This air fryer chicken breast recipe is an easy and flavorful chicken dinner to make for the family on any day of the week! The boneless skinless chicken breasts are seasoned with a simple dry brine and then cooked to tender, juicy perfection. This is a quick and easy recipe for a practically effortless meal!
Easy Air Fryer Chicken Breasts
I love easy family dinners that I can make in the air fryer on busy weeknights! With a simple dry brine, these chicken breasts turn out tender and juicy every time.
Season the chicken breasts with garlic powder, paprika, salt & pepper, and onion powder at least 40 minutes prior to the time you need to cook. You could even season them the night before and then pop them in the air fryer for less than 15 minutes!
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If you are looking for more delicious chicken breast dinner ideas, take a look at my article full of chicken breast recipes!
🥘 Air Fryer Chicken Breast Ingredients, Notes, & Substitutes
This air fryer chicken recipe is really simple! All you need is some chicken breasts and a few seasonings (that you most likely already have).
- Chicken Breasts - 1 pound of chicken breasts (approximately 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts).
- Paprika- 1 teaspoon of paprika, smoked paprika (for a smoky flavor), or a paprika substitute!
- Salt & Pepper - ½ teaspoon of each of salt & pepper (to taste).
- Garlic Powder - ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Onion Powder - ½ teaspoon of onion powder or an onion powder substitute.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Air Fryer Chicken Breast
All you need to do is brine the kitchen and let the air fryer take over! You will need an air fryer (basket style), a cutting board, measuring spoons, and kitchen tongs.
This recipe will make 2 chicken breasts. If you need to serve a larger amount, you can easily work in batches to cook more chicken breasts!
Step 1: Prep. Prepare the 1 pound (452 grams) of chicken breasts by placing them on a cutting board and wrapping them with a large piece of plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet or a rolling bin to pound the chicken breasts until they are even in thickness.
Step 2: Dry brine. Place the chicken breasts on a plate and season them with ½ teaspoon (3 grams) of both salt & pepper, ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) of garlic powder, ½ teaspoon (1 gram) of onion powder, and 1 teaspoon (2 grams) of paprika as a dry brine. Place the plate into your refrigerator uncovered for at least 40 minutes or up to 24 hours.
Step 3: Cook. When you are ready to cook, let the chicken breasts set at room temperature for 15 minutes to take the chill off. Place them smooth side down in the air fryer basket and cook at 380°F (195°C) for 6 minutes. Use kitchen tongs to flip over and cook for another 6-8 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C).
Step 4: Serve. Remove the chicken breasts from the air fryer and transfer them to a plate. Cover with a square of aluminum foil and rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
🍽️ What To Serve With Air Fryer Chicken Breast
Serve these chicken breasts with your favorite chicken side dishes like sauteed green beans or mac and cheese. For more side dish recipes, check out my post on what to serve with chicken!
See my full list of tasty side dishes to serve with chicken right here! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- If you decide that you would like to skip the dry brine (though I highly recommend it), you can coat the chicken breasts with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large mixing bowl and season evenly on both sides. Dry brining will season the breasts all of the way through which results in the juiciest chicken and best-tasting results.
- To ensure that the internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C), I recommend using a meat thermometer if you have one. Check out my article on chicken internal temperatures for more information.
- You could also leave the chicken breasts in the air fryer basket to rest if you'd like; just be aware that there will be a lot of juices from the chicken. *Note that this continues cooking the chicken a lot more than the 5°F you would normally see in carryover cooking while resting any cooked meat.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Place any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing Chicken Breasts
Wrap your leftover chicken with plastic wrap and place the chicken in a freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer storage bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3 months.
Reheating Chicken Breasts
You can use your microwave and heat the chicken until it is warmed to your liking. But for the best results, return the chicken breasts to the air fryer at 380°F (195°C) for 5 minutes or until heated through.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! You can cook any raw meat in the air fryer and it's perfectly safe. Make sure to use a kitchen thermometer to check the internal temperature and that your chicken is fully cooked through.
It really depends on the size of the chicken breasts. Also, every air fryer will vary. If your chicken breasts are smaller, cook them at 380°F (195°C) for 7-10 minutes. Medium chicken breasts should be cooked for 10-12 minutes, and large chicken breasts for 12-16 minutes. When they reach an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C) you can rest them and serve.
If your chicken breasts are dry, I would suggest to not skip the dry brine step. The dry brine really helps keep the chicken breasts juicy and tender!
😋 More Tasty Chicken Recipes
- Ritz Chicken - This easy recipe features chicken breasts covered with a seasoned Ritz cracker mixture!
- Air Fry Whole Chicken - Cook a whole chicken in the air fryer for the most tender, juicy, and delicious chicken!
- Chicken Divan Casserole - This delicious casserole is made with shredded chicken, broccoli, cheese, and rice!
- Chicken Snitzel - My homemade chicken schnitzel is the perfect comfort food for any weeknight!
- Roasted Sasso Chicken - If you've never tried a Sasso chicken, it's incredibly moist and loaded with rich flavor!
- Grilled Boneless Thighs - These boneless thighs are marinated with a teriyaki marinade and only take 15 minutes on the grill!
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📖 Recipe Card
Air Fryer Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts (approximately 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken breasts by placing them on a cutting board and wrapping them with a large piece of plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet or a rolling bin to pound the chicken breasts until they are even in thickness.
- Place the chicken breasts on a plate and season them with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika as a dry brine. Place the plate into your refrigerator uncovered for at least 40 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- When you are ready to cook, let the chicken breasts set at room temperature for 15 minutes to take the chill off. Place them smooth side down in the air fryer basket and cook at 380°F (195°C) for 6 minutes. Use kitchen tongs to flip over and cook for another 6-8 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C).
- Remove the chicken breasts from the air fryer and transfer them to a plate. Cover with a square of aluminum foil and rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- If you decide that you would like to skip the dry brine (though I highly recommend it), you can coat the chicken breasts with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large mixing bowl and season evenly on both sides. Dry brining will season the breasts all of the way through which results in the juiciest chicken and best-tasting results.
- To ensure that the internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C), I recommend using a meat thermometer if you have one. Check out my article on chicken internal temperatures for more information.
- You could also leave the chicken breasts in the air fryer basket to rest if you'd like, just be aware that there will be a lot of juices from the chicken. *Note that this continues cooking the chicken a lot more than the 5°F you would normally see in carryover cooking during resting any cooked meat.
- To store: Place any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To freeze: Wrap your leftover chicken with plastic wrap and place the chicken in a freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer storage bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3 months.
- To reheat: Use your microwave and heat the chicken until it is warmed to your liking. You can also return the chicken breasts to the air fryer to rewarm them too.
Tim White says
Perfect instructions, I used a temperature probe to verify they were done and it was perfect! Super juicy and delicious.
Anonymous says
Ail et oignonen poudre (Garlic and onion powder)