Air Fryer Basic Chicken Breasts

I know this seems like a pretty dumb, yet an easy thing to do in air fryer. I looked up air fryer chicken breast recipes and there were a lot of recipes for breaded chicken and BBQ chicken. There were no recipes for just a plain old chicken breast cooked in the air fryer. This chicken comes out so juicy and moist and who doesn’t like having leftover cooked chicken on hand to make leftovers with?

Summer is arriving shortly and tomorrow is already May. Can you believe that? It will be the first time ever having an air fryer during the Summer and I’m looking forward to using that and my smoker/grill. You can use your air fryer to french fries and toast some buns with. Then make burgers on the grill. That sounds so good right now.

This better-than-basic chicken is the next best thing since rotisserie chicken; in fact, the only thing that’s basic about it is the ingredients! Making all-purpose chicken on the fly is the key to meal prepping and throw-together weeknight dinners which is basically the key to winning at life.

HOW TO MAKE CRISPY CHICKEN BREASTS IN THE AIR FRYER
My method below is for a basic chicken breast recipe and I’ve also used this same method to make crispy breaded chicken in the air fryer.

Add 2 eggs to a shallow dish and dip the chicken in the eggs, each side.

In another shallow dish add 1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese. Adding spices like garlic powder and onion powder really enhance the flavor of this bread chicken dish.

After the chicken is dipped in the egg transfer it to the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. If the breading isn’t sticking to the chicken, pat some on top of it with your fingers. Use the same time and temperature that I have listed below in the recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (6 oz each)

Steps

1. In small bowl, mix butter, salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika and pepper. Brush both sides of chicken breasts with butter mixture.
2. Place chicken in air fryer basket, standing against sides of basket if necessary. Set to 350°F; cook 15 minutes. Turn chicken; cook 5 to 8 minutes longer or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (at least 165°F).

Expert Tips

• Air fryer temperature control settings vary according to brand and model. If your air fryer does not have the exact temperature setting called for in the recipe, consult your manual for suggested temperature settings.
• Standing chicken against the sides of the air fryer basket prevents the chicken pieces from touching, which helps the chicken cook evenly.
• These simple chicken breasts are great for an easy weeknight dinner, but they are an easy, versatile way to prep chicken for other uses. Make it on the weekend and use in chicken salad, bowls or sandwiches throughout the week.