Air Fryer Bone-In Chicken Breast is coated in brown sugar and seasonings for a sweet and easy dinner idea.
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There’s nothing like cooking juicy chicken breasts in the air fryer and these cook much faster than in an oven!
I use skin on split chicken breasts with the bone in to create this deliciously sweet and caramelized brown sugar chicken recipe.
It contains absolutely no breading and these directions with work with other seasonings if you’re looking to cut back on sugar or make this recipe low fat.
In this post, I will teach you:
- How to cook air fryer bone-in chicken breasts
- About flipping chicken in the air fryer
- How to get super juicy chicken in the air fryer EVERY time!
- Ideas to serve with the chicken
- How to cook Frozen Bone-in Chicken Breasts in the air fryer
- Instructions to reheat split chicken breasts in the air fryer
How to Make Air Fryer Bone-In Chicken Breast
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE: Preheat your air fryer to 370 degrees.
STEP TWO: Remove the bone-in chicken from its packaging and set it aside. I use the kind with the skin on, but if yours are skinless, that’s okay too.
STEP THREE: Mix the brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and red pepper flakes into a small bowl.
STEP FOUR: Baste the oil on all sides of the split chicken breasts then evenly coat the chicken with the brown sugar mixture on all sides of each breast.
I like to just pour the brown sugar mixture on top of the chicken breasts to avoid extra dishes, but you can also place the mixture into a big bowl and toss the split chicken breasts in there.
STEP FIVE: Place the bone-in chicken breasts in the air fryer and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping with about 10 minutes left. Larger chicken breasts may take a few extra minutes to cook.
STEP SIX: Remove the bone-in chicken breasts from the air fryer then enjoy!
Do I Need to Flip the Chicken in the Air Fryer?
Not all chicken needs to be flipped, but this recipe does require flipping.
An air fryer has a heating device on the top of the machine and blows air around into a 360-motion. This means more heat comes from the top and blows around the rest of the food.
In this recipe, the brown sugar coating starts to caramelize on top of the chicken breasts to give them a nice sweet taste. If not flipped, one side will start to blacken while the other side doesn’t get that nice caramelized look and taste.
For some foods, like this air fryer boneless chicken breast recipe, it’s not required to flip the chicken, however, I still prefer to.
How to Get Juicy Chicken in the Air Fryer
The secret to cooking juicy chicken in the air fryer is to cook it until it JUST hits 165 degrees F at its thickest point.
The easiest way to check it is using an Instant-Read Thermometer that takes only 2-3 seconds to show the temperature. Then you can open the air fryer quickly, check both chicken breasts and close it within 10 seconds.
If you are cooking multiple air fryer bone-in chicken breasts, it’s important to check both of them each time and pull any that are done right away.
Overcooking chicken results in dry chicken and no one wants that!
If you love making chicken in the air fryer, check out these 40 other air fryer chicken recipes!
What Can I Serve with Air Fryer Split Chick Breasts?
I love to serve these with some quick air fryer vegetables and some easy homemade garlic bread.
- Air Fryer Roasted Vegetables
- Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Air Fryer Broccoli
- Air Fryer Green Beans
- Air Fryer Frozen Onion Rings
- Air Fryer Frozen Tater Tots
See a list of other easy air fryer vegetables here!
You can help with any mess from the chicken breasts by using some parchment paper rounds or even a silicone basket.
I LOVE my silicone basket. It goes right in the dishwasher after using and my air fryer basket stays clean!
How to Cook Frozen Bone-in Chicken Breast in the Air Fryer
I’ve found with thicker cuts of frozen meat preheating your air fryer is not necessary.
- Place the frozen split chicken breasts in the air fryer and turn to 350 degrees.
- Cook for 40 to 50 minutes, basting the butter and adding the brown sugar mixture to the chicken on both sides halfway through cooking.
- Flip then cook the remaining time.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the air fryer and enjoy!
How to Reheat Bone-in Chicken in the Air Fryer
- Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees.
- Place the leftover bone-in chicken breasts in the air fryer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until warmed thoroughly.
- Remove from the air fryer and enjoy!
Try These Other Delicious Air Fryer Recipes!
- Air Fryer Orange Chicken
- Air Fryer Bone-in Pork Chops
- Air Fryer Whole Chicken
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets
- Air Fryer Fried Chicken
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings – Buffalo-Style
More Recipes to Try
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Air Fryer Bone-In Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 2 bone-in chicken breasts I used split chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon oil
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 370 degrees.
- Remove the chicken from its packaging and set it aside.
- Mix the brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and red pepper flakes in a bowl.
- Baste the oil on both sides of the chicken and coat them with the brown sugar mixture.
- Place the split chicken breasts in the air fryer and cook for about 25 to 30 minutes, flipping the chicken at about 10 minutes left. Cook until the thickest part reaches 165 degrees F. Thicker or larger chicken breasts may take a few minutes longer.
- Remove the chicken from the air fryer and enjoy!
I love cooking the chicken breast in the air fryer. I never thought of it and it was so quick and yummy. Great spices too!
This turned out perfectly. I’m never going back to dried baked chicken again! Thank you for sharing
My boys loved these! They’ve only ever eaten strips so chicken with bones is a new concept 😀 but after the first bite they were hooked!
Hi, The c. breast nowaday are huge .(must be all the hormones they pump in them). I only see ones that are twice the thickness of your pictured. Will these huge pieces cook ok in air fryer?
Hi Tammy, yes they will cook in there okay! The larger bone-in chicken breasts I have made in there needed about 5 to 10 minutes longer to fully cook.
I made this recipe for dinner last night. I think they turned out great. I thought 1/4c of sugar seemed like an awful lot so I used about 2T. I also used spray oil rather than a tablespoon of oil. Just trying to keep the calories in check. Thanks for the recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it, Kathleen! 1/4 cup can seem like a lot and I’ve tested with less and while it’s still delicious, as you noted, we ended up preferring the 1/4 cup amount for the recipe. But it’s a great way to cut back on the sugars!
What side of the chicken should be face down when you put it in the air fryer? Does it matter if you cook the chicken breast side up and then flip, or does it cook better to put breast side down and then flip? I’m just wondering if it effects the carmelization or tenderness of the chicken to do it one way or the other?
Hi Shauna, since the chicken is flipped halfway through, I find that it doesn’t matter which side is cooked first. I personally put them breast side down when cooking, but it’s more a habit for me.
Oh my goodness!! Pure YUM! Made these tonite…added a little pineapple juice to the butter (instead of oil), slathered it on the chicken, rubbed in the dry ingredients. Cooked, turned and put some pineapple chunks on the rack with the chicken at that point. Pineapple browned nicely – some of the juice from the chicken helped it brown. Used parchment paper so it didn’t stick. Hubby said “you can make this again!” Hubby approved! Thank you for the recipe! Donna
Thanks Donna, that sounds yummy with the pineapple. I made them without and they come out great.
I am a little confused. Your step by step instructions mentions melted butter but the recipe uses oil.
Which should I use? I assume either would work but wondered if the melted butter might burn.
Thank you for letting me know of that inconsistency! I’ve made the recipe with butter and oil and both work great, but chose to use oil just for ease so you don’t have to melt it. The melted butter would not burn. I’ve updated the post to mention the oil as it should.
We just made this in our air fryer! It was so delicious and every bite was tender! The skin is just amazing! I am honestly shocked at how this chicken came out! We will be picking up split breast every shopping trip now!🤤🤤
What do you mean by split chicken. I live in U.K. we only get chicken breast on or off the bone, with our without skin????
Hi Mary, This would be a bone-in chicken breast, so it would be the one on the bone for you! Ours usually has skin on it.
What kind of oil do you recommend for this chicken breast recipe? Plan to try it tomorrow. Also is it safe to line the air fryer basket with parchement paper for easier cleanup?
Hi Lowell, great questions. You can use whichever oils you prefer, but I usually use either olive oil, vegetable oil, or avocado oil for my chicken.
And yes, it’s completely safe to line the air fryer with parchment paper, but only place the paper in the air fryer after it’s preheated or it will blow up and burn in the fan. Here’s a good resource to learn more on parchment paper and air fryers: https://www.everydayfamilycooking.com/air-fryer-parchment-paper/
I just wanted to say how delicious these chicken breasts are . I followed the recipe exactly as written. I actually was surprised how juicy and flavorful these are cooking them in an air fryer. My husband really liked them too…. I will definitely be making these again 😊
Thanks for a great recipe! I had all the ingredients on hand and it was easy to do. We were all a little shocked at just how great to flavors were and how tender and juicy the chicken turned out. My only advice, flip the chicken half way through or at least watch carefully to not burn the skin before you flip out because of the sugars. My second batch was perfect, first batch close to perfect. You won’t regret making this recipe!