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Air Fryer Chicken Breast

This Air Fryer Chicken Breast recipe produces juicy, tender breasts. You can use boneless or bone-in breast along with fresh or frozen meat. These are ready in no time! You won’t miss baked or grilled chicken.

air fryer chicken breast on a blue plate with broccoli and lemons
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Making chicken breast in the air fryer is so simple! You pretty much season it, drop it in and let the machine do the work. It comes as no surprise chicken is my favorite thing to whip up. You may also enjoy my Air Fryer Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Air Fryer Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs and Air Fryer Fried Chicken Wings recipes.

This recipe is so delectable, you probably won’t miss grilled chicken! You can essentially grill chicken right in your kitchen using the air fryer.

What Type of Chicken to Use

I love to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. They are easy to cook and versatile to use. You can eat them as the star of the main dish or slice them up and toss them on salads or in soups. You can also use bone-in chicken if preferred.

raw chicken breasts on a cutting board and lemon garlic marinade with seasoning in a glass bowl

Do You Have to Marinate the Chicken?

Marinating the chicken is optional, but preferred when cooking something like chicken breasts. Chicken breasts are drier than other cuts of chicken because they have very little fat. A liquid marinade will tenderize the meat and keep it juicy.

How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Breasts

Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

  1. Season the chicken breasts.
  2. Place the chicken breasts in the air fryer.
  3. Air fry.
raw chicken breasts on a cutting board

Air Fryer Temperature

I like to use 360 degrees.

raw chicken breasts in an air fryer

Cook Time/How Long to Cook

Cook time will vary based on the size of your chicken breasts. The average cook time is around 15 minutes. The exact time will vary for each air fryer brand. Cook the chicken until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Use a meat thermometer.

cooked chicken breasts in an air fryer

How to Cook Bone-In Chicken Breasts

Bone-in chicken breasts will usually need an additional few minutes. Be sure to cook the chicken at the same temperature and until the breasts reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

air fryer chicken breast on a blue plate with broccoli and lemons

Can You Stack the Chicken?

I don’t like to stack any chicken in the air fryer. It results in longer cook times and it makes it difficult for the food to cook evenly. Cook in batches if necessary.

air fryer chicken breast on a blue plate with broccoli and lemons

How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts

Frozen chicken breasts will need 24-28 minutes to cook. Once the chicken has melted some, you can add the seasonings and return it to the air fryer.

Additional Spices and Ideas for How to Season the Chicken

These chicken breasts can be seasoned and marinated in so many ways.

air fryer chicken breast on a blue plate with broccoli and lemons

Pair With These Recipes

Bow Tie Pasta Salad
Southwest Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing
Crispy Fried Chicken Salad
Green Goddess Cobb Salad
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Oven Baked Roasted Corn on the Cob

Popular Air Fryer Recipes

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Air Fryer Kale Chips
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Love your air fryer? Check out a full list of Air Fryer Recipes here.

air fryer chicken breast on a blue plate with broccoli and lemons
Print Pin
5 from 11 votes

Air Fryer Chicken Breast (Tender, Juicy, No Breading)

This Air Fryer Chicken Breast recipe produces juicy, tender breasts. You can use boneless or bone-in breast along with fresh or frozen meat. These are ready in no time! You won't miss baked or grilled chicken.
Save this recipe here.
Course dinnner, lunch
Cuisine American
Keyword air fryer chicken, air fryer chicken breast
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 3
Calories 310kcal

Ingredients

Optional

  • 3 tablespoons chicken marinade I use Tessamae's Organic Lemon Garlic.

Instructions

  • If using a liquid marinade, coat the chicken in the marinade on both sides. Season the chicken with the spices.
  • You can marinate the chicken 30 minutes to overnight, but it's not required. Marinating typically results in juicier chicken.
  • Place the chicken breasts in the air fryer basket. Do not stack the chicken. Cook in batches if needed.
  • Cook for 10 minutes on 360 degrees.
  • Open the air fryer and flip the chicken. Cook for an additional 5-8 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Each air fryer brand will cook at a different rate and speed. Use a meat thermometer to test.
  • Cool before serving.

Video

Notes

You can create your own lemon garlic marinade using 1/2 fresh lemon and 2-3 minced garlic cloves.
Feel free to season the chicken as you wish or with your favorite chicken rub.
Recipe Tools Used in this RecipeAs an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition (displayed with net carbs)

Serving: 0.5pound | Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 18g
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Nutrition DataMacros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
5 from 11 votes
Recipe Rating




Zana

Wednesday 13th of April 2022

Prepped for lunch all week with broccoli! Super quick and easy instructions to follow. I hate cooking, but your recipes make it less tedious.

staysnatched

Friday 15th of April 2022

Glad to hear it.

Stefanie Parker

Saturday 7th of August 2021

Great recipe! The section on cooking the chicken breast from frozen was a life saver this week when I forgot to meal prep.

staysnatched

Thursday 12th of August 2021

Wonderful! I'm glad it worked out.

Dee Alexander

Wednesday 3rd of February 2021

I made this for lunch and it was ๐Ÿ”ฅ. I actually cooked 2 of these for my work week at 1 time in my air fryer. Brandi sure knows how to make her recipes easy to follow, which I love. You can have enough food for the week. Thatโ€™s a bonus for me being a full-time employee/full-time student. Iโ€™m also a bit challenged in the cooking department, but with Brandiโ€™s recipes I actually look like I know what Iโ€™m doing when it is time to eat/cook ๐Ÿ˜‚. You need to try this recipe if you havenโ€™t already. What are you doing? GO. MAKE. IT. NOW! Run, donโ€™t walk.

staysnatched

Wednesday 3rd of February 2021

ha ha love it! So glad you enjoyed the recipe.

Giselle Hernandez

Thursday 21st of January 2021

Never want to cook chicken not in the air fryer! This was so quick, easy, and best of all DELICIOUS! I did mine with fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

I hate meal prepping and always make my lunch the night before. This recipe is perfect to make at night after a long day!

staysnatched

Thursday 21st of January 2021

Yay! I'm glad you found it easy!

Jovan

Monday 11th of January 2021

Perfect chicken for meal prep! This makes a super tasty chicken you can put on just about anything! Salad, pasta, sandwiches, etc. Everyone loved it!

staysnatched

Wednesday 13th of January 2021

Wonderful! I love this recipe for that exact reason!