It’s the chick’n you’ve been missin’: Air Fryer Chicken Breast.
Seasoned outdoors and tender inside, this juicy hen breast defies the (usually justified) stereotypes that come together with boneless, skinless hen breast—particularly that it’s rubbery, dry, bland, and one thing to be eaten out of an obligation to be “wholesome,” versus precise craving.
As I shared with my go-to melt-in-your-mouth tender Baked Chicken Breast, it doesn’t should be this fashion!
With one easy tip, you’ll be able to rework your hen breast right into a juicy, versatile protein that’s perfect for protecting readily available for quick, wholesome meals all through the week.
- This information will let you know how to ensure your air fryer hen seems juicy, not dry.
- You possibly can rub the hen with any of your favourite herbs and seasonings (I’ve included my go-to mix beneath).
- That is air fryer hen with no breading. It’s my favourite to meal prep, as a result of it’s so versatile. You possibly can add it scorching or chilly to salads, wraps, sandwiches, and extra.
Utilizing the Air Fryer for Chicken
Ever since getting my air fryer a couple of months in the past, I’ve turn out to be hooked.
An air fryer is a high-powered, countertop convection oven that blows scorching air down and across the meals to prepare dinner it. It’s extra versatile than I anticipated!
You should use an air fryer to…
Since hen breast is lean, it advantages from high-temperature baking for a shorter time frame, and the air fryer presents it in spades.
After testing quite a lot of temperatures, I discovered that 375 levels F is the perfect temperature for air frying hen.
As a result of the air fryer makes use of convection warmth, you don’t want to set it as excessive as you’ll an oven (in a daily oven, 425 levels F is finest for baking hen).
Learn how to Cook dinner Juicy Chicken within the Air Fryer
My #1 secret to juicy hen breast is brining.
Even simply 30 minutes of brining could make an enormous distinction in your outcomes.
Tip!
- Brining is the method of salting meat and letting it relaxation previous to cooking.
- Throughout brining, the meat absorbs further liquid and salt. The salt flavors the meat during, so your hen tastes accomplished seasoned, versus seasoned outdoors and bland inside. The liquid helps preserve it moist.
- You should use a moist brine (saltwater resolution) or a dry brine (sprinkling the meat with salt). Personally, I favor a dry brine as a result of it’s much less messy.
My different secret to juicy hen is DO NOT OVERCOOK THE CHICKEN BREAST. I actually can’t overstate this.
In case your air fryer hen breast is dry, it’s largely doubtless since you overcooked it.
- Use a reasonable on the spot learn thermometer to test for doneness.
- Chicken is taken into account cooked at 165 levels F.
- I usually take away my hen round 155 to 160 levels F. In the course of the resting interval, the carryover cooking will convey the hen to temperature and make it suitable for eating.
How Lengthy to Cook dinner Chicken within the Air Fryer
The period of time it takes to prepare dinner hen in an air fryer will fluctuate primarily based on the scale of your hen breasts.
- Small Breasts (5 to 7 ounces): 7 to 10 minutes
- Medium Breasts (eight to 10 ounces): 10 to 12 minutes
- Giant Breasts (11 ounces or extra): 12 to 16 minutes
You do must flip the hen midway via cooking to make sure it cooks evenly.
Learn how to Make Air Fryer Chicken
Able to make the melt-in-your-mouth tender hen? Let’s do it!
The Substances
- Chicken Breasts. Regardless of their repute for being dry and boring, hen breasts can really shine when ready appropriately. Not solely are these air fryer hen breasts tender and succulent, however they’re additionally filled with lean protein and nutritional vitamins.
- Olive Oil. A bit of olive oil helps the seasonings adhere to the hen breasts and retains them moist.
- Seasoning Mix. Whereas there are infinite choices for season your hen breasts, my favourite combination is paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. It’s flavorful, versatile, and delish!
The Instructions
- Evenly pound the hen on a slicing board.
- Season the hen with salt, then refrigerate it for not less than 30 minutes.
- Let the hen come to room temperature.
- Stir the spice combination collectively.
- In a bowl, mix the hen, olive oil, and spice combination.
- Cook dinner the hen (easy facet down) at 375 levels F for six minutes.
- Flip the hen over. Cook dinner for two to eight extra minutes. Let relaxation for five to 10 minutes, then ENJOY!
Methods to Use Air Fryer Chicken Breast
When you’ve made your hen within the air fryer, listed here are some tasty methods to make use of it:
Storage Ideas
- To Retailer. Refrigerate hen breasts in an hermetic storage container for as much as four days.
- To Reheat. Gently rewarm hen within the air fryer or oven at 350 levels F.
- To Freeze. Freeze leftovers in an hermetic freezer-safe storage container for as much as three months. Let thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating.
What to Serve with Air Fryer Chicken Breast
Advisable Instruments to Make this Recipe
Straightforward-To-Use Air Fryer
Not solely is that this air fryer straightforward to make use of, but it surely additionally creates completely cooked meals each single time. It has quite a few capabilities for various kinds of cooking.
Buh-byeeee bland. Good day, crave-worthy air fryer hen breast!
Air Fryer Chicken Breast Video
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- 2 boneless, skinless hen breasts
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
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Place the hen breasts on a slicing board and canopy with a big sheet of plastic wrap. With a rolling pin, meat mallet, or your palm, flippantly pound into a fair thickness.
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To Dry Brine*: Place the hen on a plate and sprinkle throughout with the kosher salt. Place within the fridge uncovered for not less than 30 minutes or as much as 1 day—if you’ll not be dry brining, skip this step.
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When able to air fry: take away the hen from the fridge and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.
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In a small bowl, stir collectively the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper (in case you didn’t dry brine the hen, add the salt now)
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Place the hen in a big bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle the spice combination excessive. Toss to coat the hen, guaranteeing you rub the spices evenly over either side.
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Preheat the air fryer to 375 levels F (my mannequin takes three minutes to warmth). Place the hen presentation facet (easy facet) down within the air fryer and let prepare dinner 6 minutes.
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Take away the air fryer basket, then with tongs, rigorously flip the hen over. Proceed cooking till the hen registers between 155 and 160 levels F, 2 to eight minutes extra. Chicken is taken into account suitable for eating at 165 levels F, however I prefer to take away mine a couple of levels early, then let the carryover cooking end the job. The overall prepare dinner time will fluctuate primarily based in your mannequin and the scale of your hen. Smaller breasts (about 6 ounces every) will want solely round eight minutes whole; bigger ones might have 14 or extra. Examine the hen usually in direction of the top to watch its progress. DO NOT overcook or it is going to be dry.
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Take away the hen to a plate. Cowl and let relaxation 5 to 10 minutes. Slice and luxuriate in!
- *Whereas dry brining isn’t 100% necessary (the spices, cooking temperature, and prepare dinner instances listed on this recipe are nonetheless appropriate for the perfect air fryer hen breasts), brining works magic on meat. It improves its texture (it makes it juicy, plump, and meaty, not rubbery) and its taste, as a result of the meat will style extra seasoned during, not simply on the surface. If in case you have time for brining, I extremely suggest it.
- That is the air fryer I used for testing. Whole prepare dinner time might fluctuate primarily based in your mannequin.
- No air fryer? Make my juicy Baked Chicken Breast as an alternative.
- TO STORE: Refrigerate hen breasts in an hermetic storage container for as much as four days.
- TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm hen within the air fryer or oven at 350 levels F.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze leftovers in an hermetic freezer-safe storage container for as much as three months. Let thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating.
Serving: 1small, 6-ounce hen breast (of two)Energy: 237kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 36gFats: 9gSaturated Fats: 2gTrans Fats: 1gLdl cholesterol: 109mgPotassium: 670mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 545IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 1mg
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