Ingredients Meat + Poultry Chicken Chicken Breast Air-Fried Chicken Is the Fastest, Easiest Dinner You’ll Cook All Week Be the first to rate & review! This fast, easy method of cooking chicken makes dinner a snap. By Chandra Ram Chandra Ram Chandra Ram leads the digital food strategy for Food & Wine. She has 15 years experience writing and editing food content and developing recipes. A former restaurant cook and server, she also writes cookbooks. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on October 10, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate Print Share Photo: Getty Images Active Time: 10 mins Total Time: 30 mins Yield: 4 servings Air-frying chicken gives you the ease of cooking something in the oven but with the speed of sautéing. And it’s incredibly versatile; see the note below on other spices to use on the chicken. This chicken is excellent on its own or as the base for a more elaborate meal. Use this recipe to cook chicken while preparing tortillas and toppings for a taco dinner, boiling pasta, cooking rice, or boiling potatoes. Frequently asked questions How long do you cook chicken in an air fryer? Air Fryer Chicken cooks very quickly because of the hot air circulating around the meat. Large chicken breasts will cook in about nine minutes; smaller chicken breasts will cook in as little as six or seven minutes. Keep in mind that you will need to check the temperature of the chicken breasts with a thermometer, since different brands and models of air fryers cook at varying rates. We pull the chicken out from the air fryer when it is 160°F and let it rest for at least five minutes, so the juices redistribute and the temperature of the meat goes up to 165°F, which is the temperature recommended by the USDA. Five Minutes Can Make or Break Your Steak Dinner Why dry-brine the chicken? Any time you cook a lean cut of meat like a chicken breast, you want to do whatever you can to prevent it from drying out. Dry-brining is as simple as seasoning it with salt and letting it sit, uncovered, in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook it. This step is optional — if you skip it, simply whisk the salt into the spice mixture so the chicken is still well seasoned — but it yields moist chicken and is worth the time investment. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen The spices used in this recipe for Air Fryer Chicken can be swapped out if you want to incorporate other flavors in your meal. Feel free to use regular paprika if you don’t have pimentón, or a smoky chili powder instead. Curry powder, coriander, and cumin is another good combination; start with equal amounts of each, taste, and adjust the proportions to your liking. Be careful when adding any spice blends with salt; the salt used to brine the chicken is usually enough. Directions Place chicken on a cutting board and top with a piece of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, pound chicken breasts until they are evenly 1/2 inch thick, starting in the center of each piece and working your way to the edges. Season chicken with salt on both sides and refrigerate, uncovered, preferably for at least 20 to 30 minutes. Combine pimentón, garlic powder, and cumin in a bowl and whisk together. Preheat air fryer to 375°F. Remove chicken from refrigerator and pat dry with a paper towel. Drizzle olive oil over chicken, coating it on both sides. Season chicken with spice mixture evenly on both sides, and place in air fryer basket. Air-fry chicken for 6 minutes, then, using tongs, flip chicken over and air-fry until chicken reaches 160°F, about 3 minutes, depending on the brand and model of your air fryer. Remove chicken from air fryer and let rest for 5 minutes so the internal temperature comes up to 165°F before serving. Rate It Print