Easy Air Fryer Chicken Breast - Recipe Diaries (2024)

You can cook up some air fryer chicken breasts for the week and use the chicken for Air Fryer Chicken Quesadillas, Summer Cobb Salad, or DIY Weight Watchers Burrito Bowls.

Air fryers do not heat up the whole entire house like an oven does. I rarely turn on my oven anymore to make those 3 items above and the air fryer doesn't heat up your space.

Once you master basic chicken in the air fryer you can make air fryer chicken nuggets, parmesan chicken, or the Best Air Fryer Whole Chicken.

Chicken Breast - make sure the chicken breasts are even in size for proper cooking. Use an oven read thermometer for proper doneness

Seasoning - I have a few ideas on how you can season your chicken breast below but I like to use Dano's seasoning.

Olive oil for brushing on top of the chicken - or olive oil cooking spray

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

Step 1: Set your air fryer to 400 degrees.

Step 2: Slice your chicken breast in half and season your chicken breast with salt and pepper and then seasoning salt of choice. I like to use Trader Joe's Seasoning salt but again, use whatever you like or have on hand. Brush the chicken with olive oil.

Step 3: Place chicken in the air fryer basket in a single layer and set the temperature to 400 degrees. Close the basket and set the timer at 7 minutes. After 7 minutes take the chicken out and flip and cook for another 4 minutes longer. Check for temperature doneness with an instant read thermometer.

Step 4 Take the cooked chicken breast out of the air fryer and serve it whatever way you like!

See Also

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How to season chicken breasts?

There are many different ways you can flavor up this chicken. My recipe below calls for seasoning salt of choice and salt and pepper.

Some other seasonings that would be great for chicken breasts are lemon pepper seasoning, Taco Seasoning, Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel Seasoning, Trader Joe’s All Purpose Seasoning Salt, and Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute.

Seasoning Blend Spices: Onion powder, garlic powder, paprika

Chicken marinadeswill also cook in the air fryer. I'd suggest placing a sheet of parchment down before cooking so that none of the marinade drips. -Easy 3 Ingredient Chicken Marinade Recipe

Tips for Air Fryer Chicken Breast

One easy way to transform any chicken breast in the air fryer is to use a chicken brine before air frying the breasts. Find my recipe for Chicken Brine here!Chicken Brine Recipe

Use a meat thermometer to check and see if your chicken breast is properly done inside. Poke the chicken breast with a thermometer. It has to be at a temperature of 165 degrees for it to be done. Some air fryers might require longer cooking times for chicken.

Brushing your chicken with oil or using cooking spray is optional. I think spraying the chicken with oil helps with the skin drying out while cooking.

Chicken breasts arezero points on Weight Watchers if you don't add any type of oil to the chicken when cooking it in your air fryer. Prepare a few chicken breasts for the week to use on salads, pizza, casseroles, and quesadillas, or make DIY burrito bowls.

Chicken Breast Sizes and Cooking Times

Depending on the size of your chicken breast will vary for cooking times. Another good tip for making sure chicken cooks properly is to pound the breasts out so that they are all even in size. Make sure the basket isn't overcrowded with chicken either.

• Small Breasts (5 to 7 ounces): 7 to 10 minutes
• Medium Breasts (8 to 10 ounces): 10 to 12 minutes
• Large Breasts (11 ounces or more): 12 to 16 minutes

How to store leftovers?

Always store leftovers in clean, food-grade containers. The type of container doesn’t really matter. Use zip lock, glass, plastic, whatever! Make sure to store any leftovers in an airtight container before putting it in the freezer or refrigerator.

Can I put raw chicken in an air fryer?

Yes, it is safe and clean to put raw chicken in the air fryer. Use a pair of tongs to transfer the chicken into the basket if you don't want to touch the chicken.

Should I put oil on the chicken before air frying?

This is an optional step and is up to the person making the ready. I like adding oil to the chicken. It helps the chicken to be more juicy.