Air Fryer Chicken Breast

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this air fryer chicken breast recipe:

• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts: This recipe calls for two chicken breasts to serve four people. You can cook more or less chicken by scaling the recipe up or down. If you are cooking more than two breasts, you may need to cook the chicken in batches if it won’t fit in a single layer in your air fryer.
• Olive Oil: Rubbing the chicken breasts with olive oil helps the seasonings to stick.
• Brown Sugar: I include brown sugar in the seasoning rub for the chicken because it caramelizes as the chicken cooks, helping to keep the outside of the chicken moist. It also adds a hint of sweetness, which is delicious counterpart to the savory spices in the rub. If you prefer a no sugar recipe, you can omit the brown sugar. In this case, you may want to double the paprika for additional flavor.
• Chicken Rub: The remaining ingredients in the chicken seasoning rub are paprika, dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. 

How Long to Cook Chicken Breast in an Air Fryer

How long to cook chicken breasts in the air fryer can depend on a number of factors, including the weight and thickness of the chicken breasts, the cooking temperature, and which air fryer you use. I air fry chicken breasts at 400° F because a higher cooking temperature helps to sear the outside of the chicken, sealing in the juices. 

Flipping the chicken over halfway through the cook time helps it to cook evenly. In my air fryer, chicken breasts usually take 13-20 minutes total to cook, depending on their size. If your chicken breasts are very small (less than 8 ounces each), they may cook faster than 13 minutes. Chicken is done when the internal temperature registers 165° F on an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast.

Cooking Frozen Chicken in the Air Fryer

If your chicken breasts are frozen, you do not need to thaw them before cooking in the air fryer. Just be sure that the chicken is frozen as individual breasts, rather than more than one breast frozen together in a large mass.

You won’t be able to pound frozen chicken to tenderize it and make it an even thickness, so it won’t cook quite as evenly or turn out quite as juicy, but it will still be flavorful. Brush the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle on the seasonings. Add about 5 minutes to the cook time, using an instant read thermometer to check that the chicken reaches 165° F for food safety.

Serving Suggestions

We love to serve this air fryer chicken breast with healthy vegetable side dishes such as Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Sweet Potatoes or Sautéed Zucchini. It’s also delicious served with Potato Salad or Air Fryer Potatoes.

The chicken is also perfect for slicing or chopping and adding to salads, sandwiches, wraps and casseroles. Try it in a Cobb Salad, or add it to this Southwest Quinoa Salad or Orzo Salad.

Storage and Meal Prep

You can cook these chicken breasts ahead of time to make prepping meals easier later on.

• Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Freezer: Once cool, slice or chop (if desired) and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
• To Reheat: You can reheat cooked chicken breasts in the air fryer at 350° F for about 5 minutes. Preheat the air fryer before adding the chicken. Or, reheat gently in the microwave or oven. To keep the chicken moist when heating in the oven or microwave, add a tiny splash of water to the dish with the chicken and cover to trap in the moisture while reheating.