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Air Fryer Chicken Breasts on white plate garnished with parsley

Air Fryer Chicken Breasts

Air Fryer Chicken Breasts are easy to make, and take just minutes to cook. You can make juicy, flavorful chicken breasts in the air fryer.

Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Keyword how to cook a chicken breast in the air fryer
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 2 - 8
Calories 298 kcal
Author Sandy Clifton

Ingredients

  • 1-4 Chicken Breast (skinless/boneless)
  • 2 tsp Olive Oil
  • ¼ tsp Salt (per breast)
  • ¼ tsp Pepper (per breast)
  • ¼ tsp Garlic Powder (per breast)

Instructions

  1. Brush the chicken breast with olive oil.

  2. Sprinkle one side with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

  3. Place the breast in the air fryer basket seasoned side down. Then season the other side.

  4. Cook at 360° for 9 minutes (for 8 oz chicken breast). Then flip the chicken breast over and cook for another 9 minutes. Larger chicken breasts need more cook time, and smaller ones need less time (see Recipe Notes).

  5. Open the air fryer immediately so it doesn't continue cooking in the heat.

  6. Take the temperature in the thickest part with an instant read thermometer. The temperature should read about 158°-160° F. If it is below that, close the lid of the air fryer to let the chicken cook in the residual heat for a few minutes. Then check it again.

  7. Place it on a plate and loosely cover with foil and let it rest for 5 minutes. It will continue to cook in the residual heat (and the juices will go back into the meat). Then after 5 minutes take the temperature again. The temperature should be at least 165° F.

  8. Serve immediately, or save for meal prep or to have for another recipe.

Recipe Notes

Air Fryer Chicken Breast Cook Temp & Times
*Flip halfway through cook time
(Your model of air fryer may vary from this slightly)
6 oz breast 360° for 15 minutes
8 oz breast 360° for 18 minutes
10 oz breast 360° for 20 minutes
12 oz breast 360° for 22 minutes

For cooking multiple breasts at once, use the average weight of the breasts added together.

For example, you want to cook 3 breasts. One of them weighs 10 oz, one is 9 oz, and one weighs 12 oz. Add all of the weights together, in this case it adds up to 31 oz. Then, since you have 3 breasts, divide that by 3, which equals 10. The average weight is 10 oz, so you will cook the three together for 20 minutes.

 

When you are trying a new cooking method, it often takes a few tries to get food to come out the way you like. So don't give up! Each brand of air fryer has its own wattage, temperature range, etc.