicken breasts.
- If you have a thermometer, check the internal temperature of the chicken in the thickest part of the breast. The temperature should ready between 159°-161°. It it is less than that put the chicken back in the air fryer and let it sit in the residual heat of the air fryer machine for a couple more minutes then check again.
- Once your chicken is at the right temperature, remove it from the air fryer, place it on a cutting board and cover it with another plate or loosely cover it with foil. This will allow it to continue cooking to get up to that perfect 165°. It also allows the juices to redistribute themselves evenly. Let the chicken breast sit for 10-15 minutes.
- Once the chicken is done resting, serve immediately or store in an airtight container to use it for weekly meal preps.
Tips for the juiciest air fryer chicken breasts
- Preheat the air fryer for 3-5 minutes before cooking your chicken- By preheating the air fryer for a couple minutes, you get a nice sear on the outside of the chicken breasts!
- Check the temperature of the inside of the chicken if you’re not sure – If you have a thermometer, check the internal temperature of your chicken if you are not sure if your chicken breast are air fried properly!
- Don’t skip the resting time – This is a very important step! Letting your meat rest for 10-15 minutes will allow the meat to reabsorb and distribute the juices back in the meat evenly. If you skip this step, you might end up with dry chicken and nobody wants that!
IF YOU MADE SOMETHING FROM LIFESTYLEOFAFOODIE, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE ALL YOUR CREATIONS AND KNOW HOW EVERYTHING TURNED OUT! SO DON’T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW AND FOLLOW ALONG WITH ME ON INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, AND FACEBOOK.
More air fryer recipes you will love!
- Fail Proof Air fryer Mozzarella sticks
- Restaurant style Air Fried Brussel Sprouts with Balsamic Glaze
- The best Air Fryer Churros
- Air Fryer Broccoli Parmesan| (low calorie, low carb, healthy snack, keto)
- Air fryer frozen french fries with Spicy Ketchup
The juiciest air fryer chicken breast recipe
Cooking chicken breast in the air fryer does not have to be complicated. This fool proof recipe is gonna teach you exactly how to make the best air fried chicken breast in the world!
The juiciest air fryer chicken breast
Equipment
- An air fryer
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- First, start by placing the chicken breast in a large bowl. Sprinkle the black pepper, chilli powder, garlic powder and salt on both sides of the chicken breasts.
- Lightly drizzle the chicken breasts with olive oil and massage in the oil and spices so that the chicken is well coated with both.
- While you are preparing the chicken breasts, preheat the air fryer for 3-5 minutes at 360F.
- When the chicken breasts are ready place them in the air fryer basket and cook for 10 minutes on each side for a total of 20 minutes. Make sure to adjust your cooking time depending on the weight of the chicken breasts.
- If you have a thermometer, check the internal temperature of the chicken in the thickest part of the breast. The temperature should ready between 159°-161°. It it is less than that put the chicken back in the air fryer and let it sit in the residual heat of the air fryer machine for a couple more minutes then check again.
- Once your chicken is at the right temperature, remove it from the air fryer, place it on a cutting board and cover it with another plate or loosely cover it with foil. This will allow it to continue cooking to get up to that perfect 165°. It also allows the juices to redistribute themselves evenly. Let the chicken breast sit for 10-15 minutes.
- Once the chicken is done resting, serve immediately or store in an airtight container to use it for weekly meal preps.
Thank you so much for making it all the way down here :)! If you tried this air fryer chicken breasts recipe, let me know in the comments down below!
What spices did you use?
What did you serve your chicken with?
What was your family’s reaction when you tried it?
Tell me everything…
XOXO
Chahinez
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Dianna
Thank you so much for the tips! I have been unsuccessful all my life pretty much with chicken breast, even in my air fryer! But I followed your instructions and made my own marinade with Italian dressing, garlic and onion powder, soften butter and salt I let that marinade about an hour on the counter.. this step is incredibly important! Thanks again for sharing your chicken breast success story, it really has changed the game for me 🤣🙌
Chahinez
No problem! I’m glad everything worked out for you 😊
Tracy Hackett
This was amazing! I haven’t used my air fryer much since I purchased it but with temps in the negatives right now, grilling is not an option. I used less than the olive oil amount recommended in the recipe and the chicken was still juicy, tender and the flavor is so good!
Chahinez
Hi Tracy!
I am so glad you found this recipe helpful. Thank you for sharing that it turned out really good 🙂 It always makes my day to hear that your recipes turned out good.
Have a great day,
Chahinez
Clarissa
I have been making this recipe for a few weeks now to stay on track with my new year’s resolution and just wanted to say thank you so much for sharing it! It makes chicken so much more enjoyable.
Lifestyle of a Foodie
Hello Clarissa,
Thank you so much for sharing. I love that you’ve been able to stick to your New Year’s resolution thanks to this recipe.
Have a great day,
Chahinez
Gioia
First time to use our new Foodi 10-in-1 and I used your way of cooking the chicken. My husband wanted lemon chicken so i found a lemon sauce but I needed to know how to cook the chicken breast. I’m so glad I found your recipe! I used lemon pepper seasoning and the oil, air fried it, served it with the lemon sauce and rice. We were so happy with how the chicken itself tasted, thank you!
Lifestyle of a Foodie
Hi Gioia,
Thank you so much for leaving such a sweet and detailed review. I am absolutely ecstatic that your chicken turned out amazing. The addition of the lemon sauce sounds like it made it even better, you inspired me to make it again with a lemon sauce too… It sounds too good!
Have a great day and thank you again 🙂
Chahinez
Anna
I have never had a more juicy chicken breast! Plus the air fryer method doesn’t stink up my apartment like you said. Best recipe ever.
Lifestyle of a Foodie
Glad you enjoyed it Anna! Thank you so much for sharing.
Chahinez
Kevin
I tried this and was surprised by the results! I didn’t expect the chicken to be that juicy but it was!! Thank you so much
Lifestyle of a Foodie
Right! I’m so happy to hear this 🙂 This is the only way we make chicken anymore.
Chahinez
Colin Ungaro
I love this recipe! The only question I have is about using olive oil. The instructions that come with the Ninja Foodi cautions against using olive oil because of its low smoke level. Instead, they suggest using Canola, avocado or some other oils. I’m wondering what you’ve experienced or if this may on,y apply to grilling and not air frying? Thanks!
Chahinez
I’ve used both but I would suggest using Avocado oil, or canola oil to make sure that your air fryer stays in good shape! I didn’t read the manual at first and ended up ruining mine!
Chahinez