Air Fryer Chicken Breast

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Air Fryer Chicken Breast is an easy meal with impressive flavor. The chicken pairs well with all your favorite side dishes or makes a delicious salad topper. All you need for this air fryer chicken recipe is boneless skinless chicken breasts, olive oil, and spices. The combination of garlic, paprika, and oregano is flavorful and satisfyingly savory but not too bold.

Air fryer recipes are a simple way to prepare foods quickly in a way that locks in moisture and flavor. Pounding the chicken into an even thickness is the secret to this foolproof recipe, resulting in perfect air-fried chicken every time. Cooking chicken in the air fryer is faster than baking and doesn’t add lots of oil like traditional frying- a win-win! For more delicious air fryer chicken recipes, try my air fryer chicken parmesan, air fryer chicken wings, or air fryer chicken tenders.

What You Need to Make This Recipe

Ingredients needed to make air fryer chicken breast.

Chicken Breasts – boneless skinless chicken breasts work best for this recipe. Most air fryer baskets will hold two medium to large-sized chicken breasts. Pound each breast into an even thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.

Oil – olive oil is rubbed on each piece of chicken to help the spices adhere and promote browning while cooking. Another neutral flavored oil such as avocado oil or vegetable oil can be substituted.

Spices – a blend of garlic powder, salt, pepper, dried oregano, and paprika provide an aromatic and colorful flavor. You can add or substitute thyme, basil, Italian seasoning, onion powder, or other herbs and spices as desired.

How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Breast

Set of two photos showing seasoning mixed in a bowl and chicken flatted with a mallet.

1. In a small bowl, stir together the garlic powder, salt, oregano, black pepper, and paprika.

2. Lightly pound the chicken breast to even the thickness of each.

Set of two photos showing olive oil and seasoning added to the chicken.

3. Rub the olive oil all over the chicken.

4. Sprinkle the seasoning all over the chicken, pressing it to help the spices adhere to the chicken.

Set of two photos showing chicken added to the air fryer and then flipped.

5. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Place the chicken in the air fryer basket, smooth side down, and cook for 8 minutes.

6. Flip the chicken breasts and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, about 6 to 8 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken pieces. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

A plate with two air fryer chicken breasts, one breast sliced. Plate of broccoli in the background.

Pro Tips For Making This Recipe

Pound the chicken to an even thickness. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound the chicken until it reaches an even thickness. This will help the chicken cook and brown evenly for juicy chicken breast that isn’t too tough or dry.
Pat the chicken dry. Before pounding, use paper towels to pat the chicken dry and remove any excess liquid. The oil will spread on more smoothly, helping the spices to better adhere to the oil.
Flip the chicken halfway through cooking. While cooking chicken breast, you will want to flip it once during the cooking time to ensure that it cooks evenly. After air frying for 8 minutes, use a long-handled spatula or heat-safe tongs to flip the chicken. The air fryer basket will be very hot, so flip the chicken carefully.
Use a meat thermometer. The exact cooking time will depend on the thickness and size of your chicken breasts and air fryer. Use an instant read thermometer to easily know when the chicken is cooked through. Overcooking to a higher temperature can result in dry chicken. For cook time and temperatures for other cuts of chicken, see my instructions for air fryer chicken tenders, air fryer chicken wings, and air fryer chicken thighs.
Let the chicken rest after cooking. For the juiciest chicken, let it rest for 5 minutes at room temperature before slicing and serving.
Optional spicy air fryer chicken breast variation. For spicier chicken, add ¼ teaspoon of chili powder or Cayenne pepper to the spice mixture and serve with hot sauce.

A close up of sliced air fryer chicken breast on a plate with some mashed potatoes and broccoli on the side.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I store leftovers?

Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the air fryer, oven, or microwave, if desired. Cooked chicken can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

What do I serve with this?

Serve chicken for lunch or dinner with roasted broccoli or French green beans and mashed potatoes. This recipe also makes a flavorful chicken sandwich when layered with lettuce and tomato on brioche buns and served with cucumber tomato salad and my air fryer french fries recipe. Make air fried chicken breast ahead of time and serve sliced chicken on top of kale salad for a quick, easy, and filling meal.

How long should chicken breasts be in the air fryer?

Air fry seasoned chicken breasts at 400 degrees f for 8 minutes. Flip the chicken and continue air frying for 6-8 additional minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. For most average-sized chicken breasts, the total cooking time will be 14-16 minutes. For juicy air fryer chicken breasts, preheat your air fryer before adding the chicken so hot air is already circulating, and be careful not to overcook them. Use an instant-read thermometer or meat thermometer to determine doneness.

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If you’ve tried this air fryer chicken breast recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!