This air fryer chicken breast is quick and simple to make and always comes out perfectly moist and juicy. This recipe is easy to scale up for more people.
The best way to avoid drying out the chicken is to slice it first, so it cooks quicker. Then add a little bit of oil before air frying. Make sure you don't air fry it too long - you want it to be thoroughly heated to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), but not more than that.
Cooking in an air fryer is not actually frying. An air fryer is simply a countertop convection oven that has a fan that circulates hot air quickly and evenly around food. The tornado of fast-flowing air blows through the perforated basket, browning and cooking the food quickly and evenly.
It's fast: Compared to an oven, chicken cooks quite efficiently in the air fryer. Typically, you'll shave off about 30 percent to 40 percent of the cooking time by using an air fryer. Again, this is thanks to its compact size, which allows hot air to circulate more rapidly.
First, there is a health benefit to air frying over deep frying or pan frying. While I do recommend very lightly spraying the fried chicken with oil before and during air frying, you don't submerge the pieces entirely in oil, and as a result, they undoubtedly absorb less oil in the process.
It can cut roasted chicken cooking time by 15 to 20%. The skin comes out super crispy, and with the nonstick basket, cleanup is a breeze. Air fryer chicken is one of the easiest and most satisfying recipes I've made lately.
Foil is safe to use in an air fryer so long as you follow three basic rules: never let foil touch the heating element; make sure the foil is weighted so it doesn't blow around the basket; and avoid contact with acidic ingredients, which can cause the foil to leach onto your food.
Cook at 360° for 9 minutes. Then flip the chicken breast over and cook for another 9 minutes. Larger chicken breasts need more cook time, and smaller ones need less time. Open the air fryer immediately so it doesn't continue cooking in the heat.
Brine. Like a marinade, a brine helps chicken breast soak up as much moisture as possible before cooking. It only requires three ingredients: water, salt, and a pinch of sugar.
I really cannot overstate this. If your air fryer chicken breast is dry, it is mostly likely because you overcooked it. Use an inexpensive instant read thermometer to check for doneness. Chicken is considered cooked at 165 degrees F.
It depends on your air fryer temperature and how thick your chicken breasts are. I like to cook my chicken breasts for a shorter time at a higher temperature, so I opt for 400 degrees F for a cook time of 10-15 minutes.
Air frying chicken can become rubbery in an air fryer due to overcooking, high cooking temperatures, lack of moisture, and thin slices.
Once the chicken breasts are cooked, remove them promptly from the air fryer to stop the cooking process. This will help prevent the chicken breast from overcooking and drying out. Allow the chicken breasts to rest for 5 minutes on a cutting board before slicing and serving.
Heating Instructions. Preheat air fryer to 360°F. Place frozen chicken pieces in basket in a single layer. Air fry for 17 minutes.
A slice of bread in the bottom of your air fryer can help collect grease without making a mess.
It's also a more sustainable option than lining your air fryer with aluminum foil. Lining your air fryer basket with a round of parchment paper is the perfect way to keep your air fryer squeaky clean and slash the time it takes to clean up. It just got a whole lot easier to make air fryer chicken drumsticks!
The biggest issue is moisture. An air fryer's fast-moving convection heat can cause meat and certain vegetables to dry out. Leafy greens, lean meats and certain seafoods, for instance, are no longer welcome in my air fryer.
Which is better between air frying vs. oven baking? Air-frying is a healthier alternative to deep-fried foods, but oven-baking often preserves good nutrients while filtering out the bad ones, making oven-baked foods even healthier than most air-fried foods.
Chicken breasts should be cooked to 160°F, but if you cook them all the way to that temperature in the air fryer, carryover cooking will take them beyond that temp and cause them to dry out. Stop the cooking five degrees sooner and let carryover cooking do the rest.
Air fry the chicken at 415 degrees for 10 minutes. If you have larger pieces of chicken, you'll want to go closer to 13 minutes. You're looking for an internal temperature of 165 degrees. You're done!
While you may have been using Pam in your air fryer for years, the brand's newest addition is formulated specifically for the convenient countertop cooker. Pam Air Fryer nonstick cooking spray's formula has been updated for easier air fryer cleaning and won't negatively affect your air fryer's nonstick coating.
If you're using a recipe, stick to the instructions. For general chicken breast baking times, follow these ranges: 20 to 30 minutes for large boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked in a 375 degrees F oven. 35 to 40 minutes for large bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts cooked in a 375 degrees F oven.
Place chicken in the basket of the air fryer breast side down; cook, undisturbed, for 45 minutes. Carefully flip the chicken over using tongs; cook until an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 20 minutes. Remove chicken to a cutting board; let rest for 10 minutes.