20 Minute Air Fryer Chicken Breast
A quick but flavorful recipe to cook chicken breast in the air fryer- ready in just 20 minutes! With a simple breading that gets crispy and adds so much flavor.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time6 minutes mins
Total Time21 minutes mins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Diet: Low Calorie
Servings: 4
Calories: 188kcal
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts roughly 2 large
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Breading
- ¼ cup bread crumbs see * note 1
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- 1/16 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Prepare - Heat air fryer to 390°F / 200 °C. Slice chicken breasts in half horizontally to make two thin chicken breast halves from each. Brush each side lightly with olive oil.
Bread - Stir together the breading ingredients. Dredge the chicken breasts in the breading multiple times until they are thoroughly coated. Shake off excess breading, and place in a single layer in the air fryer (2 chicken breast halves at a time). Cook - Shake off excess breading, and place in a single layer in the air fryer (2 chicken breast halves at a time). Cook for 4 minutes.
Flip- Flip, then cook for two more minutes. Precise cook time will depend on the size and thickness of your chicken breasts, so either check with a digital thermometer that chicken has reached 165°F or cut one in half.
1. We recommend using regular breadcrumbs as opposed to panko as the seasonings mix in much better. For a gluten-free option, some readers have reported back that gluten-free bread crumbs were a success!
Storage
Fridge - Cool completely, then store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze- while we haven't tested this particular recipe, we've had success in freezing other breaded chicken recipes (raw or cooked). Flash freeze the breaded chicken on a baking sheet for 2-4 hours, then transfer to a freezer bag or container for longer term storage (3 months). Cook from frozen or thaw first (we do not have precise cook times to cook from frozen).
Reheat - Reheat in a pre-heated air fryer at 390°F/200°C for 2-3 minutes, until heated through and breading becomes crispy again!
Serving: 1chicken breast half (roughly 3.5 oz) | Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 472mg | Potassium: 432mg | Vitamin A: 170IU | Vitamin C: 1.3mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 0.8mg