The Juiciest Air Fryer Chicken Breast

So the goal of cooking chicken breasts in the air fryer is to cook them just right, quickly, without much oil, and get the most perfect juicy and moist chicken breast! You don’t want to overcook them as that can mean dry chicken. You don’t want to undercook them, because that, of course, means raw chicken.

We always suggest using an instant-read thermometer (we love our Thermapen) to check the temperature of meat, but the goal is to get the chicken cooked to 165º. And the biggest indicator of proper cooking time for air fryer chicken breasts is the size of the chicken breasts!

Size Matters!

Chicken breasts these days can range in size anywhere from 9 ounces to more than 14 ounces! The actual time needed in the air fryer will depend exactly on how large your chicken breast is. Our best tip is that if you are cooking more than 1 chicken breast at a time, try to make sure they are all similar sizes.

We recommend weighing the largest one before determining the amount of time needed. It is not the cumulative weight of all of the chicken breasts, but just the weight of the largest one that determines the number of minutes needed.

Cooking Time as Determined by Weight

As mentioned above, how long it will take to cook chicken in the air fryer will vary based on the size of your chicken breasts. Keep in mind that you will need to flip the chicken halfway through cooking!

• Small Breasts that are roughly 5 to 7 ounces: 7 to 10 minutes

• Medium Breasts that are roughly 8 to 10 ounces: 10 to 13 minutes

• Large Breasts that are 11 ounces or more: 14 to 18 minutes

As all meat does, the chicken will continue to cook while it is resting, and this is a good thing. After the chicken has finished cooking, check the temperature. It should ideally be around 155ºF or 160ºF.

Let the chicken sit for an additional 5 minutes. The temperature will continue to rise as the chicken rests. Double-check one more time that the temperature has risen to 165ºF after it has rested! Then you are ready to eat!

Quick Tip: If for some reason the chicken is below 155ºF once it has finished cooking, you can close the lid and cook the chicken for 2 more minutes.

For sure it’s a delicate balance when cooking chicken between making sure it’s fully cooked, but not overcooked!

If you’ve made my Thanksgiving Turkey (with Herbs and Citrus), you know I am a big fan of a dry brine over a wet brine. When thinking about making simple air fryer chicken breasts for a weeknight dinner or meal prep, a wet brine was a big no for me! I can achieve the same juiciness with a dry brine, and it’s way easier and less messy!

A quick dry brine for your chicken (it's easy!)

1. Pat your chicken dry
2. Place your chicken in a small bowl
3. Sprinkle it with salt on both sides
4. Place in the refrigerator for at minimum 30 minutes