Go Back
A square, overhead image of Air Fryer Chicken Breast. There are two, cooked chicken breasts next to each other in the centre of the image. The chicken breasts are cut into horizontal strips. In the top right corner of the image, you can slightly see a silver knife. This is all set on a dark, wooden background.
Print Recipe
4.50 from 2 votes

Air Fryer Chicken Breast

Air Fryer Chicken Breast - Juicy, flavourful chicken breasts lightly coated in a simple seasoning mix. An easy method to ensure they're cooked evenly, and they're perfectly juicy and tender.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time11 minutes
Total Time16 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch, protein
Cuisine: British-American
Keyword: air fryer chicken, easy chicken breast
Servings: 2
Author Nicky Corbishley

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts (about 180g/6.3oz each)
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic powder or use garlic salt, but omit the regular salt
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp light brown sugar optional, but adds a tiny bit of caramelization
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil

Instructions

  • Place the chicken breasts in a plastic sandwich bag or between a large folded piece of baking parchment.
    2 chicken breasts
  • Bash the thickest part of the chicken breast few times with a rolling pin. We don’t want to flatten the chicken a lot – we just want to even out the thickness.
  • It should still look like a chicken breast after a few light bashes (we don’t want it to thin like a chicken steak).
  • Mix together the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, and sugar in a small bowl.
    ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp paprika, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp light brown sugar
  • Sprinkle the seasoning on both sides of the two chicken breasts and press the mixture in with your hands, so they're thoroughly coated and so the mixture sticks to the chicken.
  • Drizzle over the oil and toss to fully coat.
    1 tbsp neutral oil
  • Place in the air fryer basket (no liner, we want it straight on the tray), in a single layer, with a bit of space in between the chicken breasts for good airflow. Air fry for 11-12 minutes (no need to pre-heat) at 200C/400F, turning once, halfway through cooking. Once cooked, the chicken should no longer be pink in the middle (internal temp should be 75C/167F).

Video

Notes

Cooking more than two?

If cooking more than 2 chicken breasts, you may need to work in batches. We need to be able to layer the chicken in a single layer, with a little bit of space around each piece for good airflow.

Size of chicken breast

Don't use chicken breasts that are too big, as they'll take longer to cook, and they will be dry on the outside. Try to stick between 180g/6.3oz and 227g/8oz per chicken breast.
If your chicken breasts are larger than the 180g/6.3oz that I use, you'll need to cook for as little longer.
  • 198g/7oz each - cook the two breasts for 12-13 minutes
  • 227g/8oz- cook the two breasts for 13-14 minutes
The chicken should be piping hot throughout and sign of no pink in the thickest part of the chicken. If you have a meat probe, the internal temperature should read 75C/167F.

Can I use frozen chicken breasts?

You'll get the best and juiciest result using fresh chicken breasts. So you'll need to defrost frozen chicken breasts before using. I defrost them overnight in the refrigerator.

Nutritional information is approximate, per chicken breast.

Nutrition

Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 501mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g

QR code

Scan this QR code with your phone's camera to view this recipe on your mobile device.

qr code