Air Fryer Bone-In Chicken Breasts Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep chicken breast from drying out in an air fryer? ›

Make smart choices without hours of googling.

The #1 tip for the best chicken breasts in an air fryer is: Don't overcook them! Chicken breasts should be cooked to 160°F, but if you cook them all the way to that temperature in the air fryer, carryover cooking will take them beyond that temp and cause them to dry out.

Air fry according to the size of your chicken breasts — again, 4-5oz breasts will take 10-12 minutes, 6-8oz breasts will take 13-15 minutes, and 9-120z breasts could take 16-20 minutes — or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees as measured by an instant read thermometer, flipping the chicken breasts ...

Which is better between air frying vs. oven baking? Air-frying is a healthier alternative to deep-fried foods, but oven-baking often preserves good nutrients while filtering out the bad ones, making oven-baked foods even healthier than most air-fried foods.

Just follow the instructions and make sure you keep an eye in the temperature of the chicken in the final minutes. Since the Air Fryer works with convection heat, there is no need to cook chicken at very high temperatures, as it may quickly dry out and turn rubbery.

Getting a good sear through medium high heat, then reducing the heat to LOW and COVERING the chicken while it cooks. The butter, oil, and chicken juices create a super flavorful liquid that acts as a way to steam the chicken at a low temperature, ensuring that it is moist & tender on the inside.

It's a basic technique—simply use your spoon or spatula to pick up hot oil or butter from the pan, then pour it over the meat as it cooks. This helps distribute the fat and juices, keeps moisture intact as the meat cooks, enhances flavor, and results in a more even cook.

After testing a variety of temperatures, I found that 375 degrees F is the best temperature for air frying chicken. Because the air fryer uses convection heat, you do not need to set it as high as you would an oven (in a regular oven, 425 degrees F is best for baking chicken, like Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast).

Air fry at 390°F for 12 minutes, rotating the chicken once in the middle of the cook time. Again, this is for raw chicken (or raw frozen chicken that has been thawed). The cook time would likely be less for fully cooked store-bought chicken tenders.

Even if your air fryer has top-notch air circulation from its fan, you need to give most larger pieces of food (such as pork chops, burgers, and chicken cutlets) a turn about halfway through cooking.

Aside from classics like salt, pepper, basil and garlic, you could try using chilli powder, ginger, cumin, cayenne, paprika, oregano, sage, rosemary and thyme.

Why is air fryer chicken so juicy? ›

Air fryers seal in the juices

Jess Dang, founder of Cook Smarts, told Insider that an air fryer makes juicier chicken breast than stovetop or oven cooking. The reasons are threefold. First is the high heat, which quickly creates a brown, crispy layer on the outside of the chicken breasts much like oven roasting.

Foil is safe to use in an air fryer so long as you follow three basic rules: never let foil touch the heating element; make sure the foil is weighted so it doesn't blow around the basket; and avoid contact with acidic ingredients, which can cause the foil to leach onto your food.

A very light coating of oil before you place your chicken in the fryer and midway through should get rid of all the flour. If a light coating of oil is not enough, then there is too much flour on the chicken. My chicken is not done after the allotted time. Cook it longer and use a meat thermometer.

For crispy wings, take a little extra time to place the wings in the basket one at a time. It is important that the wings don't overlap and aren't too close together. Air fryers work by circulating hot air all around the surface of the food as it cooks, so you need to be conscious of allowing space for that air flow.

It is possible that it is overcooked. If you cook it for too long or at too high of heat, this will dry out your chicken breast quickly and then will result in a tough, chewy piece of chicken.

Use Tinfoil As A Tool

Another tip that can help keep meats from losing moisture is to protect them with a physical barrier from the dry heat of the air fryer. Using tinfoil helps keep moisture locked in and around the meat, preventing over-evaporation.

Like many, you might want to add water when air frying for added moisture to the food. The water can be added to the drawer or directly onto the food, which is the safer option. Doing this ensures that what you are cooking doesn't dry out and retains its flavor.