Air fryer chicken breast has become a weeknight staple for us! We've found it gives the best result with the most tender and juicy chicken. It's also really quick, taking only around 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of your chicken - perfect timing for cooking some vegetables to serve with it!
Cooking chicken breast in a skillet is difficult because they go from undercooked to overcooked very quickly - for this reason many restaurants will sear them and then finish in the oven. This gives a great result but makes more mess and it always feels wasteful to use an oven for cooking a couple of chicken breasts!
Don't have an air fryer? This chicken breast can be cooked in a skillet, but I suggest finishing it in the oven to prevent it from drying out.
Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Breast ingredients
- Chicken breast - skinless; use the best quality chicken you can afford. Try to get smaller breasts around 200g (7 oz) each. If you get ones that are too thick, slice them in halves lengthways to make them thinner.
- Oil - I use olive oil, but use whatever oil you prefer.
- Spice rub made from:
- Salt
- Paprika
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Black pepper
How to make Air Fryer Chicken Breast
Check out the recipe card further down the post for comprehensive instructions.
- Add all the spices to a bowl and stir to combine.
- Flatten the chicken - use a meat mallet or something heavy like a pot or skillet.
- Spread oil on the chicken.
- Season the chicken.
- Cook chicken.
Tips
- Don't crowd your air fryer - they work by circulating air at a fast speed. If you need to cook more chicken than can fit in your fryer, do it in batches. Keep it warm in your oven set to around 75C (170F) while you cook the rest of the chicken.
- Use a meat thermometer for the best result - chicken breast is cooked when it reaches 74C (165F) in the thickest part.
- Let the chicken rest before slicing - 3 to 5 minutes is all it needs. This prevents the juices from running out when you cut into it.
- Add a pinch of sugar to the top of the chicken - it shouldn't taste sweet, but it will accentuate the taste of the spice mix.
- Try to purchase chicken breasts around 200g (7 oz) each - if you buy a large one, it will be thick, so slice it in halves lengthways to make it into two thinner breasts.
- You can make a large batch of the spice rub and store it in a snap lock bag to cut your prep time if you make this often.
What to serve with Air Fryer Chicken Breast
During the warmer months, I like to have air fryer chicken breast with a side salad. Some that you could try are:
- Mixed leaf salad with Manchego cheese, pomegranate and honey mustard dressing
- Cucumber, herb & pomegranate salad
- Spanish salad "Pipirrana"
- Greek Village Salad "Horiatiki"
- Greek Cabbage Salad "Lahanosalata"
- Garden salad
During the cooler months, I have warm vegetables. Some serving suggestions are:
- Broccolini
- Green beans
- Mashed or boiled potatoes, or if you want to go a bit fancier:
- Peas
- Carrots
The importance of flattening your chicken
It's important to flatten your chicken breast out, for a few reasons:
Even cooking - chicken breasts can vary in thickness, which can result in uneven cooking. Flattening them ensures that they cook evenly, reducing the risk of one part being overcooked while another remains undercooked. If using a thick breast, there is a good chance that the exterior will be burnt before the interior is completely cooked through.
Faster cooking - flattened chicken breasts cook more quickly than whole, thick ones. This can be particularly beneficial when you're short on time or cooking for a large group.
Increased Tenderness - pounding the chicken breast breaks down some of the muscle fibre, making the meat more tender.
To flatten your chicken breast
Cover the chicken breast with plastic wrap or baking/parchment paper. Use a meat mallet or a heavy pot or skillet to gently pound the chicken until it’s an even thickness.
Add your own touch
- Try using different flavours in your spice rub, such as: oregano, thyme and rosemary.
- Swap the spice rub out for your favourite jarred curry paste or seasoning blend/rub.
- Za'atar works really well as a replacement spice rub - try my Homemade Za'atar spice blend
- Using a flavoured oil, such as a chilli or rosemary adds a great background flavour.
Airfryer Chicken Breast
| Prep | Cook | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 5 mins | 12 mins | 17 mins |
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2x 200g (7 oz) chicken breasts see note 1
- 2 tsp olive oil or whichever oil you prefer, see note 2
- Mix spices in a small bowl.
- Flatten the chicken - cover chicken with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Use a heavy pot, meat mallet, or rolling pin to flatten the chicken evenly.
- Oil and season chicken - place the chicken on a board and drizzle a small amount of oil on the top of both bits of chicken. Add a quarter of the spice rub to the top of both chicken breasts and rub in with your hands. Rotate and repeat on the other side.
- Cook chicken in your air fryer at 190C (375F). Cooking will take around 10-12 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken breast - flip the chicken half way through cooking.
- Rest - allow the chicken to rest 3-5 minutes before slicing to keep it juicy.
- Serve with a salad or steamed vegetables.
- Chicken breast - use small chicken breasts here, around 200g (7 oz) each. If you buy larger breasts which can be as much as around 400g (14 oz), I suggest halving lengthways so that they cook faster.
- Oil - I like to use a mild chilli olive oil, which adds a little background hum. Use whichever oil you prefer, you only need a small amount to help the spice rub stick.
- Spice rub alternatives - if you'd prefer, you can substitute the spice rub I've given with your favourite seasoning mix or a curry paste.
- Spice rub quantity - makes a generous amount for 2x 200g breasts. It's better to have too much than not enough 🙂. Any leftover spice rub can be stored in a snap log bag - use it on more chicken or as a seasoning for steamed vegetables.
- Sugar - you can add a pinch of sugar to the top of the chicken once it's cooked - it shouldn't taste sweet, but it will accentuate the taste of the spice mix.
