Air Fryer Chicken: A Healthy, Quick Cooking Option?

Air fryers are a great way to cook chicken breasts. They can cook chicken breasts in less than 20 minutes, resulting in juicy, tender and super flavorful meat. You can season the chicken with pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika, or use your favourite spices. You can also marinate the chicken in Italian dressing, or brush or mist the chicken breasts with extra virgin olive oil before adding seasonings to ensure they stick. It's important not to crowd the basket, and to make sure the chicken breasts are not overlapping.

How to ensure chicken cooks evenly

Yes, you can cook chicken breast in an air fryer. To ensure the chicken cooks evenly, follow these steps:

First, ensure the chicken breasts are of even thickness. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts naturally have a thicker end and a thinner end, so cover the breasts with plastic wrap and pound them to an even thickness with a meat mallet or rolling pin. This will ensure the chicken cooks at the same rate.

Next, don't crowd the basket. The chicken breasts can touch within the air fryer basket, but they should not overlap. This will allow the hot air to circulate and cook the chicken evenly.

You can also brush or mist the chicken breasts with extra virgin olive oil before adding seasonings to ensure they stick. This will help create an even coating of flavour.

Finally, if you're unsure whether your chicken is cooked through, use an instant-read thermometer to check if the internal temperature has reached 165°F (71°C). This will ensure the chicken is cooked evenly throughout.

How to season chicken breasts

Yes, you can cook chicken breasts in an air fryer. Here are some tips on how to season chicken breasts:

First, pound the chicken breasts with a meat mallet or rolling pin to an even thickness. This will ensure that they cook evenly. Then, brush or mist the chicken breasts with extra virgin olive oil before adding your chosen seasonings to ensure they stick.

There are many different ways to season chicken breasts. You can use your favourite spices or seasoning blends. For example, you can season with pepper and homemade seasoned salt, which is a blend of salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Alternatively, you can marinate the chicken in Italian dressing, then drain and pat dry before air frying. You can also add other seasonings, such as rosemary, thyme, steak seasoning, smoked paprika, and sweet paprika.

If you want to keep it simple, salt and pepper are hard to beat. You can also add a tablespoon of olive oil, 2 or 3 crushed garlic cloves, and a chopped small onion to the pan. After a couple of minutes, turn the breast and cover. 10 to 15 minutes later, you'll have a tasty, moist breast.

How to know when chicken is cooked

Yes, you can cook chicken breast in an air fryer. To know when the chicken is cooked, check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. It should be 165°F (71°C). If you don't have a thermometer, pierce the thickest part of the chicken with a knife or fork and check the colour of the juices. If they are clear, the chicken is cooked. If they are pink, it needs more time. You can also check the size of the chicken. If it looks the same size as its raw state, it needs more time.

When cooking chicken breast in an air fryer, make sure the chicken breasts are an even thickness. Cover them with plastic wrap and pound them with a meat mallet or rolling pin. Don't crowd the basket, but the chicken breasts can be touching within the basket. Preheating the air fryer can result in the outside cooking faster than the inside, so it's best not to do this.

How to avoid chicken drying out

Yes, you can cook chicken breasts in an air fryer. Here are some tips to avoid the chicken drying out:

• Don't preheat the air fryer as this can cause the outside to cook faster than the inside.
• Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness with a meat mallet or rolling pin before cooking.
• Don't crowd the basket. The chicken breasts can touch but shouldn't overlap.
• Brush or mist the chicken breasts with extra virgin olive oil before adding seasonings.
• Marinate the chicken in Italian dressing, then drain and pat dry before air frying.

How to cook chicken breasts quickly

Yes, you can cook chicken breasts in an air fryer. Here's how to do it quickly:

First, prepare your chicken breasts. Cover them with plastic wrap and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound them to an even thickness. This will ensure that they cook evenly. Season the chicken breasts with your favourite spices or seasoning blends. You can also marinate the chicken in Italian dressing, then drain and pat dry before air frying. To help the seasonings stick, brush or mist the chicken breasts with extra virgin olive oil before adding the seasonings.

Next, spray the basket of the air fryer with nonstick spray. Place the chicken breasts in the basket, making sure they are not overlapping. Preheating the air fryer is beneficial if you want a crispy outside, but it can cause the outside to cook faster than the inside. If you're not sure if your chicken is cooked through, use an instant-read thermometer to check that the internal temperature has reached 160°F (71°C).

Air fry the chicken breasts for 13-15 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes, then slice and serve. And that's it! You've quickly cooked juicy, tender, and super flavorful chicken breasts in your air fryer.

Frequently asked questions