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pile or air fryer chicken breasts with one sliced
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5 from 48 votes

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
Cook Time6 minutes
Total Time21 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Diet: Low Calorie
Servings: 4
Calories: 188kcal

Ingredients

  • 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
  • teaspoon garlic powder
  • teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/16 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

  • 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.
    breaded chicken breast in the air fryer basket
  • 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.
    flipping chicken breast in air fryer basket

Video

Notes

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!

Nutrition

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