Smothered in your favorite BBQ sauce, these finger licking Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Breasts will be a smash hit with the whole family! Easy to make and delicious!
Easy BBQ Chicken Breasts
Crispy edged and juicy on the inside, these BBQ chicken breasts are whipped up easily in the air fryer and come out perfect every time! Kids will love the bold BBQ flavors, it’s a great weeknight dinner that’ll be a firm favorite on your weekly meal rota.
Looking for more BBQ recipes? Why not also try my Honey BBQ Chicken Tenders and my BBQ Chicken Sandwiches.
Why You’ll Love this BBQ Chicken Recipe:
- Quick and Easy Dinner: Easy to prep with minimal ingredients, this cooks in under 30 mins.
- Versatile: Use your favorite BBQ sauce, plus this goes will with so many sides.
- Perfectly Seasoned Chicken: The breasts are coated with an easy and delicious homemade seasoning mix, including paprika, chili and onion powder.
The air fryer makes the juiciest chicken every time. No more dry chicken breasts!
How to Make Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Breast
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Coat your chicken breasts with oil and the seasoning.
- Place the chicken breasts in the air fryer. Cook in batches if needed.
- Halfway through cooking, flip the breast and brush with BBQ sauce.
- Slice and serve with more BBQ sauce.
Yes! I would go for boneless thighs and you will have to increase the cooking time slightly. Jus be sure to check they are cooked through. If you are looking for a great bone in air fryer chicken recipe, give my Air Fryer Chicken Thighs a try!
If using frozen chicken breasts, let them thaw in the refrigerator before using in the recipe.
For a little kick, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or chili powder to the seasoning mix in step 3.
Use your favorite kind of store bought or homemade BBQ sauce. I love this homemade BBQ sauce recipe!
If you crave BBQ all year round, then this is the recipe for you!
How to Store BBQ Chicken Breasts
Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Serving Suggestions
These yummy BBQ chicken breasts go well with all kinds of sides like: salads, grilled veggies, potatoes, pasta. Here are some favorites:
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Be sure to use a preheated air fryer.
- Use similar sized chicken breasts so they cook at the same time.
- If you want to give the chicken a smokier taste, switch the paprika out for smoked paprika.
Quick, easy and bursting with BBQ flavors, these air fryer BBQ chicken breasts are perfect for lunch with a salad or for dinner with heartier sides. However you choose to serve them, they’ll be a hit!
If you’ve made this recipe, please be sure to let us know by leaving a star rating or a comment below. Enjoy!
Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Breast Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ – 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts thin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup BBQ sauce plus more for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 370°F.
- For best results, use thin chicken breasts. If needed, slice the chicken breasts in half to create thinner pieces or place the breasts between parchment paper, plastic wrap, or in a zip-top bag and pound them thin.1 ½ – 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Combine the chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder in a small dish.1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Coat each chicken breast with the oil and seasoning mix.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Place the chicken breasts in the air fryer basket in a single layer. If needed, cook the chicken in batches.
- Cook for 9 minutes, flip the chicken breasts, and cook for 8 more minutes.
- Brush each chicken breast with BBQ sauce.½ cup BBQ sauce
- Cook for another 2 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Slice and serve with additional BBQ sauce.
Notes
- Be sure to use a preheated air fryer.
- Use similar sized chicken breasts so they cook at the same time.
- If you want to give the chicken a smokier taste, switch the paprika out for smoked paprika.
SouthernStyle says
Easy, moist, and oh so delicious!
Thanks for the recipe, will be back to try others
Becky Hardin says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Gloria says
Awesome recipe. All ingredients were spot on. Flavor was fantastic. Will definitely make this again and again. Thank you!!
Becky Hardin says
I’m so happy to hear you loved it, Gloria!
Gloria says
Awesome recipe!