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Air Fryer Chicken Breast

This air fryer chicken breast recipe is the ultimate no-fuss mid-week dinner recipe. It is easy to prepare and quick to cook in the air fryer, for a simple yet satisfying dinner that’s ready in no time.

Sliced air fryer chicken breast on a blue plate.

Why you’ll love air fryer chicken breast

  • Simple prep – just season and place chicken into air fryer.
  • Quick to cook in the air fryer making it a great option for busy weeknights.
  • Easy way to meal prep versatile chicken breast for the week ahead!

A hands-off recipe for juicy chicken breast that is ready in under half and hour? That’s my kind of recipe!

Air fryer chicken breast on a plate with salad.
More air fryer chicken recipes

For some other quick and easy air fried chicken recipes try: air fryer chicken thighs, air fryer chicken tenders, air fryer chicken wings, or air fryer roast chicken.

Scroll down for the printable card for this chicken breast air fryer recipe, or read on for all the details.

What do you need?

Flat lay of the ingredients for the recipe.

Quantities are given in the recipe card below.

Chicken breast

Boneless skinless chicken breast is a great option for air frying, but you can also use skin-on if you prefer (the air fryer will get the skin really crispy).

You can also use bone-in chicken breast, however the cooking times will be longer than specified in the recipe below. Start by adding an extra five minutes, and ensure your chicken breast is cooked properly by using an instant read thermometer (more details in section below).

You can also cook frozen chicken breast in the air fryer, however the cooking times are around 1½ times longer (see air fryer frozen chicken breast for more details).

Oil

The recipe below uses light olive oil, but any cooking oil with a high smoke point will do (try avocado oil or vegetable oil).

Tip

Choose a cooking oil with a high smoke point to reduce the chance of your air fryer smoking.

Seasoning rub

For seasoning, I often use store-bought chicken spices*, but you can easily make your own. Here are some that I often use:

  • kosher salt, ground black pepper, paprika and garlic powder or onion powder
  • basil pesto – spread a teaspoonful on the top of each chicken breast
  • rosemary, thyme and a little salt if you want traditional style roasted chicken breast. This is great if you are using skin-on chicken breast.

How to cook chicken breast in the air fryer

This recipe is very simple to make, there are just a few key steps to getting it just right:

  1. Prepare the chicken breast by patting it dry, drizzling it with a little cooking oil, then adding the seasoning and tossing to coat the chicken breast evenly.
Seasoned chicken breast in a glass bowl.
  1. Preheat air fryer to 360°F/ 180°C, then place the chicken breast in the air fryer basket. If you are cooking more than one, ensure they are not touching.
Uncooked chicken breast in air fryer basket.

Note: if your air fryer is prone to sticking you may want to brush the basket with oil before you add the chicken breast.

  1. Air fry chicken breast for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. If required for your air fryer, flip the chicken breast over halfway through the cooking time (check your manual if you are unsure if this is required).
Air fried chicken breast in air fryer basket.
  1. Remove chicken breast from the air fryer, cover with kitchen foil, and leave to rest for at least 5 minutes.

How long to cook chicken breast in the air fryer

The exact cooking time for chicken breast in the air fryer depends on a few factors, including how large the chicken breast is (in particular how thick it is), and how powerful your air fryer is.

Chicken breast should be cooked until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F/ 74°C or higher in the center of the thickest part.

Expect it to take around 20 minutes, with a smaller thinner chicken breast fillet being closer to 15 minutes, and a large chicken breast needing 25 minutes or more in the air fryer to cook through.

If you are cooking bone-in chicken breast, it will take around 30 minutes to cook, with the exact cook time again depending on how large it is.

The best and safest way to tell how long to cook a chicken breast in the air fryer is to use an instant read meat thermometer to check the internal temperature.

Tip

Use an instant read thermometer to measure the temperature in the center of the thickest part of the meat for an accurate temperature reading.

Sliced air fried chicken breast on a blue plate.

Serving ideas

For a super easy light dinner, serve this air fryer chicken breast with chips and a side salad or vegetables.

Also want to air fry a side dish?

If you also want to cook side dishes in the air fryer, you can pre-cook them for part of the cooking time before the chicken, then put them back in the air fryer to finish cooking for 10 minutes while the chicken breast is resting. For more details, check out my guide on how to cook a meal in the air fryer here.

Or try this recipe to air fryer your side dish along with the chicken: Air fryer chicken breast and potatoes

Sliced air fryer chicken breast on a blue plate.

Air Fryer Chicken Breast

4.8 from 14 votes
This air fryer chicken breast recipe is the ultimate no-fuss mid-week dinner recipe. It is easy to prepare and quick to cook in the air fryer, for a simple yet satisfying dinner that's ready in no time.
Prep Time2 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time22 minutes
Serves1 serving

Ingredients

  • 1 chicken breast (boneless, skinless)
  • 1 teaspoon chicken seasoning [Note 1]
  • 2 teaspoons light olive oil

Directions

  • Preheat the air fryer to 360°F/ 180°C.
  • Pat chicken breast dry. Place in a bowl, drizzle with oil, add the seasoning, then toss to coat.
  • Place chicken breast in air fryer basket. If cooking more than one, ensure they are not touching.
  • Air fry chicken breast for 20-25 minutes at 360°F/ 180°C until it has reached at least 165°F/ 74°C in the center of the thickest part [Note 2]. Note: Flip the chicken breast half-way through the cooking time if required for your air fryer.
  • When the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the air fryer and rest covered with foil for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

  1. For a simple homemade mix try: ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
  2. Check temperature with an instant-read thermometer. The cooking time will depend on how thick the chicken breast is, and will also vary depending on the type of air fryer you have.

Nutrition

Serving: 1  Calories: 458kcal  Carbohydrates: 1g  Protein: 70g  Fat: 17g  Saturated Fat: 4g  Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g  Cholesterol: 193mg  Sodium: 168mg

Nutrition information is an estimate and provided for informational purposes only.

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