Air Fryer Chicken Breast

4.67 from 12 votes

Air Fryer Chicken Breast

This juicy, tender, Air Fryer Chicken Breast is super flavorful and ready in less than 20 minutes. Perfect for meal prepping!

Prep Time5

Cook Time13

Total Time18

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Total Cost: $4.06 recipe / $1.01 serving

Servings: servings

Calories: 204kcal

Author: Marsha McDougal

Equipment

5-Quart Air Fryer
Meat Thermometer

Ingredients

2 tsp steak seasoning $0.20
1 tsp sweet paprika $0.10
½ tsp smoked paprika $0.05
¼ tsp black pepper freshly cracked, $0.02
2 chicken breasts boneless, skinless, (about 1.3 lb. total) $3.47*
1 Tbsp olive oil $0.22**

Instructions

In a small bowl mix the steak seasoning, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, and black pepper together.***
Place both chicken breasts on a cutting board, cover them with plastic wrap or parchment paper, then use a rolling pin or the flat side of a meat tenderizer to gently pound the thicker side until the entire breast is an even thickness from one end to the other (about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick).
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Brush the olive oil over both sides of each chicken breast.
Generously coat both sides of each chicken breast with the seasoning blend. Rub the seasoning into the breasts with your hands, making sure they are evenly coated with spices.
Place both chicken breasts inside the air fryer basket and cook for 7 minutes. Then flip them over and cook for 6 more minutes. After a total of 13 minutes, use a meat thermometer to check the chicken breasts and make sure the internal temperature has reached 165°F, and if not, cook for 1-2 minutes longer.****
Promptly remove the chicken from the air fryer basket and rest on a clean cutting board for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve them with your favorite sides and enjoy.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Video

Notes

*I fit two boneless, skinless chicken breasts that were roughly 2/3 lb. each into my 5-quart air fryer with plenty of room on the sides for air to circulate. Extra-large breasts can easily weigh 1.2-1.5 lb. each, so split them horizontally into thinner cutlets before pounding, and cook in batches if needed. Overcrowding the basket traps steam and prevents the chicken from browning properly.

**Olive oil works well for the short cooking time in this recipe, but you can use avocado oil or another neutral, high-heat oil if you prefer.

***I went with a simple spice blend using steak seasoning, paprika, and freshly cracked black pepper. Steak seasoning usually includes a good amount of salt, so no extra salt was needed for this recipe. You can also mix things up and try different seasoning mixes (see below the step-by-step photos for some more ideas!)

****Generally speaking, it takes about 15 minutes to air fry an average-sized chicken breast. Depending on factors like thickness and total weight, it may take less or more time to cook. I recommend starting with 7 minutes, flipping and cooking for another 6 minutes, and then temperature-checking the chicken with an instant-read thermometer. If it's at 165°F, it is good to go. If not, cook it for 1-2 minutes longer.

Frozen chicken breasts: If using frozen chicken breasts, cook directly from frozen at 400°F for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Make sure to separate the breasts before cooking them. Because you can’t pound them to an even thickness, cooking times may vary, so check that the thickest part reaches 165°F before serving.

Nutrition

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