My air fryer chicken breast recipe is so easy! Made with just 4 simple ingredients, it’s equal parts sweet, salty, and delicious. I’ll share all my best tips for perfectly tender and juicy chicken breasts every single time!
Air Fryer Chicken Breast Recipe
It doesn’t get much easier than this air fryer chicken breast recipe. I coated the chicken in 3 ingredients– maple syrup, brown sugar, and salt. That’s it! Everything melts together to create a beautiful sweet, salty, and sticky glaze. I like to add a little cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes to add a bit of spice, but this recipe is so easy to adapt to suit any tastes.
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How to Store and Reheat
You can store leftover cooked chicken breast for up to 3 days in the fridge. Be sure to keep it in an airtight container. To reheat, pop it back in the air fryer for just a few minutes.
How to Freeze
Let the cooked chicken fully cool to room temperature prior to storing in an airtight container. In the freezer, it’ll keep for up to 3 months. I recommend allowing the chicken to slowly defrost in the fridge prior to reheating.
Notes and Tips
- You can cook 4-6 oz. frozen breasts in the air fryer without thawing first, 24 minutes total–12 minutes on each side will completely cook the chicken.
- The cooking time for larger breasts will be longer, at 20 minutes. I did ten minutes on each side.
- Thighs will work well for this recipe. They will take around 17 minutes or, if the bone is in, around 24 minutes. Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure that the chicken is cooked through, it should register at 165°F.
- When I make boneless chicken breasts or thighs in the air fryer, I use 90 seconds for each pound as a guide cooking time, and it has been pretty accurate.
Air Fryer Chicken Breast Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts 10-16 ounces each, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat Air Fryer to 380℉ for 5 minutes while preparing chicken breasts.
- Using a small spoon or pastry brush, brush the top of each chicken breast with maple syrup.2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and salt. Divide rub equally and press on top of each chicken breast, pressing into the syrup so it is covered evenly.2 tablespoons packed brown sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Place prepared chicken breast in the Air Fryer basket. Select chicken, making sure the temperature is 380℉. Cook time is 16-20 minutes. Be sure to flip chicken over halfway to cook evenly.
- Optional: Drain the juices from the tray and baste the chicken breast before serving.
Notes
- If using smaller chicken breasts (4-8 oz each) halve the recipe using the following amounts: 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup. Cook time is 12-15 minutes.
How to make Air Fryer Chicken Breasts Step by Step
Brush the Chicken: Brush the top of both chicken breasts with ½ tablespoon of maple syrup.
Rub the Chicken: In a small bowl, mix together 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Gently rub and press this mixture all over each chicken breast.
Cook the Chicken: Place the chicken in the air fryer basket. Cook at 380°F for 12-15 minutes or 16-20 minutes depending on the size of the breasts. Flip halfway through cook time.
Is this (under Recipe Notes and Tips) a typo?
“When I make chicken in the air fryer, I use 90 seconds for each pound as guide cooking time, and it has been pretty accurate.”
It does not “jive” with the cooking times you suggest and implies that a whole 3 to 4 lb chicken would cook in about 6 minutes.
Thanks for pointing that out!