This super simple recipe for Air Fryer Chicken Breasts will help you get dinner on the table in 15 minutes…or less! Or use this option for basic meal prep, giving yourself plenty of options for nourishing, delicious meals throughout the week.

What’s Included In This Post
Chicken is one of the most popular proteins, and for good reason! It’s easy to find, fresh or frozen, from just about anywhere. Even if our little local co-op is running low on other options, they always have chicken.
And it’s versatile…which I’ve come to appreciate more. I used to think chicken breasts were so boring and basic. And to be honest, they always seemed dry and bland compared to chicken thighs, which I love.
But if you’re reading this, you probably have some chicken breasts. And an air fryer. And a hungry person who wants a quick meal, like, now.
You probably need no convincing, so let’s get started!
Air Fryer Chicken Breast Ingredients
It doesn’t get much easier than this! Here’s everything you’ll need to make juicy air fryer chicken breasts:
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and thawed if cooking from frozen
- Olive oil or other neutral cooking oil or cooking spray
- Seasoning blend of your choice – can I recommend my All-Purpose MSG Seasoning Blend? It’s my go-to that we use for almost everything, and it makes for such flavorful chicken breasts!

You’ll also need an air fryer (although I added instructions for baking in a conventional oven in the recipe card).
And I recommend having a reliable meat thermometer. An inexpensive digital instant read thermometer is so easy to use and gives you peace of mind that you’re never overcooking or undercooking your chicken breasts.

How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Breasts
It couldn’t be easier to make this air fryer chicken recipe! Follow these simple steps:
- Pat each chicken breast dry, then drizzle with a little bit of oil (such as olive oil, canola oil, avocado oil, etc).
- Add your seasoning mix, sprinkling or dusting it over both sides.
- Place the chicken breasts in the air fryer basket. They can be close to the sides and each other, but make sure they aren’t touching or overlapping as this prevents the air from being able to circulate as it cooks.
- Adjust the settings to 375 degrees F. No need to preheat the air fryer, as this could lead to overcooked edges before the internal temperature of the chicken gets high enough. See below for how long to cook chicken in the air fryer.
- Halfway through cooking, pause the air fryer and flip the chicken using a pair of tongs.
- Once the timer goes off, the chicken should be a beautiful golden brown with blackened bits of seasoning. Insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken breast, entering from the side. Ensure it hits a minimum of 160 degrees F, as the carryover heat will bring it up to the recommended 165 degrees F.
- Once fully cooked, let the air fryer chicken breasts rest, covered, on a cutting board for at least 5 minutes before slicing or chopping. If you want juicy, tender chicken breasts, do NOT skip this part!

Street Smart Nutrition Tip: Usually a boneless, skinless chicken breast is much thicker on one side than the other. For even cooking, you’ll want to pound the chicken so it’s the same even thickness along its entire length. To do this, place it between two pieces of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin or meat mallet (if you have one) to firmly pound the thick side to more closely match the less thick side. Do this before seasoning the chicken so you make less of a mess.
How Long To Cook Chicken in the Air Fryer
For medium to large chicken breasts, start with 13-15 minutes.
If they’re on the smaller side, reduce the cooking time to 10-12 minutes, and if they’re extra large, plan for closer to 18 minutes.

Why Use an Air Fryer?
Trust me, I was asking this same question until recently. I wasn’t convinced the air fryer was all it was hyped up to be. But now that I have one, I can’t ever go back!
Here’s why I think it’s the perfect small kitchen appliance for cooking chicken breasts:
- An air fryer is a compact, countertop convection oven. It doesn’t take up much room and all you have to do is plug it in and adjust your settings using the touchscreen or digital display. Super easy!
- The air fryer basket has slots and holes, so when combined with the small size, the hot air circulates quickly and evenly. Generally speaking, it cooks food much faster than a conventional oven, even if it has a convection setting.
- It’s also more energy efficient. And even though it vents hot air out the back, it’s less likely to heat up your kitchen or home if you’re cooking in a smaller space.
And while I don’t think it’s a replacement for deep-frying, some things that are typically fried, like potato wedges, sweet potato fries, or breaded fish, chicken tenders, etc. turn out just as crispy and crunchy. And don’t even get me started on how much I love air fryer salmon!
The only drawback: the basket size is your limiting factor. We’re a household of two, so it’s usually not an issue. But if you’re doing major meal prep or cooking for more than 1-2 people, you might be better off cooking in a regular oven that can handle larger batches or multiple baking sheets.
Air fryers can get expensive if they have all the bells and whistles. But I have a pretty basic one from COSORI (5-Qt capacity). But it’s 9-in-1 functionality works like a champ.
No air fryer? No problem! Refer to the notes section in the recipe card below for traditional baked chicken breasts.

Air Fryer Chicken Breasts
Equipment
- air fryer, 5 to 6 quart capacity
- Meat Thermometer, digital, instant-read
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or two large chicken breasts (approximately one pound)
- 1 tbsp olive oil, or other neutral cooking oil
- 1/2 tbsp All-Purpose MSG Seasoning, or preferred seasoning blend, to taste
Instructions
- Pat each chicken breast dry, then drizzle with the olive oil. Add the seasoning mix, sprinkling or dusting it evenly over both sides of each piece of chicken.
- Place the chicken breasts in the air fryer basket, making sure they don't touch the sides of the basket or overlap. Set the air fryer to 375 degrees F. No need to preheat the air fryer, as this could lead to overcooked edges before the internal temperature of the chicken gets high enough. For medium to large chicken breasts, start with 13-15 minutes. If they're on the smaller side, reduce the cooking time to 10-12 minutes, and if they're extra large, increase the cooking time to 18 minutes.
- Halfway through cooking, pause the air fryer and flip the chicken using a pair of tongs. Once the timer goes off, the chicken should be a beautiful golden brown with blackened bits of seasoning.
- Insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken breast, entering from the side. Ensure it hits a minimum of 160 degrees F, as the carryover heat will bring it up to the recommended 165 degrees F.
- Once fully cooked, let the cooked chicken breasts rest, covered, on a cutting board for at least 5 minutes before slicing or chopping. Then serve and enjoy or pack into containers for meal prep or leftovers.
Notes
Nutrition
Serving Suggestions and Recipe Ideas
Slice, chop, or shred your cooked air fryer chicken breasts for any recipes that call for pre-cooked chicken.
Or, you can add them to a soup, salad, or pasta dish for extra protein in an easy weeknight dinner.
Plus, many recipes that call for chicken thighs (dark meat) or rotisserie chicken also work well with cooked chicken breasts. For example, here are just a few of my favorites:
- One-Pan Chicken Fried Rice
- Curried Chicken Salad Sandwiches
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
- Chicken Flatbreads with Caramelized Onions and Blueberry-Balsamic Sauce
- Hot Honey Chicken and Rice Bowls

Swaps and Substitutions for Air Fryer Chicken Breasts
This easy recipe is meant to be customized. That’s why the ingredient list is so short! Here are a few suggestions for different flavor combinations:
- Use a salt-free or lower-sodium steak seasoning or grill seasoning (and check out my post about how to make a low-salt diet taste better!)
- Stick to classics like garlic powder or onion powder
- Try cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder or taco seasoning
- Add sweet paprika or smoked paprika

Just about any spice mix will work – even something like a BBQ rub or something with brown sugar can give it a nice sweet & savory twist.
And I recommend sticking with boneless, skinless chicken breasts because then you won’t need to adjust the cooking time or prep steps. But if you only have bone-in, skin-on options, trim any excess skin or fat and increase the cooking time by 2-3. Or, as much time as it takes to still hit the minimum internal temperature of 160-165 degrees F.
Meal Prep and Storage Tips
If you have cooked chicken breasts, you’ve got a versatile protein to use in other meals. But no, this is the type of cookie-cutter meal prep plan that leaves you bored and hungry!
Try some of the recipes linked above. OR, rather than prepping entire meals to repeat over and over, try starting with some pre-cooked options – like chicken or another protein, a grain or starch, and 1-2 types of veggies – then switch up the sauces, seasonings, or side dishes to keep it feeling fresh.
Store your cooked air fryer chicken breasts in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will last 4-5 days max but hopefully, you find a reason to enjoy them before then!
If you plan to freeze cooked chicken, pop it into a freezer-friendly storage bag and remove as much air as possible. This will help prevent freezer burn. Seal it tightly and label it with the date it was cooked and packed. Try to use it within 3-6 months for best results. To thaw, just pull it out of the freezer the night before and let it slowly thaw in the fridge before reheating to use as you normally would.

I hope this is the best chicken you’ve ever made in the air fryer! Enjoy your quick dinner or meal prep options, and be sure to save this post so you can reference it again as needed.
As always, thanks for visiting the Street Smart Nutrition blog. Cheers to more fearlessly nourishing meals!
Questions & Reviews
I tried cooking basic air fryer chicken breasts, and they turned out surprisingly juicy and flavorful!
So good to hear that, when I was testing this recipe I was also pleasantly surprised at how juicy they turned out!
These were amazing! So simple & delicious. I love using my air fryer to cook quick & easy meals for the family.
That’s wonderful to hear, the air fryer is such a rockstar for those quick and easy meals!