Air Fryer Chicken Breasts
These flavorful air fryer chicken breasts cook up to juicy perfection in no time with only a little effort.
Servings: 4
Calories: 325kcal
Ingredients
Brine
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- Water
Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Fill a large bowl with room-temperature water and stir in the kosher salt until it dissolves.
- Add the chicken breasts to the salt water and allow them to soak for 30 minutes up to an hour or two. Remove the chicken breasts from the soak and pat them dry with paper towels.
- If you are using standard-sized chicken breasts, place each breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound the thicker end gently with a meat mallet to flatten the chicken breast to an even thickness.
- In a large bowl, drizzle the chicken breasts with olive oil and toss to coat completely.
- Combine the spices in a small bowl and stir together. Sprinkle half of the spice mixture over the chicken breasts and rub it in.
- Spray the air fryer with non-stick cooking spray.
- Working in batches of two chicken breasts at a time, place the chicken in the air fryer and cook at 380°F for 8 minutes.
- Flip the chicken breasts over and sprinkle some of the remaining seasonings over the top of the chicken breasts to make a pretty, finished presentation.
- Cook for another 8 to 9 minutes until the internal temperature registers 165°F.
Notes
- The salt brine bath makes a noticeable difference in the juiciness and moistness of the chicken. It takes only 30 minutes to make this impact but well worth it. No need to rinse the chicken after removing it from the salt bath. This adds a bit of saltiness to the chicken - the seasonings in the recipe have been adjusted accordingly. If you skip the salt bath, you may want to increase the salt level of the spice rub.
- Reserving some of the seasoning blend and sprinkling it on top after you flip the chicken breasts over gives a nice seasoned presentation. This is optional.
- Make sure to check your air fryer manual for cooking time guidelines for your specific model, as times and temperatures vary depending on the type of air fryer you have.
Nutrition
Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 8499mg | Potassium: 866mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 323IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg