Air Fryer Chicken Guide (full chart with times and temps)

I have come to love cooking chicken in the air fryer for so many reasons. It gets crispier in less time than the oven, it doesn’t need a whole pot of oil, and it tastes just as tender and juicy. Save or bookmark the chart below for easy access when air frying!

I’ve heard a ton of people say air frying chicken is dry, but they just aren’t cooking it the right way. So, I’ve decided to put together a full guide to help you make the best chicken right in your air fryer.

That way dinner is cooked faster (and better), so you can move on with your busy day and enjoy a good meal.

Each kind of chicken has a different cooking time and temperature, so here’s a quick helpful guide. White meat, like chicken breasts, should be cooked to 165°F, while darker meat, like chicken thighs, get more tender at a higher temperature of about 175°F.

Flip the chicken halfway through the cooking time as well so it gets just as crispy on all sides.

I have more than 45 different air fryer chicken recipes on my website to choose from that I’ve put together the time, temperature, and ingredients so you can make chicken easily every time.

If I had a nickel for every time someone told me the air fryer causes dry chicken. No, it doesn’t. It’s an easy fix once you know how to cook it right. Here’s how I make sure my chicken is juicy and tender every single time I air fry it. It’s very easy.

• Pound the chicken to the same thickness. If you’re cooking chicken breasts, cutlets, or tenders, having the same thickness will help each part of the chicken cook evenly. That way one side isn’t overcooked when it’s done.
• Oil and season it properly. Just because it’s an air fryer doesn’t mean it can’t use a little oil. Use an oil mister or basting brush to brush just a little oil on the chicken. It helps crisp it up more and the outside of the chicken won’t dry out.
• Cook the chicken until 160°F. Pull the chicken out at 160°F, or as close as you can. Pulling it at 160°F and letting it rest will let it come to 165°F as it sits. Darker meats can be pulled at 175°F.
• Let it rest before slicing. Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes before cutting into it. It gives the chicken time to reabsorb the juices so they won’t all pour out when you cut it.

Chicken tastes fantastic in the air fryer whether it’s breaded or not, which is great if you’re trying to eat a little lighter.

• Plain chicken – To season unbreaded chicken, pat it dry with a paper towel, mix the seasonings in a bowl with butter or oil, and baste it on the chicken. I do this in my air fryer chicken breasts and air fryer chicken legs recipes.
• Breaded chicken – I love to use the 3-bowl technique when breading chicken. Put flour in one bowl, whisked eggs in the second, and the breading in the third. Pat it dry with a paper towel, then dredge it in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Just like in my air fryer chicken cutlets and breaded chicken wings.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve left my chicken in the freezer and came home and realized I couldn’t cook dinner. Turns out you can cook chicken directly from the freezer without needing it to thaw.

Already-cooked frozen foods like chicken nuggets and tenders are super easy as they just need to heat through and crisp back up. I have the times to a ton of frozen foods like that on my website.

Here are my three best tips for air frying frozen raw chicken.

• Frozen takes about 50% longer than fresh. So if fresh chicken wings cook for 20 minutes, frozen wings will take about 30-35 minutes. Always check the temperature at the end as frozen chicken can cook a bit unevenly.
• Season it halfway through cooking. Seasoning frozen chicken can be tough as it won’t stick, so I wait until halfway through the cooking time when it’s thawed to spritz a little oil and season it.
• Pull any stuck together pieces apart as they loosen. If they’re frozen in a clump, just give them a couple minutes, then separate them so they cook evenly and crispy on all sides.

While I love air frying chicken, just sticking a plain piece of chicken with no seasoning or spices just sounds awful. I love switching up how I make my chicken to keep things fun.

• Honey soy marinade – I use this one my air fryer chicken thighs recipe and it is hands down DELICIOUS! I use the chicken with stir fries and more.
• BBQ sauce – Just a quick brushing of BBQ sauce then air fried is honestly perfection. The air fryer caramelizes the sauce, just like in my air fryer chicken drumsticks and air fryer BBQ chicken thighs.
• Cajun seasoning – I use this in my air fryer chicken bites recipe because it gives a ton of flavor in just one ingredient.
• Quick homemade blend – There’s nothing better than choosing the spices you love and mixing them together to taste better than any store bought kind. I do this in my air fryer chicken tenders recipe that’s unbreaded.

Chicken needs to be cooked to 165°F at its thickest point to be considered safe to eat. I recommend buying an instant-read thermometer to keep track of the temperature. Plus, this is key to pulling the chicken out when it’s still juicy!

This thermometer is my favorite one that’s very budget friendly. I bought it for my dad about 2 years ago and he kept raving about how fast it was and bought himself another one.

Yes, some brands can run a little hotter than others. I also find toaster-style ovens and ovens with air fryers can take a few extra minutes to get to the same crispiness. I have a full guide on using an air fryer with an oven if that’s what you have.

My favorite air fryer that gets food crispy, cooks evenly, and is just best overall is the Cosori Turbo Blaze. You will see it constantly on my site because it’s the one I use day in and out.

Chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I always use my air fryer to reheat any kind of chicken I make. It gets most of its crispiness back instead of getting rubbery in the microwave or taking forever in the oven. I would literally buy an air fryer just to reheat food if I needed to. It’s that useful.

350°F for a few minutes in a preheated air fryer is usually a good starting point for most foods. I also include reheating times and temperatures on the majority of my air fryer recipes on the site to make things easier.