Air Fryer Chicken Breast
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Published Dec 30, 2021, Updated Sep 12, 2023
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How to make air fryer chicken breasts that are perfectly tender and moist. They’re flavorful, easy to make and super versatile. Enjoy right away for a simple dinner or use for meal prep throughout the week.
Sometimes thinking of what to serve for dinner feels like more of a chore than actually making dinner itself. Enter air fryer chicken breasts. This recipe is so easy to make and uses pantry staple items so it’s perfect in a pinch! Plus, its super versatile and can be used in so many recipes that you’ll come back to this recipe time and time again!
Isaac and I make a version of this dinner multiple times a week, especially when we’re both really busy. Its just dependable like that! The chicken always comes out moist and flavorful and it’s easy to serve with other meal prep items like rice and veggies for a healthy meal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Make perfectly tender and moist chicken every time!
- You only need minimal, pantry staple ingredients and it’s super easy to put together.
- It’s great for weekly meal prep!
- It’s a versatile recipe that can be customized to your liking!
Here’s What You Need
- chicken breasts – this recipe is perfect for 2 chicken breasts, about 1 lb total. I prefer boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, I haven’t tried bone in chicken but if you try it, let me know how it comes out in the comments!
- olive oil – helps to keep the chicken from sticking to the air fryer basket and helps the seasonings adhere to the chicken.
- apple cider vinegar – this helps tenderize the meat and gives it a great flavor.
- dijon mustard – pairs nicely with the apple cider vinegar and imparts a delicious flavor.
- seasonings – garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
pro tip! Look for a package that has two equally sized chicken breasts so they will cook evenly.
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Breast
Start by gathering your ingredients. Whisk together the oil, apple cider vinegar and dijon mustard in a small bowl and then set it aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. In a third bowl, pour the marinade over the chicken breasts and then liberally rub the seasoning on both sides of the chicken.
Preheat or turn your air fryer on to 375ºF and add the seasoned chicken breasts to the air fryer basket and cook for 18-22 minutes. You’ll want to make sure you flip the chicken about halfway through to ensure even cooking. The chicken breasts need to reach 165ºF on the inside, so keep in mind your cook time will vary depending on the size of each breast.
Once cooked, remove from the air fryer and let the chicken rest for about 5-10 minutes before serving.
Air Fryer FAQ
That depends on your air fryer! Some recommend preheating and others do not require it. Check your owners’ manual to see what they recommend. If you don’t have a preheat setting, just set your air fryer to the required temperature about 3 minutes before adding your food.
It depends on the size of your basket. You’ll want to make sure you don’t overcrowd the basket or your food will not get crispy. You may need to cook in batches.
I do not recommend using aerosol spray on your air fryer! Like most non-stick items, it’s best to avoid sprays like Pam as it can mess with the finish.
What to Serve With Air Fryer Chicken
The beauty of this air fryer recipe is that it produces super flavorful chicken that you can use in a variety of ways! Here are some ideas for easy week night dinners and meal prep!
- Busy day and don’t know what to make for dinner? Make air fryer chicken and serve it with a side of easy cilantro rice and roasted broccoli or roasted asparagus for a complete meal with proteins, fats and carbs. Better yet, while you’re letting the chicken sit after cooking, use your air fryer to make air fryer brussels sprouts!
- Serve with my healthy ranch pasta salad or healthy pasta salad to turn a side dish into a meal.
- Shred the chicken and use it in chicken noodle soup, white bean chicken chili, confetti chicken casserole or curried chicken salad. Shredded chicken would also be great addition to a stir fry.
How to Store And Meal Prep
Air fryer chicken is a perfect meal prep option and will store both in the fridge and the freezer nicely!
Just prepare the chicken as the recipe states, let it cool slightly and then put it in an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
If you are going to freeze it, I suggest portioning out your chicken ahead of time and freezing individually, that way you can just take out the container or ziplock containing what you need instead of all of it at once! Even better? Pre-shred or chop for easier defrosting. The chicken will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to use your freezer air fryer chicken, place it in the fridge about 24 hours before you want to use it so it has time to thaw.
More Air Fryer Recipes
- Air Fryer Salmon
- Air Fryer Tofu
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- Pasta Chips
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp
- Air Fryer Cauliflower
- Air Fryer Broccoli
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Air Fryer Salmon Bites
Popular Chicken Recipes
- Apple Cider Vinegar Chicken
- Maple Turmeric Chicken
- Easy Grilled Chicken Breast
- Za’atar Chicken Bake
- Blackened Chicken Cobb Salad
- Baked Chicken Tenders
- Curry Chicken Salad
- Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Soup
- Baked Caprese Chicken
Be sure to check out all of the popular chicken recipes and the full collection of the air fryer recipes here on EBF!
Air Fryer Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, about 1 lb
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Whisk together oil, apple cider vinegar and dijon mustard in a small bowl and set aside. In a separate small bowl, mix together salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning.
- Pour marinade over chicken breasts.
- Liberally rub seasoning on both sides of chicken.
- Preheat air fryer if required. Add chicken breasts to the air fryer and cook on 375°F for 18-22 minutes, until cooked fully, flipping once halfway. You want the chicken breasts to be 165°F on the inside. Cook time will vary depending on the size of your chicken breasts.
- Once cooked, remove chicken from the air fryer and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Enjoy chicken immediately or let cool, package in storage containers and save for later use.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Yum!! This was so good. The marinade made the chicken taste so good. It was so JUICY. I will definitely make this again.
Steve
How long did you leave chicken in the marinade?
Hey Joni! When I made this I didn’t let the chicken marinade for long. After adding the marinade I immediately rubbed on the dry seasonings and put it in the air fryer. That said, you can totally let the chicken marinade for 1-2 hours or overnight to soak up more of the flavors.
This was so easy and so delicious! A few simple steps and no long marinade time. My husband and I loved it! We’ll definitely being making this again!
Yay!! Happy to hear this air fryer chicken was a hit, Mary. Thanks so much for trying it out and coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!
I’m not a huge chicken fan but I will be now. This is such an easy recipe I found it hard to believe it would come out with such flavor and moisture. Easy to meal prep and add to any dish for extra protein. I omitted the mustard and it was great!
Happy to hear you enjoyed this air fryer chicken breast, Melissa. Thanks for trying it out and coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!
Absolutely delicious!! Made it exactly how Brittany published the recipe. We are adding this into our rotation – thank you!! Love your website!!
Woo!! Happy to hear this, Mary. So glad everyone enjoyed this chicken. Thanks for the review!
Excellent! I forgot to flip halfway. Doesn’t matter. Amazing flavour. Juicy and delicious!
Woo! So glad to hear this recipe worked out for you, Kara! Thanks for leaving a review and star rating, I really appreciate it.
Holy moly I cannot believe how good and easy this was. I love my air fryer and this recipe is just fantastic. The chicken came out so tasty and juicy! Great for meal prepping or just to have on hand.
Yay! This makes me so happy to hear, Emma! We LOVE our air fryer, it really is so easy. Thanks for making this and coming back to leave a review, I appreciate it!
This was the first time I cooked a chicken breast in the air fryer!
OMG! It came out soooo good and the family loved it.
Easy to make and sooo good! Perfect for a quick weekend meal! Thanks for sharing!
Woo! I’m so happy this recipe was a success for you, Siri. Thank you for your kind review and star rating! 🙂
Thank you for such valuable information. You nailed it.
Thanks, Tayyaba!
This chicken was so tender and flavorful! We loved it
Woo! Glad to hear it, Deb. Thanks for leaving a review, I appreciate it.
I love this chicken marinade. It’s now my go-to favorite.
Woo! I’m so pumped to hear that you love this chicken marinade, Ashlee. I’m hooked on it too!
I have never been confident cooking chicken as it usually comes out dry. This recipe, however was so easy and the chicken came out delicious and juicy. This will now be my go to chicken recipe.
That’s so great to hear, Raquel! I’m glad this recipe worked out for you. Thank you for your comment and review!
I have different functions on my Ninja. I have air crisp, grill, bake, or roast? Which do you suggest for your recipe?
Thanks,
Kellie
Hi Kellie, all air fryers are different so you might need to play around to find what works best. I would probably recommend roast first!
Delicious! Love this marinade and my Air fryer. Another great recipe from you!
Yay! I am glad you are loving this recipe! Thank you for coming back and sharing your review + star rating, I so appreciate it.
Hi. What brand, model and quart size is the air fryer you used. I’ve been hesitant to get one. I like the square basket.
Hi Karen – I have the Ninja 4qt air fryer and I really love it. Here is a link to one that is on sale!
Easy, delicious and flavorful! Was fully cooked and not at all dry. We loved it.
Perfect! I am so glad you are loving this recipe and it turned out great for you, Sarah. Thanks so much for coming back and sharing your review + star rating, I appreciate it!
This recipe is easy and works. Restaurant quality. The chicken was so juicy and flavorful.
WOO! This is the best, Sherry! I am so excited to hear that you are loving this recipe and it turned out great for you. Thank you for your review & star rating, I really appreciate it!