Easy Air Fryer Chicken Breast - Recipe Diaries (2024)

FAQs

How long do you put chicken breast in the air fryer for? ›

Spray the basket of the air fryer with nonstick spray then add chicken and cook for 15-17 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, flipping the chicken breast half way through. I do not find that cooking more than 1 chicken breast at a time requires additional cooking time to be added on.

My Number #1 Tip for the juiciest air fryer chicken breast is brining. To brine a boneless, skinless chicken breast, start by pounding the thicker end of the chicken to make both sides leveled out so they cook evenly.

Try to ensure the pieces don't touch. Air needs to circulate around them. Spray the chicken pieces lightly with spray oil.

To cook raw chicken in an air fryer without breading or batter, start by seasoning the chicken with your preferred herbs and spices. Preheat the air fryer to the recommended temperature (usually around 375°F or 190°C).

After testing a variety of temperatures, I found that 375 degrees F is the best temperature for air frying chicken. Because the air fryer uses convection heat, you do not need to set it as high as you would an oven (in a regular oven, 425 degrees F is best for baking chicken, like Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast).

Arrange the chicken breasts in a single layer on the air fryer basket, to allow for good air circulation, and cook at 360ºF for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken over, and cook for 5 more minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165ºF.

Place the chicken on the air fryer basket / grate in an even layer, leaving a bit of space for air to circulate around. 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.

Her suggestion: Place boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a pan in a single layer, cover with a few inches of liquid (water, broth, etc.), add flavorings (spices, salt, herbs, soy sauce, etc.), then bring the liquid just barely to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat so the liquid simmers.

Getting a good sear through medium high heat, then reducing the heat to LOW and COVERING the chicken while it cooks. The butter, oil, and chicken juices create a super flavorful liquid that acts as a way to steam the chicken at a low temperature, ensuring that it is moist & tender on the inside.

What's more: the "frying" is faster! Caution! Forget about butter or delicate cold-pressed oils, which are very likely to burn and smoke the whole kitchen. Everyone knows someone who has already had this misfortune!

Can you put aluminum foil in an air fryer? ›

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.

“Cooking sprays such as Pam, often include soy lecithin, an emulsifier, in the formulation,” says Martin Bucknavage, an expert in food safety in the Penn State Department of Food Science. “This is less stable than high smoke point oils and will deteriorate at temperatures used for air frying.

Even if your air fryer has top-notch air circulation from its fan, you need to give most larger pieces of food (such as pork chops, burgers, and chicken cutlets) a turn about halfway through cooking.

Another method to understand if the chicken is sufficiently cooked or not is to use an instant-read thermometer to observe the inner heat of the meat cut. If the temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, then it means the chicken cooked sufficiently.

Place chicken in the air fryer basket, presentation side down, and cook for 8 minutes at 375°F. Flip the chicken over and continue cooking until the thickest part registers 155°F on an instant-read thermometer, typically about 6 to 8 minutes longer.

Place chicken in air fryer basket, standing against sides of basket if necessary. Set to 350°F; cook 15 minutes. Turn chicken; cook 5 to 8 minutes longer or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (at least 165°F).

Again, preheat your airfryer to 400℉ (200 ℃ ) cook for 5-7 minutes, and then flip and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes. As long as the pre-cooked chicken is fairly small, it should not take longer than 15 minutes to cook. If the cut of chicken is larger, like a breast, it may take 20-30 minutes.