With crispy, golden-brown skin, and juicy, tender meat, this recipe for chicken breast roasted in the air fryer has all the satisfaction of a traditional roast chicken but without the effort! Perfect for quick dinners and meal prepping, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it!
Classic roast chicken in a fraction of the time
This air fryer roast chicken breast recipe has quickly become one of my favorites. It has all the flavour of a classic roast chicken, without the fuss of cooking a whole chicken. Season, air fry, done – it’s that easy! The chicken comes out tender and juicy every time, perfect for slicing and adding to my favorite dishes.
Bonus: It’s also great for meal-prepping – I like to cook a double batch, and then have delicious chicken ready to go for salads and sandwiches for the next couple of days.
What do you need?
- Skin on chicken breast – Using skin-on chicken breast helps keep the chicken moist during cooking, and is essential for the traditional roast chicken flavour.
- Oil – I use light olive oil which has a high smoke point, making it ideal for air frying. You can substitute another similar cooking oil such as avocado oil or vegetable oil.
- Seasoning – I usually use simple salt and pepper to season this recipe, but please feel free to add other herbs and seasonings to suit your taste preferences. Rosemary and thyme are excellent choices for a traditional roast chicken flavor profile.
Let’s roast this chicken breast in the air fryer!
1
Preheat.
Preheat the air fryer to 200°C/ 400°F. If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheat mode, just set it to air fry for 3-4 minutes.
2
Season.
Pat the chicken dry, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Rub the oil and seasonings over the chicken breast and making sure it is rubbed well into the skin.
3
Sear.
Pop the chicken breasts into the air fryer, making sure they are not touching, and cook for 5 minutes at 200°C/ 400°F. This sears the outside and helps to get the skin really crispy.
4
Roast.
Then turn the temperature down to 180°C/ 360°F and continue roasting until they are cooked through.
Serving ideas
- Serve with roasted vegetables and gravy for a classic roast dinner
- Slice and serve on top of a fresh green salad with your favorite dressing
- Serve on a bed of mashed potatoes and your favorite steamed or sautéed vegetables
- Slice and toss into a creamy pasta dish, such as fettuccine alfredo or chicken pesto pasta
Air Fryer Roast Chicken Breast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large skin-on chicken breasts boneless, ~300g/ 10oz each
- 1 tablespoon light olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F/ 200°C.
- Pat chicken breast dry, then drizzle with oil and season well with salt and pepper. Rub the oil and seasoning into the chicken skin.
- Place chicken breasts in the air fryer basket, making sure they are not touching.
- Roast the chicken breast for 5 minutes at 200°C/ 400°F, then turn the temperature down to 180°C/ 360°F and continue to air fry for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through [Note 1].
- When the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the air fryer and rest covered with foil for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Check temperature with an instant-read thermometer to ensure the chicken has reached 74°C/ 165°F or higher all the way through. 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
Nutrition information is an estimate and provided for informational purposes only.
