Air Fryer Grilled Chicken
Air fryer grilled chicken is a great healthy meal that won’t take long to make. Just place seasoned chicken breast in the air fryer and cook! Before you know it you’ll have juicy chicken on your plate for an easy meal.
Air Fryer Grilled Chicken
Busy weeknights call for one thing — quick meals that don’t require a whole lot of effort. This is one of my favorite air fryer recipes because it really is such an easy to cook chicken. It’s always flavorful, never dry and only takes 30 minutes to make.
Learn how to cook anything in your air fryer with our free cook time chart!
If you’ve been around here a while, you know that I love air fryer recipes. Whether it’s homemade air fryer chicken nuggets or Keto turkey meatballs, I can always count on my trust air fryer to make dinner quick and painless. You can make meals in less time, with less ingredients, but with no lack of delicious flavor!
This air fryer chicken breast recipe is great as a main protein at dinner time, or sliced up to serve on top of a caesar salad. It’s perfect for meal prep too, since chicken stores and reheats really well.
Whether you’re looking for low carb dinner options or simply need something that won’t take long to make, this air fryer grilled chicken is just the thing to try! With a homemade seasoning blend, you can ensure that your chicken always has plenty of flavor.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
There is so much to love about this great recipe. Whenever I find a new, easy way to cook chicken, I always want to share! Everyone needs more easy meals in their life:
- The combination of spices that you need are likely things already in your spice cabinet. So all you’ll need to grab at the grocery store is fresh chicken breasts!
- Serve your air fryer chicken with any and all of your favorite side dishes. You can even slice up this chicken for salads, pasta salads, casseroles and so much more.
- This recipe is low carb and low fat, so it fits the bill for many different diets and dietary restrictions. Healthy food doesn’t have to be bland!
Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients to make these juicy air fryer chicken breasts. Here’s what you’ll need:
- boneless skinless chicken breasts
- olive oil
- kosher salt
- cracked black pepper
- garlic powder
- Italian seasoning
- paprika
Substitutions and Variations
You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs in place of the chicken breast if you prefer. Chicken tenderloins will also work. Just keep in mind that different size chicken will have different cooking time.
For extra flavor, you can add any additional seasonings that you want. Onion powder, chili powder, red pepper, and other spices would all be tasty.
If you do not have olive oil, you can use avocado oil or another neutral flavored oil. The oil helps the seasonings stick the sides of the chicken, so don’t skip it!
How to Make Air Fryer Grilled Breasts
Follow these step-by-step instructions and you’ll have dinner on the table in no time on those busy weeknights:
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (204°C) for 5 minutes. If your air fryer doesn’t have a pre-heat function, just turn it on for a few minutes.
If you have chicken breasts that are thicker than ½”, either butterfly them with a sharp knife or pound them with a meat mallet so that they are all an even thickness.
Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and then drizzle olive oil over both sides. Then mix together all of the seasonings in a small bowl and sprinkle the rub over both sides of the chicken.
Carefully grease your air fryer basket with olive oil spray and then place the seasoned chicken breasts inside.
Cook at 375°F (190°C) for 18-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then slice and enjoy!
How to Store Leftover Air Fryer Grilled Chicken
Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also freeze leftovers, once cooled, in an airtight container or freezer safe bag for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw before reheating.
What to Serve with Air Fryer Grilled Chicken
Serve this with any of your favorite sides! Air fryer green beans, air fryer asparagus, and dairy free mashed potatoes would all pair beautifully with this chicken. Honey roasted parsnips and carrots are one of my favorites to serve with this chicken! A cozy green bean and bacon casserole would also be tasty.
A quinoa arugula side salad or lemon ricotta pasta would be a great side too. Serve this with your favorite dipping sauces too! Barbecue sauce, ranch dressing, honey mustard — they’d all be tasty.
Tips for Success
For the most delicious chicken, check out these few simple tips and tricks:
- Depending on your air fryer model, the cook time for your air fryer grilled chicken could be different. Pay close attention to the chicken as it cooks to ensure it doesn’t overcook!
- It is best to have each of the chicken pieces be an even thickness. This will ensure they all finish cooking around the same time.
- Use an instant read thermometer to quickly and accurately check the internal temperature of the chicken!
FAQ
Yes! It is perfectly safe to put raw chicken in the air fryer. Properly prepared, the air fryer is an easy way to make delicious, juicy, and flavorful chicken.
For this recipe, no it is not necessary to flip the chicken halfway through the cooking process. As long as it is in one single layer across the bottom of the air fryer basket, the hot air will circulate around the chicken to cook it evenly.
More Air Fryer Meals
Air Fryer Grilled Chicken
Equipment
- Cutting Board
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breast about ½” thick
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (204°C) for 5 minutes.
- (Optional) If your chicken breasts are thicker than ½”, either pound them or butterfly them so they are an even thickness. This is optional but it will help the chicken breast cook more quickly and more evenly.
- Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and drizzle them on both sides with olive oil.
- In a small bowl, stir together the seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic powder, italian seasoning, and paprika). Sprinkle the spice rub over both sides of the chicken breasts.
- Carefully grease your air fryer basket with olive oil spray and place the chicken in the air fryer.
- Cook at 375°F (190°C) for 18-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165F. For this recipe, there is no need to flip the chicken while cooking.
- Allow the chicken to rest in the air fryer for 5 minutes before slicing. Enjoy.
