Air Fryer Chicken Breast – Easy and So Juicy! (VIDEO)
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This is the best way to get juicy, tender Air Fryer Chicken Breasts that are seasoned perfectly for meal prepping or to add to your favorite dishes!
Watch the Air Fryer Chicken Breast Recipe Video!
A Note from CJ
CJ’s Tip for the Juiciest Chicken Breasts!
Chicken breast is so often dismissed for being dry and bland – two things this Air Fryer Chicken Breast is not! My #1 tip is to dry brine the chicken with 1.5% of its weight in kosher salt using a kitchen scale. This is a restaurant tip I learned for my perfect Grilled Steak recipe! It ensures that you are using exactly enough salt to flavor the meat and also absorb any liquid to keep the meat moist and juicy!
For more air fryer recipes, try Air Fryer Chicken Wings, Air Fryer Chicken Thighs, Air Fryer Chicken Tenders, Air Fryer Chicken Katsu, or Air Fryer Chicken Skewers!
Ingredient Tips
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements!
- boneless, skinless chicken breast
- neutral oil – I used avocado oil; you can also use canola, vegetable, or even olive oil (even though it is not a neutral oil, it will work because of the temperature we are cooking at)
- kosher salt – the exact amount will depend on the size of the chicken breasts – you will want to use 1.5% of the chicken’s weight
- seasonings – I used freshly cracked black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, dried rosemary, and dried thyme. Adjust to your preferences!
How to Make Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Breasts
Salt and Pat Dry Chicken Breasts – Weigh the chicken breasts to get a total weigh in grams, then multiply that number by .015 to get the weight of kosher salt you need. Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and sprinkle with the kosher salt you weighed evenly on both sides. Let sit for 10 minutes for the salt to absorb in the chicken breasts and the salt is no longer visible on the exterior of the chicken. Pat dry any excess moisture from the surface of the chicken breasts.
Mix Spice Mixture and Spread on Chicken Breasts – In a small bowl, combine pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, rosemary and thyme. Mix together then add the neutral oil to form a paste. Evenly spread the spice mixture over the chicken breasts until they are fully coated. Place a thermometer into the center of the smaller chicken breast.
Air Fry Chicken Breasts – Place in the air fryer basket, rounded side down and cook at 400°F for 8 minutes (chicken should register ~140°F). Flip and turn the heat to 400°F and cook for another 6 minutes until the chicken registers 155°F internal. Remove and let rest on a plate and cover with foil for 5 minutes. The carryover heat will continue to cook the chicken and the thermometer should read at least 165°F.
PRO TIPS
CJ’s Storage & ReheatingTips
Store any leftover Air Fryer Chicken Breasts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
To reheat, you can use the air fryer, microwave, or oven:
- Oven: reheat at 350°F for 10 minutes until the chicken is warmed through
- Air fryer: reheat at 325°F for 6-8 minutes until the chicken is warmed through
- Microwave: reheat at 1 minute intervals until the chicken is warmed through
If you tried this Air Fryer Chicken Breast Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Air Fryer Chicken Breast – SUPER JUICY!
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, (about 2 breasts)
- kosher salt, see note
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
Instructions
- Weigh the chicken breasts to get a total weigh in grams, then multiply that number by .015 to get the weight of kosher salt you need.
- Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and sprinkle with the kosher salt you weighed evenly on both sides. Let sit for 10 minutes for the salt to absorb in the chicken breasts and the salt is no longer visible on the exterior of the chicken. Pat dry any excess moisture from the surface of the chicken breasts.
- In a small bowl, combine pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, rosemary and thyme. Mix together then add the neutral oil to form a paste.
- Evenly spread the spice mixture over the chicken breasts until they are fully coated. Place a thermometer into the center of the smaller chicken breast.
- Place in the air fryer basket, rounded side down and cook at 400°F for 8 minutes (chicken should register ~140°F). Flip and turn the heat to 400°F and cook for another 6 minutes until the chicken registers 155°F internal.
- Remove and let rest on a plate and cover with foil for 5 minutes. The carryover heat will continue to cook the chicken and the thermometer should read at least 165°F.
Notes
- Oven: reheat at 350°F for 10 minutes until the chicken is warmed through
- Air fryer: reheat at 325°F for 6-8 minutes until the chicken is warmed through
- Microwave: reheat at 1 minute intervals until the chicken is warmed through
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This Air Fryer Chicken Breast recipe was originally published in August 2024, and updated in August 2026.
Wow, they were very juicy, the cooking time was bang on! Thanks for sharing. I use a lot of your recipes.
Thank you so much, Judy! I’m so happy you loved it!