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Air Fryer Chicken Breast

You will love this Air Fryer Chicken Breast recipe! It can be made in the air fryer in under 20 minutes. If you love fried chicken this is a healthier way to get a crispy piece of chicken. Serve it with a delicious lemon sauce and serve alongside rice.

Air Fryer Chicken Breast with a fork

AIR FRYER CHICKEN BREAST

You guys love a lot of my easy chicken recipes and for good reason.

It is a great option for a weeknight meal when you are busy.

We make this Air Fryer Chicken Breast a lot in our house for a quick dinner.

I love how crispy the breading gets without frying it.

While this chicken recipe is great on its own, it is also great for meal prep on the weekend for the week ahead. It is so versatile.

It works nicely served in a wrap, over hummus or in a rice bowl or on salads.

I love that air frying is also super easy with minimal clean-up. You can have this on the table in under 30 minutes.

Some of the other chicken recipes we have on repeat in my house are these Baked Chicken Tenders, Air Fryer Coconut Chicken Tenders, Air Fryer Mediterranean Chicken Thighs, Air Fryer Tandoori Chicken Legs and these Air Fryer Chicken Tenders.

Air Fryer Chicken Breast over white rice with fork

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS AIR FRYER CHICKEN RECIPE

EASY TO PREPARE & COOK: Only 15 minutes to prepare the chicken and 20 minutes to cook, making this an ideal mid week dinner option in the air fryer. You will love air frying your chicken and the crispy skin it creates.

CRISPY CHICKEN: Everyone loves fried chicken and the egg mixture adds a lovely crisp coating. This is a healthier version since it is cooked in the air fryer which I love.

PACKED WITH FLAVOR: This is a flavor packed dinner option, the lemon sauce packs a real punch and pairs really well with the crispy chicken.

Air Fryer Chicken Breast with lemon sauce

WHAT INGREDIENTS DO I NEED FOR THIS AIR FRYER CHICKEN BREAST RECIPE?

  • EGGS: I use free range eggs for the egg wash mixture.
  • GARLIC: I like the flavor of fresh garlic cloves for cooking this chicken recipe. You can use garlic puree in a pinch.
  • GINGER: For the best flavor I use freshly grated ginger.
  • CORNSTARCH: I add cornstarch to the chicken coating as cornstarch gives a great crispy coating to the chicken.
  • SOY SAUCE: I use a tablespoon of soy sauce to flavor and season the chicken.
  • CHICKEN: I’ve used 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe.
  • OIL: I use olive oil to brush the air fryer basket, ready for cooking the chicken.
  • SEASONING: I season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste.

LEMON SAUCE INGREDIENTS

  • CORNSTARCH: I use cornstarch to thicken the lemon sauce.
  • STOCK: I flavor the sauce with a little chicken stock, or you could substitute vegetable stock.
  • LEMON: I use fresh lemon juice in the sauce.
  • SUGAR: I sweeten the sauce with both white sugar and honey.
  • VINEGAR: some white vinegar balances out the sweetness and adds nice acidity to the sauce.
  • SEASONING: I season the lemon sauce with salt and black pepper.
Air Fryer Chicken Breast with parsley

HOW TO COOK CHICKEN BREAST IN AIR FRYER

PREPARE THE EGG COATING: Preheat the air fryer at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes. In a bowl, beat the eggs, minced the garlic clove, grated ginger and two tablespoons of cornstarch.

COAT THE CHICKEN: Dip the chicken breast in the egg mixture, ensuring it is well coated. Set aside.

Air Fryer Chicken Breast dipped in egg

In a separate bowl, add enough cornstarch to coat the chicken breast. Roll the egg-coated chicken in the cornstarch until fully coated.

Air Fryer Chicken Breast dipped in flour

COOK THE CHICKEN: Lightly brush the air fryer basket with olive oil or spray cooking spray to prevent sticking. Place the coated chicken breast in the basket.

Place the chicken breasts inside the air fryer basket and cook for 6 minutes, then flip the chicken breasts and cook for another 6 minutes.

Air Fryer Chicken Breast in an air fryer basket

Use a thermometer to check the internal temperature and continue cooking until the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.

SERVE THE CHICKEN: Remove the chicken and place on a cutting board. Let the chicken sit for two minutes and then slice the chicken.

Air Fryer Chicken Breast in an air fryer

Serve on a platter with the lemon sauce and fresh parsley.

Air Fryer Chicken Breast in a bowl

HOW TO MAKE LEMON SAUCE

PREPARE THE SAUCE: In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch and two tablespoon of
chicken stock, stirring until the cornstarch is dissolved.

Then add remaining chicken stock, sugar, honey, white vinegar, soy sauce and lemon juice.

COOK THE SAUCE: Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy. It will take around 5 minutes.

Air Fryer Chicken Breast with lemon slices

RECIPE TIPS AND MODIFICATIONS

CHICKEN: I’ve used boneless chicken breast for this recipe, but you could also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins. Just make sure you adjust the cooking time.

GARLIC: I’ve added garlic to the chicken coating, but you could also add some to the lemon sauce if desired.

GINGER: I’ve used fresh ginger to coat the chicken but you can use 1/4 teaspoon dried ginger in a pinch.

SPICES: You can rub the chicken breast with any of your favorite seasonings. You can also add other flavor to the egg mixture by adding your favorite seasoning blend or spices like onion powder, italian seasoning, garlic powder, ground cumin, ground coriander or smoked paprika.

FRESH HERBS: Lemon works well with fresh herbs, so feel free to add some to the lemon sauce. Try parsley, basil, tarragon or thyme.

FLOUR: You can swap flour for cornstarch. All-purpose flour contains about half the thickening power of cornstarch, so for every tablespoon of cornstarch required you will need to substitute two tablespoons of all-purpose flour.

HEAT: If you like spicy chicken add some red pepper flakes, or chili powder to the egg mixture.

INTERNAL TEMPERATURE: Chicken needs to be cooked until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. I find the easiest way to do this is to use an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken breast.

Do not overcook the chicken- you want a juicy chicken breast. Cook time will vary depending on the size of your chicken breasts.

LEFTOVERS: You can store the leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

FREEZE: Allow to cool down and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

REHEAT: Just reheat in the air fryer or a skillet before eating. The air fryer will help to crisp them up again.

Air Fryer Chicken Breast with fork

WHAT GOES WITH AIR FRYER CHICKEN BREASTS?

I love salads with all of my meals. Some of our favorites are this Lemon Arugula Salad with Pine NutsKale Salad with Lemon Dressing or this Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

Vegetable side dishes are always a nice addition with air fried chicken breasts. I enjoy these Mediterranean Roasted VegetablesGarlic Broccoli or Turmeric Cauliflower

Potatoes are another great addition to these chicken breasts. I like these Spicy Lebanese PotatoesLemon Cilantro Roasted PotatoesCrispy Garlic Roasted Potatoes, or these Air Fryer Twice Baked Potatoes

OTHER AIR FRYER RECIPES FOR YOU TO TRY:

AIR FRYER COD

AIR FRYER CHICKEN WINGS

AIR FRYER TILAPIA

AIR FRYER SALMON

AIR FRYER PORK TAQUITOS

AIR FRYER COCONUT SHRIMP

AIR FRYER PORK TENDERLOIN

Air Fryer Chicken Breast with lemon sauce

Air Fryer Chicken Breast

Yield: 2
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

You will love this Air Fryer Chicken Breast recipe! It can be made in the air fryer in under 20 minutes. If you love fried chicken this is a healthier way to get a crispy piece of chicken. Serve it with a delicious lemon sauce and serve alongside rice.

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger {or 1/4 teaspoon dried ginger}
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

FOR THE LEMON SAUCE

  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 3/4 cup chicken stock
  • 3 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

    1. Preheat the air fryer at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.
    2. In a bowl, beat the eggs, minced the garlic clove, grated ginger and two tablespoons of
      cornstarch.
    3. Dip the chicken breast in the egg mixture, ensuring it is well coated. Set aside.
    4. In a separate bowl, add enough cornstarch to coat the chicken breast. Roll the egg-coated chicken in the cornstarch until fully coated.
    5. Lightly brush the air fryer basket with olive oil to prevent sticking. Place the coated chicken breast in the basket.
    6. Place the chicken breasts inside the air fryer basket and cook for 6 minutes, then flip the chicken breasts and cook for another 6 minutes. Use a thermometer to check the internal temperature and continue cooking until the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
    7. Remove the chicken and place on a cutting board. Let the chicken sit for two minutes and then slice the chicken.
    8. Serve on a platter with the lemon sauce and fresh parsley.

    FOR THE SAUCE:

    1. In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch and two tablespoon of
      chicken stock, stirring until the cornstarch is dissolved. Then add remaining chicken stock, sugar, honey, white vinegar, soy sauce and lemon juice.
    2. Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy. It will take around 5 minutes.

Notes

You may want to spray the air fryer with non-stick spray to prevent the chicken from sticking.

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Shahzad

Tuesday 23rd of April 2024

Julia, your air fryer chicken breast recipe is a game-changer! I love how crispy and flavorful it looks, and that lemon sauce sounds like the perfect accompaniment. Can't wait to try this healthier take on fried chicken!

Julia

Tuesday 23rd of April 2024

I hope you like it!

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