- This air fryer chicken breast is a must make recipe
if you have an air fryer.
The chicken is coated in an easy spice blend
that's a combination of paprika, garlic powder,
dried herbs, and salt and pepper
and that infuses it with so much flavor.
So after a quick pop in the air fryer
which only takes about 10 minutes,
you're gonna end up with chicken breasts
that are incredibly juicy and tender.
Trust me, it is virtually impossible
to end up with overcooked and dry chicken
when you use this recipe.
And after you've whipped up the best air fryer chicken,
all that's left to do is to serve it
with some of your favorite sides.
And I've got a few ideas in today's video.
So let's dive right in.
To get started,
you'll need two boneless skinless chicken breasts
and mine are about seven ounces today.
You can do this recipe with larger chicken breasts as well
but just be aware
that you'll need a slightly longer air frying time.
But the key
is really getting two chicken breasts the same size
so that they cook evenly.
If you have one that's even two to three ounces larger
than the other,
you'll end up with one that cooks faster and dries out
and nobody wants dry chicken breasts.
Lightly pound the thick end of the chicken breast
to flatten it slightly
but don't over pound it.
I've watched too many videos
where chicken breasts are pounded to smithereens
into these really thin chicken breasts.
And while yes, they will cook faster that way,
they also won't end up juicy.
So don't do that.
Drizzle two teaspoons of olive oil on the chicken
and then use your hands
to make sure the chicken is fully coated
as this helps the seasonings to stick.
And speaking of seasonings, I have to be honest
that this recipe is simply a riff
on my best baked chicken breast recipe.
You guys loved that recipe so much
that all I did was halve the recipe for two chicken breasts
and adjust the time for the air fryer.
I mean, when you've got a winner of a recipe,
why mess with it, right?
So for the seasonings, add half a teaspoon of paprika
to a small bowl along with a quarter teaspoon garlic powder,
a quarter teaspoon dried thyme, or other herbs,
half a teaspoon kosher salt
and an eighth teaspoon ground black pepper.
Stir the seasonings together,
sprinkle it on the chicken breasts,
and then rub it in with your hands
so that the chicken is well coated.
And when one side is done,
flip the chicken over and do the other side as well.
If you have larger chicken breasts
or would just like more seasoning on your chicken,
you can always add more.
In fact, if you like this blend,
you can make a large batch of it
and then save it in a spice jar for future use
to make things easy.
I show how to do that on my spice drawer organization video.
Add the chicken to your air fryer
and I like to put them smooth
or presentation side down first
so that after you flip them, you can let them rest
and then serve them pretty side up.
Set the temperature on your air fryer
to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
and then you'll cook the chicken breasts
for about 10 minutes.
Again, depending on size.
And what I like to do is cook them on the first side
for about seven minutes,
then flip them and cook
for an additional three minutes or more on the second side
which is is also the side they're going to rest on.
But if you've made any
of my oven baked chicken breast recipes,
you know that flipping chicken
is key to ensuring all of those juices stay in the middle.
And that's what we want with this recipe,
tender and juicy chicken on the inside.
After your chicken breasts are cooked through,
transfer them to a plate or cutting board and let them rest.
And if you're not sure if they're fully cooked,
you can insert an instant read thermometer.
I always aim for about 160 degrees Fahrenheit
as they'll still increase several degrees while they rest.
Air fryer chicken breasts are not only great
for a quick and easy weeknight dinner
but I also love that you don't have to heat up the oven
which also invariably heats up your whole house
if you want baked chicken in the summertime.
It's also a cinch to clean the inside of the air fryer
which is why I've been using my air fryer more and more.
But take a quick look at the inside of this chicken.
I know it's hard to see with the lighting here
but trust me, it is so incredibly juicy inside.
And if you're gonna meal prep the chicken for the week,
you can slice it or dice it
to easily add it to salads or bowls
or keep it whole to serve it up with side dishes.
It's up to you.
And speaking of side dishes,
I've got a whole bunch
of air fryer veggie sides coming your way
in a few weeks.
As a sneak peek,
I whipped up these green beans in my air fryer
and the mashed potatoes.
Well, I mean I baked the potatoes in the air fryer
and then turned them into mashed potatoes afterwards.
But it's so easy to cook veggies
like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, carrots, beets
and more in the air fryer.
So if you wanna see all of those and not miss out,
make sure you're subscribed to my channel.
Now look at how beautiful this dinner is fully plated.
It's a simple, healthy meal that definitely satisfies.
I'm gonna dig into this plate right now
but if you wanna see more air fryer recipes,
let me know in the comments below
and I will see you guys again in the next video.
(bright gentle music)