Chicken breast recipes for dinner air fryer

Air Fryer Chicken Breast – A simple method for how to make 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. 

Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Breast recipe that results in the most delicious and tender chicken thanks to this one secret tip ➡️ BRINING! 

Brining creates the most succulent chicken breast with very little effort. Chicken breasts dry out quickly, but with the help of Brining AND the use of an Air Fryer, this recipe is a foolproof way to get amazingly moist chicken breasts each and every time. 

The quick cook time helps with keeping the chicken nice and tender, while the brine ensures juiciness and tons of flavor. 

This recipe for Air Fryer Chicken Breasts is an easy and quick way to prepare chicken for a delicious weeknight dinner, or to use in salads and sandwiches throughout the week.

Don’t care for the Air Fryer? Grab my very popular recipe for OVEN BAKED CHICKEN BREASTS.

HOW TO MAKE AIR FRYER CHICKEN BREAST

…that’s also juicy, and delicious, WITHOUT breading, and never EVER DRY! 🗣

WELL, the simple method goes a little like this;

• brine
• rub
• cook
• rest

MAKE BRINE SOLUTION by adding 1/4 cup salt to 4 cups warm water. 

Add chicken breasts to the salted water and let sit in there for 20 minutes. You can brine the chicken breasts for longer – up to 6 hours in the fridge, covered, but if breasts are too thin, they may start to get mushy after a few hours in brine. 

• If chicken is FROZEN, brine for up to 2 hours, or until completely thawed.

Remove chicken from brine solution; rinse under water and pat the chicken dry. 

HOW TO SEASON CHICKEN BREASTS

• Next, lightly grease chicken breasts with cooking spray. 
• Then, in a small bowl combine a LITTLE bit of salt, fresh ground pepper, garlic powder, sweet paprika, and dried oregano, or any other dried herbs that you have on hand. You can also just use your favorite seasoning/s.  
• Rub the chicken breasts with the prepared seasoning mix. 

HOW TO COOK CHICKEN BREASTS IN THE AIR FRYER

• In this recipe you don’t have to preheat the Air Fryer. Just place 2 to 3 chicken breasts in the air fryer basket and cook at 375˚F for 10 minutes; flip the chicken over and cook for an additional 5 to 6 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
• Chicken breasts are done when internal temperature reaches 165˚F. Please use an instant read thermometer to check for doneness. 
• Remove chicken breasts from Air Fryer Basket and let rest on a cutting board for 8 to 10 minutes before serving.

The one drawback to an Air Fryer is that you can only cook a few chicken breasts at a time. Up to 3 chicken breasts – depending on their size – is the most I will use in my Air Fryer because there needs to be enough space between the chicken breasts so that they will cook evenly. 

CAN YOU COOK FROZEN CHICKEN  IN AN AIR FRYER

YES.

• Preheat Air Fryer to 390˚F.
• Season chicken breasts and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping over halfway through cooking. Chicken is done when internal temperature reaches 165˚F.

CAN YOU STACK CHICKEN IN AN AIR FRYER

NO. Do not overcrowd the Air Fryer. 

Air Fryer baskets are small and there’s enough room to only fit about two servings of chicken, and maybe four servings of a veggie side dish. However, Air Fryer cooking is faster than roasting so try cooking the chicken breasts in batches.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH AIR FRYER CHICKEN BREAST

• Oven Roasted Asparagus
• Easy Oven Roasted Vegetables
• Tomato Avocado Corn Salad
• Maple Mustard Roasted Potatoes
• Honey Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots
• Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower
• Creamed Spinach

ENJOY!

TOOLS USED IN THIS RECIPE

COSORI Air Fryer, MAX XL 5.8-Quart,1700-Watt Electric Hot Air Fryers Oven &...

Air Fryer Parchment Paper Liners（8.7"×8.7"） 100Pcs Compatible with XL...

Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowl Set (3-Piece)

Hotec Premium Stainless Steel Locking Kitchen Tongs with Silicon Tips, Set of...

Air Fryer Chicken Breast

A simple method for how to make 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. 

4.96 from 24 votes

Rate this Recipe!

Servings : 4 servings

Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved!

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 18 mins

Resting Time 10 mins

Total Time 35 mins

Ingredients  1x2x3x

• ▢4 cups warm water
• ▢1/4 cup kosher salt
• ▢4 (4-ounces each) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ▢olive oil cooking spray, you can also use butter cooking spray, OR avocado oil spray
• ▢1/4 teaspoon salt, OPTIONAL - keep in mind that the chicken will have absorbed some of the salt from the salted water.
• ▢fresh ground pepper, to taste
• ▢3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• ▢1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, or any other dried herbs that you want to use

Instructions 

• Place chicken breasts in a large bowl.

• In a measuring cup or a mixing bowl combine warm water and salt; stir, then pour over 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 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 seasoning blend evenly over the chicken breasts and rub in on all sides.

• Place 2 to 3 chicken breasts in the Air Fryer basket. Make sure that there's enough space between the breasts to ensure even cooking.

• Cook at 375˚F for 10 minutes.

• Using tongs, flip chicken over and continue to cook for 5 to 6 more minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

• Please use an instant read thermometer to check for doneness. Chicken is cooked through when internal temperature reaches 165˚F.

• Remove chicken breasts from Air Fryer basket and let rest on a cutting board for 8 to 10 minutes before serving.

Equipment

• Air Fryer

Notes

• Air fryers and cook times may vary depending on the size of the chicken breasts.
• Always use an Instant Read Thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked all the way through.
• DO NOT OVERCROWD 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.

WW FREESTYLE POINTS: Zero

Nutrition

Serving: 1 chicken breast | Calories: 133 kcal | Carbohydrates: 1 g | Protein: 24 g | Fat: 3 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 73 mg | Sodium: 277 mg | Potassium: 420 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 1 g | Vitamin A: 157 IU | Vitamin C: 1 mg | Calcium: 10 mg | Iron: 1 mg | Net Carbs: 0 g

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.

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer chicken breasts, baked chicken breasts, brine solution, chicken breasts, healthy chicken, healthy dinner idea, keto chicken recipes, low carb chicken

Can you put raw chicken in an air fryer?

How long does it take to cook chicken breast in an air fryer?

What Cannot be cooked in Airfryer?

How to cook skinless chicken breast without drying it out?