How to cook an easy juicy Air Fryer Chicken Breast with lots of flavor for meal prep and just a simple dinner dish!
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, please read my disclaimer.
Air Fryer Chicken Breasts are perfect year-round. It allows you to cook without heating your entire oven in the summer and delivers the same grilled chicken taste throughout the winter.
This boneless chicken breast recipe contains no breading and is completely keto, using butter as its coating. You can use full chicken breasts or cut the chicken into grilled chicken strips when serving.
Love chicken? Check out these other 40 air fryer chicken recipes you can make!
How to Cook Chicken Breast in an Air Fryer
STEP ONE: Preheat your air fryer to 380 degrees.
For this recipe, I used boneless chicken breasts. You can use thick or thin-cut chicken breasts, but thinly cut ones will take less time to cook.
If you have bone-in chicken breasts, use these cooking times in this recipe here. Start with thawed chicken in your refrigerator.
If your chicken is still frozen, follow these directions to make frozen chicken in the air fryer.
STEP TWO: Melt the butter in a small bowl in your microwave and add the garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine.
STEP THREE: Baste your chicken breasts with the butter mixture on both sides.
STEP FOUR: Place chicken breasts in the air fryer in a single layer and cook for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway until they read 165 degrees F at its thickest point.
I love to use my Kizen Instant-Read Meat Thermometer for this.
STEP FIVE: Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes, then enjoy immediately or keep refrigerated for up to 3 days and eat cold or use the reheating directions below.
Recipes to Serve with an Air Fryer Chicken Breast:
- Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Air Fryer Roasted Carrots
- Air Fryer Asparagus
- Air Fryer Frozen Onion Rings
- 2 Ingredient BBQ Sauce
- Homemade Buffalo Sauce
Check out these other air fryer vegetable recipes you can use as sides here.
How Long Do You Cook Chicken Breasts in an Air Fryer?
This air fryer chicken breast is cooked perfectly at 380 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. The exact time will depend on how big and thick your chicken breasts are. This timing is for boneless chicken breasts. If you are cooking bone-in chicken breasts, this time will differ.
Your air fried chicken is done when your thermometer reads 165 degrees F at the chicken’s thickest point.
I recommend using an Instant-Read Meat Thermometer to keep an eye on the chicken breast and pulling it out of the air fryer as soon as it hits 165 degrees to get the juiciest chicken possible.
Can I Overlap Food in an Air Fryer?
Yes and no. Some foods still cook evenly when air fried, like french fries, air fried veggies, and more. Some foods air fry very poorly when overlapped, like air fryer bacon and chicken tenders.
So, can I stack chicken in an air fryer? Raw meats, such as raw chicken breasts, cook best when cooked in a single layer.
You can stack them but will need to keep rotating the chicken breasts frequently to allow them to cook evenly. Otherwise certain parts can come out raw while other parts can be overcooked and tough.
Are Air Fryer Chicken Breasts Healthy for You?
This is an often-asked question. Air fryers are very healthy to use, including this healthy keto chicken breast recipe.
Air fryer chicken breasts are just as healthy as chicken breasts cooked on the stove or the skillet when using the same amount of butter or oil.
How to Use This Chicken:
You can serve this air fryer chicken breast recipe as a main dinner or lunch as is or use it in one of these delicious ideas.
- Buffalo Chicken Wraps
- Chicken Salad
- Southwest Chicken Wrap
- Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
- BBQ Chicken Pizza
- Chicken Grain Bowl
Or try it in one of these 13 wraps that use leftover chicken!
How to Cook Frozen Boneless Chicken Breasts in the Air Fryer
- Preheat your air fryer to 360 degrees.
- Mix the butter, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
- Baste the frozen chicken breasts with the butter and seasoning mixture and place the chicken in the air fryer.
- Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through until they reach 165 degrees F. Thicker chicken breasts may take a bit longer to cook.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the air fryer and enjoy!
You can see another variation of frozen chicken breasts in the air fryer here. I love switching up the seasonings!
How Do I Reheat Chicken Breasts in an Air Fryer?
One of my favorite ways to use air fryers is to reheat leftovers. They even reheat pizza or reheat wings in your air fryer and they taste
To reheat chicken breasts in your air fryer, place chicken in the air fryer. Since the chicken is already cooked and there’s no breading to worry about, the chicken can be stacked slightly.
- Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees.
- Place the leftover boneless chicken breasts in the air fryer and cook for about 5 minutes, flipping halfway until thoroughly heated.
If you notice the chicken getting darker, turn your air fryer to 320 degrees and continue to cook. Since all air fryers are made differently (Nuwave is made differently than Power Air Fryer Oven and etc.), it can take more or less time to reheat chicken breasts.
Try These Other Air Fryer Chicken Recipes:
- Air Fryer Crispy Buffalo Chicken Wings
- Air Fryer Bone-in Chicken Breasts
- Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets
- Air Fryer Shake and Bake Chicken
- Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan
- Air Fryer Marinated Chicken Thighs
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Legs
- Air Fryer Whole Chicken
- Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Wings
Love air frying? Join our newsletter! You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or join our free Facebook Air Frying Community.
Air Fryer Weight Watcher Points per serving: 3
Air Fryer Chicken Breast
An easy and delicious take on air fryer chicken breasts that takes just 12 minutes to make. With a golden brown crusting and a tender inside, these chicken breasts are perfect by themselves or added in a light salad.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 380 degrees.
- Place boneless chicken breasts on a cutting board. Melt butter in the microwave and add in garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine.
- Coat chicken with butter mixture on both sides.
- Place the chicken breasts in the air fryer in one single layer.
- Cook chicken for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway. The chicken is done once the chicken reads 165 degrees at its thickest part.
- Let chicken rest for 5 minutes.
- Enjoy immediately or refrigerate and enjoy cold or using reheated directions below.
Notes
How to Reheat Chicken Breasts in the Air Fryer:
1. Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees.
2. Place leftover chicken breasts in the air fryer and cook for about 5 minutes until warmed thoroughly.
How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts in the Air Fryer:
1. Preheat your air fryer to 360 degrees.
2. Mix the butter, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl and baste it on the frozen chicken.
3. Place the chicken breasts in the air fryer and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until they reach 165 degrees at their thickest points.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 250Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 117mgSodium: 399mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 37g
This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.
I only use frozen chicken breasts. Can you tell me how long or how to adjust the recipe? Thank you.
Hi Cheryl, I haven’t cooked them from frozen as of yet, but I would drop the temperature to about 330 degrees F to allow them to cook thoroughly without burning the outside before the inside has cooked. Then allow them to cook a little longer than the recipe states until they are at the needed internal temperature.
I am new at this, could you tell me can you use foil containers in a Breville air fryer oven. I have not purchased a recipe book as yet & what containers do I have to have, I bought a Pyrex dish & use trays & basket what came in oven, have been following your posts, many thanks Jan.
Hi Jan, great questions. You can use anything that is oven-safe in an air fryer! You can use those foil containers from the store, silicone muffin cups, small cake tins, and more. I have never personally used Pyrex in an air fryer (I’ve used Corningware ramekins though), but as long as they are oven-safe, you should be okay.
You can also check the manual to see if it states any specific containers not to use inside of it.
These are really good if you’re looking for a basic recipe for chicken that you can use for many different things.
SAMANTHA…
I have been receiving your daily email recipes. I have been to your webpage many times. I have printed several of your air fryer recipes. I have one on the frozen onion rings. my question is about frozen mushrooms. I imagine this would be a method very similar to your frozen onion rings? Do you have a recipe for frozen mushrooms? I thank you for your input. …and by the way, we have both the 3.7qt. and 5.8qt. COSORI AIR FRYERS. However, we are beginners and I am looking for all the information available. I see you have an air fryer cookbook available. I may purchase that. We already have a couple of the best air fryer cookbooks you listed. TThank you…
Ooh, I haven’t tried frozen mushrooms in there, but that sounds like a great idea. I would take a look at the oven directions on the bag and drop your temperature about 30 degrees, then air fry them checking them after about 4 minutes and continue to cook until hot. If they’re breaded, they’ll taste the best.
I am so glad you’re enjoying the recipes! I love that you have both sizes in the Cosori. That’s a great way to cook smaller and larger foods separately and at the same time! If you have any questions about my digital cookbook, feel free to email me!
We make frozen breaded mushrooms all the time in the air fryer. I spray the basket with cooking spray. Then….400 degrees for 15 minutes. Perfect every time.
I had to cook my chicken breast 25 minutes at 380 degrees. I kept checking my meat with a thermometer. I think it could of been the type of air fryer. It was good. Made a salad and cut the chicken up in the salad.
I have 2 5.8 air fryers. After buying the first I knew I needed a second for the cabin. Just couldn’t live without it. I love them. I am retired and have taken up a new interest in cooking with a Cosori air fryer. I love your posts with recipes and cooking tips. My biggest problem is cooking in batches. We love your zucchini crispy fried followed up with crispy chicken tenders. It’s getting the timing right that is my issue. I’m not jumping up and down. Any suggestions? Do I need 2 air fryers in the home? Thank you
I do have multiple air fryers, mainly because I love to test them and see how they work. When it comes to using both at the same time, I rarely do this and I prefer to cook in batches if I need to (we just eat what’s already done while the next batch is cooking). If it’s just you in the home or one more person, I do think just one air fryer is sufficient enough. You can do half and half in the air fryer or cook one in after the other and just reheat the first food you cooked for a few minutes in the end so everything is hot.
Love my airfryer 😎
I do have a question though. When using the airfryer when do you bake vs airfry? Seems like all the recipes just say to put the food, ex. Chicken breast, into airfryer at 380 degrees and cook for 10-15 minutes.
Hi Ronnie, great question! All of my recipes use the air fry option on an air fryer. The bake option will make it cook more like an oven as opposed to air frying.
I have a Vortex Mini, n I’ve had the same question, Ronnie. Thank you so much for explaining it Samantha.