Air Fryer Chicken Breast

This Air Fryer Chicken Breast recipe yields flavorful, juicy results every single time. It’s so quick and easy to make, you’ll never cook chicken breast any other way!

I have to be honest: I wasn’t too convinced about the air fryer. So it sat in its box for weeks before I finally unboxed it – and now I’m seriously considering selling our regular oven ?

Everything we have tried so far has been amazing, and I’m especially impressed with how it cooks lean protein. I’ll never cook chicken breast any other way now! It comes out browned and flavorful on the outside, perfectly juicy on the inside… And it’s so hands off, a real weeknight winner!

Ingredients you’ll need

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

Ingredient notes

• Chicken breast: I used two chicken breasts that weighed ½ pound each. If yours are larger or smaller, you will need to adjust the cooking time.
• Olive oil: This is my preferred oil, but any oil you enjoy cooking with can be used.
• Italian seasoning: If you don’t have this on hand, try using a different herb mix such as Provencal Herbs, or a single herb such as dried oregano or parsley.

How to air fry chicken breast

1. Start by preheating the air fryer for 5 minutes to 375°F while you prep the chicken:

Coat the raw chicken breast in olive oil – you’ll want to coat the top an the bottom of the chicken breast! Then, rub the spices all over the chicken breasts to evenly coat. Finally, sprinkle with salt and pepper on either side.

2. Next, place the chicken in the basket of your air fryer, then air fry for around 12 minutes, depending on the exact size.

The exact time will depend on the specific size of your chicken breast, around 12 minutes is what I do for chicken breasts that weigh ½ pound each.

I like to serve this immediately for maximum juiciness, but the great thing about cooking chicken breast in the air fryer: It stays juicy even when you make it ahead of time!

Recipe tips

• Make sure to coat the chicken all around in olive oil and spices. This will ensure maximum browning and flavor everywhere.
• If you want to check on your chicken during cooking, make sure to read the manual of your specific model to know if it’s OK to open the air fryer while it’s running.
• If your air fryer is large enough, you can double the recipe (mine is 5.5 quart and I can cook 4 chicken breasts at a time without any issues). Do not overcrowd the air fryer, and do not overlap the chicken.

Serving ideas

This is a great recipe to use in so many settings! We often have it for lunch over salad. It’s also delicious over pasta with the bruschetta topping from my bruschetta chicken!

But you can also shred it and put it into wraps, or mix it with salsa and use it in tacos. And it’s also great in chicken salad!

More easy chicken recipes

PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.

Printable recipe