Air Fryer Chicken Breasts

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 07/4/21
air fryer chicken meal

The Spruce / Diana Rattray
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 16 mins
Total: 26 mins
Servings: 6 ounces
Yield: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
327 Calories
6g Fat
25g Carbs
41g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 327
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 8%
Saturated Fat 2g 9%
Cholesterol 158mg 53%
Sodium 522mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 25g 9%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 41g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 34mg 3%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 358mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

The air fryer is an excellent way to make delicious, crispy chicken breasts. The chicken is coated with beaten eggs and seasoned flour, then "fried" to perfection using almost no oil.

The air fryer works by circulating very hot air around the food, so only a small amount of fat is needed, and the superheated air results in remarkably juicy chicken. Olive oil spray or the more neutral-flavored avocado oil spray are excellent choices. If you don't have cooking oil spray, drizzle a small amount of oil evenly over the chicken pieces. The air fryer is perfect for making multiple chicken dishes.

Serve these chicken breasts with your favorite sides, slice it up and put it on a Caesar salad, or make a chicken sandwich. The options are endless.

Ingredients

  • Olive oil, or avocado oil cooking oil spray

  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

  • 2 large eggs, beaten

  • 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

  • Chopped fresh parsley, optional garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for air fryer chicken breasts
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  2. Spray the inside of the air fryer basket with cooking oil spray. 

    Air fryer basket
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  3. Dry the chicken breasts thoroughly with paper towels and then sprinkle them lightly with kosher salt and black pepper.

    Chicken sprinkled with salt and pepper
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  4. Set out 3 shallow dishes. Add 1/2 cup of the flour to the first dish, the beaten eggs to the second dish, and combine the remaining 1 cup of flour and Cajun seasoning in the third dish.

  5. Dip a chicken breast in the first dish of flour, flipping it to coat it thoroughly. Place the coated chicken breast in the beaten egg and turn it over to coat both sides. Shake off excess egg mixture and dip it into the seasoned flour, coating both sides. Shake off the excess flour and place the chicken breast on a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

    Breading station for chicken

    The Spruce

  6. Arrange the chicken breasts in the air fryer basket and spray them lightly with cooking oil spray.

    Raw breaded chicken breasts in the air fryer

    The Spruce

  7. Set the air fryer temperature to 390 F and set the timer for 16 minutes. Halfway through the cooking time, flip the chicken breasts and spray them lightly with cooking oil spray. When the time is up, use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature. The minimum safe temperature for chicken is 165 F.

    Chicken breasts in the air fryer

    The Spruce

  8. Arrange the chicken pieces on a serving tray and garnish with parsley if desired.

    Air fryer chicken breasts, fried, on a plate garnished with parsley

    The Spruce

Tip

  • This recipe was made in a basket-style air fryer without preheating. If you opt to preheat the fryer, run it at temperature for about 3 minutes before adding the food to the basket.

Recipe Variations

  • For a crunchier coating, replace 1 cup of the flour with fine, plain breadcrumbs. Combine the breadcrumbs and Cajun seasoning in the third breading bowl.
  • Replace the Cajun seasoning with a different spice mix. Try Old Bay or a Moroccan seasoning blend, or use a poultry seasoning mixture.
  • Whisk 2 tablespoons of hot sauce or Buffalo sauce into the eggs.