This foolproof recipe for making boneless air fryer chicken breast will give you perfectly juicy chicken every time.
Air Fryer Chicken Breast Recipe
If you want to know how to cook chicken breast in an air fryer, this easy recipe will give you the juiciest, most flavorful chicken breasts. Slice them up and serve them with your favorite sides, use it in chicken salad, in bowls, salads or casseroles. If you are new to air frying, you can see more air fryer recipes like these Air Fryer Chicken Thighs, Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets, or Air Fryer Chicken Tenders. And even more from my latest cookbook, Skinnytaste Air Fryer Dinners!
I usually prefer chicken thighs over breast meat because they are juicier since they have more fat. But using this chicken recipe in the air fryer results in a juicy chicken breast with so much flavor!
How does brining add moisture to meat?
When you salt a chicken breast, the meat absorbs extra liquid and salt during the brining period. Some of this liquid gets lost during cooking, but by soaking in salted water, it results in a juicier and more flavorful final dish. This is particularly great for lean cuts of meat, such as chicken breast and turkey breast that tend to dry out during cooking. Basic brine ratio: The basic ratio of salt to water for a brine is 4 tablespoons of salt per 6 cups of water.
Ingredients:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts (I prefer organic which is usually smaller)
- Brine: Water and kosher salt (I used Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt which has less sodium than Morton’s).
- Seasoning Blend: I use smoked or sweet paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper and dried parsley. You can use your favorite spice rub, or cajun blend of spices.
FAQs
How do you keep chicken breast from drying out in an air fryer?
- My Number #1 Tip for the juiciest air fryer chicken breast is brining.
- To brine a boneless, skinless chicken breast, start by pounding the thicker end of the chicken to make both sides leveled out so they cook evenly.
- Fill a large bowl with about 6 cups of lukewarm water and add 1/4 cup kosher salt, stirring to dissolve. Although this may sound like a lot of salt, only a small amount is absorbed.
- Add the chicken breasts to the brine and let them sit 1 to 2 hours (any longer and the chicken will be too salty).
- Remove from water, pat dry with paper towels and discard the water.
- Spritz or rub the chicken breast with olive oil. Make a dry rub with your favorite herbs and spices, then coat.
- Air Fry the chicken breast 380F about 4 to 6 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness.
How Long To Cook Chicken Breast in the Air Fryer
The amount of time it takes to air fry chicken breast will vary based on the thickness and size of your chicken breasts. It takes anywhere from 8 minutes for a smaller breast to 12-14 for larger breasts. The internal temperature for cooked chicken breast should be 165 degrees F using an instant read thermometer. See this helpful guide below:
Chicken Breast Air Fryer Cook Time:
- Small Chicken Breasts (5 to 6 ounces): 8 to 10 minutes
- Medium Chicken Breasts (7 to 8 ounces): 10 to 12 minutes
- Large Chicken Breasts (9 ounces or more): 12 to 14 minutes
(Always flip the chicken breast halfway through for even cooking.)
Other variables that can effect the cook time:
- How much much chicken you have in the basket. One piece vs a full basket can vary in time from 1 to 2 minutes.
- Air fryer cook times can vary by air fryer. Some of these factors include the wattage and type of air fryer (basket style vs toaster style air fryer). Get to know your air fryer and make adjustments as needed.
- Letting the chicken rest to room temperature before cooking vs cooking straight from the refrigerator may need a minute or two more.
Can you cook raw chicken in an air fryer?
Absolutely, the air fryer is essentially a convection oven, perfect for cooking raw chicken or any meat.
Meal Prep
Place leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days or freezer up to 3 months.
More Air Fryer Chicken Breast Recipes:
- Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets
- Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan
- Herbed Buttermilk Chicken Breast in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Chicken Milanese
- Bacon Wrapped Air Fryer Chicken Breast
How To Make Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Breasts
Equipment
Ingredients
- kosher salt*, see notes
- 4 boneless chicken breasts, about 6 ounces each
- olive oil spray
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/8 cayenne pepper
Instructions
Air Fryer Method:
- Pound the thicker end of the chicken to make both sides leveled out so they cook evenly.
- Fill a large bowl with 6 cups of lukewarm water and add 1/4 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt, stir to dissolve.
- Add the chicken breasts to the water and let them sit, refrigerated 1 to 1 1/2 hours to brine. Remove from water, pat dry with paper towels and discard the water.
- In a small bowl combine 3/4 teaspoon salt, with the remaining spices. Spritz the chicken with oil and rub all over, then rub the spice mix over the chicken.
- Add the chicken to the air fryer basket and air fry in batches 380F 5 minutes on each side, 10 minutes total until browned on the outside and cooked through on the inside. See notes below for larger breasts.
Oven Method:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Heat an oven safe or cast iron skillet over high heat for 5 minutes until it is very hot.
- Place the chicken on the hot skillet, and cook for 1 minute. Turn, and cook 1 minute on other side.
- Transfer skillet to the oven and bake until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear and a thermometer reads 165F inserted in the center, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Last Step:
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Notes
- Small Breasts (5 to 6 ounces): 8 to 10 minutes
- Medium Breasts (7 to 8 ounces): 10 to 12 minutes
- Large Breasts (9 ounces or more): 12 to 14 minutes
- Always flip the chicken breast halfway through cooking to ensure it cooks evenly.
Nutrition
Categories:
Photo Credit: Plays Well With Butter
My family loves these air fryer chicken breasts. Very handy to have on hand for making quick meals, and the flavor is so good. And they are so easy to prep and cook.
Best chicken I’ve ever had. I won’t ever go back to baking chicken in the oven. I had to adjust some spices and change the temperature in my air fryer to 375 but cooked my chicken for 12 minutes and it came out perfect. I was afraid this would be dry and salty but it wasn’t. Thank you so much for all your recipes.
Thanks Cathy! Glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent recipe for juicy chicken breasts. I brined for a few hours and rinsed the chicken before I seasoned. Not at all salty.
Amazing! And so easy to make!
Excellent recipe, just had to work out the timing for one chicken breast.
I made this recipe and it was wonderful and the best recipe I have ever made.
It’s a 10 in my book.
Thank you Gina for all the wonderful recipes you give us.
Thank you!
It was really good I enjoyed it so much thank you
Love this recipe. Great to cook some up for using during the week in salads and wraps.
It was great! A tad salty for my taste, though — I think I’ll omit the salt from the seasonings after brining.
I added 1 Tb sugar to the brine. The meat was large so I cut the 3 pieces in half diagonally. It was great, Moist, used Emeril’s Bayou Blast.so good. Thank you SkT
GREAT!!
I didn’t brine. To decrease sodium I air fry frozen chicken after dipping in water and coat with favorite flavors. This keeps the chicken moist. Also, cover with foil until the last 5 min. This works with grilling as well.
This chicken is absolutely delicious. It’s my go to chicken recipe. This is great with a veg and potato or rice or cut up in a salad. So juicy and tender.
Love this recipe.
Easy. Quick (minus the brining time.) Delicious. What more can you ask for in a recipe?
It’s just me so I cook 1 chicken breast cut in half horizontally.
Would the ratio of water/salt be less?
Gina, I made this air fryer recipe and it is just as you promised. It was perfectly delicious as you said it would be. I’m sold, from now on this is the way I’m going to make chicken breast. It was juicy, tender and the seasoning is great. It was even juicy and tender when I reheated left overs. Thank you so much.
I am SO happy you enjoyed it!!
It’s hard to understand. Maybe I need air frying for dummies.
This is the only way we make chicken breasts! We use the brine and rub on the charcoal grill or in the air fryer. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with a pickle juice, brine.
Great!
I can’t believe how tender and juicy the chicken breast turned out! Definitely using this texhnique again and again!
It says “Fill a large bowl with 6 cups of lukewarm water and add 1/4 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt, stir to dissolve.” Do put it in the refrigerator 1 to 2 hours or do I leave it out on the counter covered for 1 to 2 hours?
refrigerate
I’ve got to say … this is great. Chicken is so moist and delicious! I’m an air fryer novice. I’ll definitely make this again … 10 minutes!
So happy to hear!!
Made this recipe tonight. I brined the two chicken breasts and used the suggested spices. They were juicy with good flavor. I would use less salt in the spice mixture. Put a light coating of olive oil to get the spices to stick, but still lost some spice during the cook. Still good flavor. I would recommend. I’ll cook this again.
Awesome!!
Absolutely delicious! I followed your directions exactly using my AF at 375′ for 12 minutes/ for a 12 oz breast I pounded out- and it was perfectly moist, tender and well seasoned- thank you for a great recipe!
I used Morton’s kosher salt because it is what I have, but used 1/8 c. After reading the “too salty” comments I also left out the 3/4 t. of the salt in the spice mix and regret that. Will do the 1/8 c. Morton’s + 3/4 Morton’s next time.
Made this today in the air fryer, it was moist and delicious, thx for sharing
GREAT!
Whole family loved it. I could see making this each week to use on salads
YES I love it on salad!
at what temperature should the air fryer be set to?
Recipe says air fryer at 380
Like others, I’m not sure I will ever have chicken any other way! I cut my larger breasts in half and didn’t pound them. I then put my thermometer in the smallest piece and remove each one as they arrive to 165. I did mine in the oven and can’t believe how juicy and flavorful they are! I did add the salt to rub mixture but might cut back on it next time. It didn’t taste too salty, but so flavorful, just hoping I don’t need as much or at all:)
My chicken breasts were large and took a lot longer to cook even though I pounded them down. I could have cooked them faster on the grill or in the oven. Also, putting them in a brine solution made them taste almost too salty. The chicken is good on salads but too salty as a meal.
This is the only way I make my chicken since I found your recipe. I like to pound it thin and season as suggested. I make enough for the week since I do weight watchers. It’s even delicious as a snack cold out of the refrigerator.
Great!!
Since I found this recipe I don’t make my chicken any other way. It’s so delicious! I pound the breasts thin and put the dry rub on and spray with olive oil. I’m a weight watcher and cook enough to last all week. Great in salads or snacking on cold from the fridge. Thank you for sharing this great recipe.
I am so happy to hear!
So delicious! When I was growing up, my mother who was a good cook in most ways always served dry chicken. I think she thought it was healthy, but I didn’t like it at all and didn’t realize it could be better. This is a game-changer – thanks, Gina!!!
GREAT!
Thank you!!! Was always ” overwhelmed” with bringing( something you do days in advance for Thanksgiving – not for a Monday night ) such juicy chicken – only way I’ll make it from now on
DOES NOT NEED SALT in the rub, if you brined the chicken first. It was far too salty. Ruined dinner
The recipes does not call for salt in the rub! 🙂
Yes, it calls for 3/4 tsp of salt in the rub.
There’s no salt in the rub.
Salt is not listed in the ingredient list for the rub, but is listed in the text directions.
Used chicken thighs, and served with sauce that no one ended up using because they were exceptionally tasty all on their own.
this was very tasty, my first time using an air fryer and it won’t be my last. very juicy
I’ll admit basically the only part of this recipe I follow is the time and cooking temperature but it turned out really good! I brine the chicken sometimes but other times I just throw it in with my seasonings of choice and it comes out great every time! Some larger pieces do take a few more minutes to cook but I don’t think its ever taken more than 15 minutes. Super quick and tasty.
I do the same thing Meg. Just season and throw in the air fryer. Tastes delicious 😋.
Awesome recipe! My family loved it! We have an oven style air fryer so I did it at 400 for about 20 minutes but I had 4 thicker chicken breasts, so I just kept taking the internal temp towards the end. I didn’t have kosher salt so made the brine with 2 tablespoons of table salt to about 7-8 cups of water for about an hour & because the breasts were bigger I doubled the spices and left salt out completely from the rub. SO GOOD!!!
This was great! I hate making chicken in the oven or stovetop. This was fantastic in the air fryer – soooo tender and juicy!
@Michelle – Halal and kosher salts are merely sea salts that have been “approved by labeled temple merchants” and “religious status climbers”. Pay attention to little logos on salt containers!
FYI, there is an extra fee collected from distributors (deeply buried in the production cost, thus carried to the consumer) to cover “divine interventions” — actually, many million$ of dollar$ yearly. Shouldn’t everyone be aware that man-made religions come at a price?
Better think about salt that contains iodine or not, that has been unrefined or not, that is lower in sodium or not, or is high in essential minerals or not, or that has been manipulated by shady labs and businesses or not, period. Just my grain of coarse salt, of course!
This link will help you compare 9 salts without conscience objectors and bearded influencers: (https://www.ecowatch.com/9-different-kinds-of-salt-which-is-the-healthiest-1891079937.html) 👊 😷
This recipe was amazing! The chicken was so moist. I have never brined anything before, wow what a difference it made. The only thing I did differently was not add any salt to the outside of the chicken after reading other comments. It wasn’t salty at all, the other spices were perfect. I will definitely be making it again, my family loved it. Thank you for an amazing recipe!!
We grilled the chicken on the BBQ, it was juicy and flavourful
I see the note for Diamond kosher salt…is that coarse or regular (fine)?
Coarse. 🙂
Delicious!! I made it exactly as it stated and it was perfect.
Great!!
Can you cook from frozen or does the chicken need to be thawed.
Will this work on the grill too?? Do I have to air fry or cook in the oven?
I followed the recipe to the tee! By using the air fryer it’s amazing how simple it is! The chicken was not salty and it was moist! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe with the world!
Love this and it works……
Phenomenal! I use the brine/air fryer method chicken for so many different recipes now and just adapt the seasonings accordingly. Also scale up/down the salt based on the number of chicken breasts proportionally. I have not had an issue with it being too salty. This is a staple and so easy! Thank you for this, Gina!
Didn’t realize it really mattered to use kosher salt – would appreciate adding “do not substitute” in the recipe next to the kosher salt. I’m new to this website and cooking generally and didn’t realize there was a Notes section. Used normal salt, TBD on how it turns out.
I added a note, if all you have is table salt brine it less time or use less.
Extremely tender and juicy chicken. We used kosher salt in the brine as noted, but it was still a bit salty, so we may back off of the 3/4 tsp. of salt called for in the rub next time.
Is it 10 min on each side or 10 min total (5 min per side)?
5 min on each side.
This is the best chicken recipe I’ve ever made! The seasoning was just right and it cooks up juicy and delicious. With each new recipe I try, I give my family a vote: it was ok, don’t make it again…it was prettygood, but don’t make it again…and it was really good, please make it again. Every recipe I make from this site or the cookbooks always falls into the last category and is put into our standard rotation.
I also LOVE the FB feed. When I’m uninspired or stumped, I can go there and usually find something that I already have all of the ingredients for!
Thanks Jenny!
My husband a throat cancer survivor loved this chicken method. Plenty of juices left in his white meat. Juicy and easy chew.
I love chicken thighs too, but he only wants chicken breast.
Trying again tonight with chicken breast strips.
This is the BEST chicken! So flavorful, moist and tender! Kudos, Gina!
Thank you!!
I just got my first Air Fryer. I made this deliscious juicy chicken. The seasoning was perfect! It’s definitely going in my meal rotation.
Loved it!! Thank you Gina I love your healthy recipes!
I didn’t see the Morton warning til I’d already started brining. This pivot worked out just fine for me: I pulled the chicken from the brine after 45 minutes and added fresh water and let it soak in the fridge for another half hour or so. Added just a half teaspoon to the seasonings and the final product tasted just right–though I realize everyone’s taste for salt is different! This is my first time using the air fryer lid for my instantpot and it came out great. So juicy and cooked just right. I accidentally set it at 385 because I wasn’t paying close enough attention and I also bumped it up to 12 minutes total cooking time.
An overly salty mess. I had David’s kosher salt instead of Diamond and didn’t see the advisory until the comments.
Not familiar with Davids but if you don’t use enough water, a different salt, or leave it too long (I wrote exactly how many cups) it could make it salty.
I use this recipe ALL the time to make chicken for salads.
Comes out perfectly juicy every time. I find it easiest to butterfly really thick chicken breasts and cut them in half that way.
This was my first time using my Ninja air crisper , and I couldn’t be more excited about how this turned out. I was pretty nervous about how it would work but it was delicious! I am not a salt person so it was a tiny bit salty for my taste , but I still devoured it. Can’t wait to try more of these recipes
This recipe was a huge hit. I prefer chicken breast, but keeping it juicy is a feat. This brine was the ticket! I chose the oven version, but will try the air fryer next time.
Great!!
Thanks this was really delicious! Easy and great tasting chicken for any use.
Sorry for the misspelled words. I wonder how the chicken breast would be if we used buttermilk instead of salt water? I would love to hear from someone who did this . I love Ginas recipes. There is so much flavor. Thank you!!
im brining mine currently in buttermilk and ranch seasoning!
This is seriously hands-down the best chicken breast recipe! I won’t cook chicken breast any other way! I’ve never been able to accomplish making juicy chicken breasts, until now!
I agree with all of this but I have 1 tip that I think will change your life.
Instead of brining the chicken, at least an hour ahead, sprinkle generously with kosher salt and wrap in Saran Wrap and place in the fridge. Cook per instructions. Does the same thing as the brine with less salt, less mess and less effort and one less bowl to clean. I swear it does the exact same thing. Try it.
Thank you for the tip! Will try it!
Thank you! Game changer!
Do you rinse the salt off the chicken before adding the other ingredients?
The reason water is used is because that is what makes the chicken moist and tender. For Thanksgiving dinner, insert turkey 🦃 in a pot of water, overnight in fridge and cook as you normally would. It will be the most moist and tender turkey ya ever had
I was skeptical but this turned out great! I cooked the chicken about 12-13 minutes and was perfect. Very easy too!
I followed this one exactly, the chicken was a bit rubbery and had a slightly weird flavor. I did not overcook it, either, I used a thermometer. I think maybe a breaded recipe in the air fryer might be better.
I think it’s important to use organic chicken breasts to avoid that rubbery texture I notice so common in mass produced chicken.
This was perfect Gina! I haven’t come to love our air fryer like I hoped to, but this makes the counter space all worth it. Will be making it a few times a week as we like to have cut up chicken for salads. Way better than the grill even!! Thank you!
I don’t pull out my air fryer a whole lot since I have been mostly underwhelmed with the results when I do use it. This recipe changed my mind. This is the ultimate recipe to have in your back pocket for a quick, easy weeknight dinner. When I have made chicken in the air fryer in the past, it usually comes out dry and overcooked. I followed the recipe exactly, and the result was a moist, flavorful chicken breast. Even my almost 1 year old gobbled it up. This is a simple, basic chicken recipe that will be in my regular rotation.
I brined the chicken with Morton’s coarse kosher salt and used 9 teaspoons salt to 6 cups of water. I rinsed the chicken following brining. Came out absolutely delicious! So easy too! am going to brine chicken breasts more often!
Hello when we brine the chicken, do we put it in the fridge or leave it at room temperature?
Recipe looks amazing!
This was amazing, i brined using 1/4 cup sea salt in 8 cups water for 2hrs, perfect after 15mins in air fryer
I have never been able to master a simple chicken breast. This recipe is a game changer. I followed it exactly except I used 2tbsp of regular salt in 6 cup water for 2 hours. Thank you so much for this! I’ve literally never left a comment on anything before but I’m so happy that I needed to make sure to thank you!
This is by far the best way to cook chicken breasts if you want them to be juicy, I used my cast iron skillet and followed the oven method — and cooked on the convection setting. Delish!!!!!
I have had issues with salty brine. Now I only use yogurt, lemon, and salt free seasonings (Cavender’s salt free all purpose Greek seasoning is great).
Thanks I will give that a try .
Why do you have to put the chicken breast in water and salt or milk before you put it i n the air fryer? Does it cook faster? I want to fix the chicken with crushed French fried onion rings like I do in the oven. Do you think they will work in the slow cooker?
Thank you.
Made it for dinner last week and I was speechless It was so juicy and delicious I’m making it again tonight !!! 10 out of 10 Tysm for sharing
So glad!!
You have a typo above, It says with give instead of will give. “This foolproof recipe for making boneless chicken breast in the air fryer with give you perfectly juicy chicken every time.”
I think you meant, “This foolproof recipe for making boneless chicken breast in the air fryer will give you perfectly juicy chicken every time.”
Regardless, the recipe rocks!
Fixed, thank you!
Thanks for this! I just did some chicken breast in my air fryer, totally winging it, and it turned out great but now I have something more concrete! I also really loved your air fryer falafel recipe! Thanks so much for a great website!
This was great! But had to cook the chicken for 20 minutes, not 10
Can you brine the boneless chicken breast in buttermilk instead of the kosher salt and water (like the buttermilk roast chicken breast recipe)?
Sure!
I found this way too salty.
Perhaps its the brand of salt you used? Did you use the same amount of water? Diamond crystal kosher? Same brine time?
What setting on the air fryer should be used? Air Fry, bake or Roast? Thank you.
Air Fry
Just as a suggestion…
I always use Kosher chicken (I like Empire) because they are already soaked and salted making them very flavorful chickens. A lot of chefs only use Kosher chickens because they are so flavorful.
I don’t have kosher salt.. just Himalayan/sea salt. What changes should I make?
I would use less salt, it will be saltier.
I have never left a review of a recipe before, but this had so many negative comments, I felt compelled to. Let me start by saying that I didn’t read the comments before I was already an hour plus into brining the chicken. I was fortunate that I only saw the “6 cup” measurement and didn’t even pay attention to what kind of kosher salt I had (it had never occurred to me that there could be a difference in the saltiness). After reading all of the negative reports, I went and checked and was relieved to see that I apparently have the Diamond Crystal Salt that Gina had mentioned. I will tell you that was complete luck as that is not something I think much of. I did take my chicken out after about 2 hours of brining and patted it dry and stuck it back into the fridge until it was time to cook dinner. I gave it a shot as I had already mixed my spices including the extra salt.. This is the first time using my air fryer for something other than frozen food. The chicken was fantastic and so juicy. Thank you Gina.
I am so glad you had the same perfect results I get in my kitchen!
Hi Gina,
How long is too long to brine? Put the chicken in brine on Saturday. Intended to make them yesterday, but made your Bolognese in the instapot instead. It’s fabulous! Took the chicken out of the brine today, Monday. Will it be ok?
I usually do it 2 hours tops.
Chiming in …….chicken is VERY juicy but a little too salty. I did rinse it off after brining. Will use less salt next time.
I hate leaving a negative comment because I love almost all Skinnytaste recipes but there must be some difference between Morton’s and Diamond Crystal kosher salt. I followed the recipe to a tee, used 6cups not 4 and it was way too salty. Next time I’ll use the salt very sparingly.
Morton is about twice as salty as Diamond. I always halve the amount of salt when using Morton. This is a great blog post explaining the differences: https://smittenkitchen.com/2010/06/not-all-salts-are-created-equally/
Also if it’s kosher chicken it may already have salt in it, just something to keep in mind.
I made this tonight. It was my first time brining chicken so I followed the directions to a T. So so salty. I wasn’t sure if I should have rinsed the chicken coming out of the brine or omitting the salt from the seasoning? Will definitely need to modify for next time. That aside, the chicken was incredible juicy and had a great flavour.
Hi Gina!
I was wondering if you can brine and season and then throw in the freezer for a later date to cook?
Sure, I don’t see why not.
I’m all about a well seasoned chicken, but holy salt. This was incredibly salty. Delicious other than that. I think I will leave the salt out of the seasoning next time and see if that helps. Thanks for the recipe!
Curious, what kind of salt did you use? Diamond Krystal Kosher is what I use which has less sodium than mortons, table or sea salt.
Juicy and tasty and great for my wrestler watching his weight
I didn’t have a chance to brine my chicken breasts, so I just seasoned and air fried them accordingly, skipping the brine step. Quick, easy and still delicious 😊
First time I do the brining. The chicken came out tender but salty. Next time I’ll follow recommendations and not add salt to the rub.
When I bribe chicken, I always rinse it when I take it out of the brine. This washes off that salty taste, but gives you nice, tender chicken. Hth
This chicken was perfect! We loved it. The only modification I made was to rinse the chicken prior to drying and seasoning and not adding salt to the spices. We are on a low sodium diet and don’t use a lot of salt. It was not salty at all and the other herbs took center stage. This will definitely make it into our regular rotation. Everyone loved it!
Just tried this and it was SO good! I was wary of the amount of kosher salt in the brine, especially since what I had on hand was the kind you said had more sodium. So I didn’t add salt to the rub, and it came out just about right.
This came out so delicious!!! I will definitely be making this weekly!
So confused what I did wrong it was so so so so salty we couldn’t eat it
Followed the recipe and it was So Good!!! Yum 😋
So good!! This will definitely go into the rotation.
Hi Gina. I want to try this today but all the salt comments have me concerned. I have morton kosher salt, two chicken breasts. Never brined before. Also, I bought the vremi air fryer and love it!
Really great recipe. Brining made it so moist. Family loved it.
We really love this chicken! It’s a go-to in our house. Easy to prep, reliably delicious. We cook it in our convection oven instead of our air fryer (since they’re basically the same thing) and it always comes out tasty!
Cut one breast in half, cooked for 7 min. on each side. First time for brining and it turned out perfect. Juicy and not dry. Will be using this recipe again. Oh, I used black pepper instead on cayenne, don’t like anything hot or too spicy
Carb Count???
Updated the nutritional info, it is is 1g.
Waaaay too salty. Otherwise, the chicken was incredibly moist. I’ll only use 4 Tbl of kosher salt next time.
Seriously the best chicken breast I’ve ever had! I will be making this recipe many times, and I look forward to exploring different spice rubs.
I am a really bad cook so I was super thrilled when I got the final results! It was so amazingly delicious! It was a little on the salty side so I will definitely use less of that next time. But so yummy and juicy!
Gina, I made this tonight and it was delicious. Very nicely flavored and so juicy. It was a bit too salty for me. I definitely used kosher salt, I brined for about three hours, and I did not add salt to the seasoning rub (I don’t love salt and rarely add it when cooking). This was the first time I’ve ever brined anything so I’m no expert … would you suggest using less salt in the brine, letting the chicken sit in the brine for less time, or rinsing before drying and seasoning?
Made this tonight and it was delicious! Perfect flavoring too, would be great cut up in a salad!
Thanks!!
I tried this but replaced the spice mix with dried oregano, chilli flakes and black pepper. It turned out yummy! It was rather salty. Might try again with lesser salt. (:
if using an air fryer oven, do you have to turn half way?
These were fabulous!! Couldn’t believe they were so good!!
Would it still be 280 for a toaster oven type air fryer?
Regarding the brine issue, I have made BBQ chicken that had a brine and my recipe called for 8 cups of water to 2 TABLESPOONS of kosher salt. Much less than 1/4 cup. I also was using Morton Kosher Salt. I suggest people try that for their brine. Brine is really good for keeping chicken moist. My BBQ chicken has always been fabulous. I am going to try this recipe tonight but I will use the 2 TBS of salt for my brine.
Thanks GIna!
This was the first recipe I tried in my air fryer and what a success. Both my husband and I loved it.
This will be my go to recipe from now on!
When I’m ready to try a new recipe, I usually read the comments first. Most of them are very helpful. Since I did make the air fryer chicken last night, I thought I would “give back!” After reading the comments, I did use less salt than the recipe called for. I didn’t have Diamond or Morton Kosher so I wasn’t sure where my brand stood in the way of saltiness. I used about 1/8 of a cup in my brine (with 4 6-ounce chicken breasts) and did use about 1/2 tsp in my seasoning. I thought the chicken breasts were delicious – very moist, very flavorful. Mine took a little longer than 10 minutes. I always use a meat thermometer so that I won’t overcook, and I added about a minute at a time until they were right at 165 degrees. I am so excited to find a quick, easy, tasty recipe perfect for any night of the week. I highly recommend this chicken.
Recipe was wonderful might use less salt in brinning but so good either way
Amazing! I didn’t have kosher salt, so cut way back on the salt, and it was perfect! It was so tender, I think I’ll be making this a lot! Will be perfect for quick weekday lunches on any thing – salad, wraps & sandwiches, in pasta, anything!
Thanks a million Gina for all your hard work in bringing us all of these incredible recipes!
This looks amazing! We don’t have an air fryer but are thinking about getting one. Do you recommend any particular model? I have a family of 6. Thank you!
I actually came out with an air fryer. https://www.amazon.com/Skinnytaste-Vremi-Air-Fryer-Capacity/dp/B07QM9P7CC/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1TON97YU3RSJB&dchild=1&keywords=skinnytaste+air+fryer&qid=1585579321&sprefix=skinnytaste+a%2Caps%2C236&sr=8-5 on Amazon. 🙂
I think it’s salty because the instructions for “How to brine” says 4 cups. And then when you read the directions it’s a 6 cups. I did the 4 cups and it is super salty. Didn’t realize it said 6 cups of water until I started cooking it
Thank you for your comment as it made me realize I made the same mistake. The seasoning mix on the other hand provided a great flavor! Curious if anyone has any recipes for a truly “crispy” chicken recipe for the air fryer – like KFC style without the fat & skin. : )
Thanks!
I read the same thing. 4 cups vs. 6 cups. My chicken turned out way too salty. And I didn’t notice the “Tips” at the end of the article that mentioned Kosher vs. table salt. 😜
Anyone figure out the right ratio?
Trying this tonight. I found a conversion chart on Cook’s Illustrated:
1 teaspoon table salt = 1 1/2 teaspoons Morton kosher salt = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5799-salt-types-and-measurements
Too salty. Next time I won’t brine. Otherwise good.
I bought my mom an air fryer and she decided she didn’t want it after making a few things. As it was used, I had no choice to keep it…and I’m very glad I did!. I made these chicken breasts last night (didn’t brine them) and used one serving today on a salad. It was delicious. I will be making this again – thank you!
This a very favorable and quickly made chicken breast dinner. My family really loved it! I served it with vegetable sides. Excellent for a quick meal. I did not soak it them in brine, but made them as they were. They were most and not dried out. Made them in my air dryer. Definitely give this a shot!
I did this to a T and it was crazy salty. I tried to get my kids to like it but it was extra. Hard because I didn’t like it myself. It hurt my tastebuds! Not sure how I could have done this better.
What brand of kosher salt and how much water did you brine it? How long?
Received an air fryer as a gift from my niece Tiffiany; so excited great gift and she supplied this site too. This recipe is going to be fantastic. I’ve used brine for turkey “it’s a win win win!”
Brined chicken breast per instructions for about 3 hours and it turned out way too salty- inedible.
It sounds like you didn’t use Diamond Crystal kosher salt or not enough water.
Omg was these good. Followed recipe with no changes!
Amazing flavor! And I love that it’s so simple and easy to put together for a weeknight meal. I served it with mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli.
I forgot to brine ahead of time and it still tastes great! However, I’ll definitely try brining it next time just to see the difference it makes.
Maybe put rise the chicken after brining and that would cut out the complaints of everyone saying it is too salty.
This was really good and the first thing I made in my fryer.
Just made the air fryer chicken breast. It was easy and delicious!
Tried this receipe as my first attempt at chicken in new T.Fal 2 in 1 air fryer. I soaked the chicken in luke warm water and salt for about 2hrs before cooking and found it to be unbelievably salty to the point it turned off your taste buds. I used Windsor Brand salt. The chicken however was cooked to perfection, fully cooked but still juicey and tender. I personally would only use about a 1/3rd of the salt next time and maybe even less depending on your salt preference. I did find the potatoes cut into chunks on the bottom of the airfryer did not cook as quickly with using the 2 in 1. So I would put potatoes in for 10 minutes ahead of chicken, then add chicken and cook both for 20 minutes and you will have a lovely meal.
Gina, you have seriously revolutionized chicken breast for me! Normally, I would never be able to choke down a whole chicken breast with no sauce or fat added. This was so good that we ate all of it, and we decided to have it tomorrow night too!
I read through the comments and saw so many claims that it was too salty. It made me really nervous! I didn’t have kosher salt on hand, so I used my Himalayan Pink Salt. I did the recommended ratio of 4 cups water to 1/4 cup salt. I wound up adding maybe an additional 1/2 cup of water just to make sure that the chicken was completely submerged. I did however leave the salt out of the seasoning blend. It was delicious and didn’t taste like it needed anymore salt, but I’m not convinced it would have been too salty if I had added it either.
Yet another winner! You never disappoint!
Do you need to let the brine cool before putting the chicken in? I put it in while the water was still warm, but the worried that was not safe even in the fridge.
In the notes it says 4 cups of water for brining and in the recipe it said 6 cups. Which one is correct?
I was planning to use pink salt for brining, but after reading through the comments I am now nervous. Do you think pink salt will work in the same proportion as the kosher salt?
Sorry its 6 cups. I am not sure, if you can read the sodium per tbsp vs Diamond Crystal Kosher that would help.
Too salty…..I did t see other people’s comments about the Morton Kosher salt being extra salty until I was an hour into the brine. I quickly stopped brining but had already mixed the rub. I went with it as the recipe stated but I wished I hadn’t. I wish I’d omitted the salt in the tub like others suggested. I was planning to use the chicken in tossed salads, so as bad as it may sound I may rinse the rub off. Now I have to say, the chicken was not dried out and it was tender and juicy. I will try this recipe again but will keep the salt to a minimum.
I recommend rinsing the chicken breast after you brine it and THEN pat it dry. Otherwise the salt water is still on it and you can’t control the saltiness.
This happened to me the first time I made these chicken breasts. I have brined turkeys for years, so I thought easy peasy. Well, I think for this small amount of chicken, 1 or 2 tbsp of salt is enough to add to 6 cups of water for the brine. Maybe only let it sit for an hour next time. The chicken was not edible; however, it was juicy and tender, so I know once I figure out the right amount of salt, it will be epic!
I never need to do anything else to chicken breasts again. Ever. So freaking good! I only brined for like 10 mins and it made a huge difference. So good!!
Made this tonight for dinner and served it on a salad. Delicious!! I didn’t use as much salt in the brine since I didn’t have kosher salt and it turned out nice and juicy. Another winner from Skinnytaste!
Love, love. love this recipe!!!! The chicken was so flavorful and juicey. My family loved it as well. Will be making this on a weekly basis.
Love this, I have made it three times and it was great each time!
I just realized I’m brining with Sea Salt. Should I cut the Brine time and / or remove Salt from Seasoning to avoid it being too Salty??
My sea salt is kosher certified
If using a toaster oven style fryer, would this require altering the temp at all? I know some recipes in your cookbook call for a difference.
If i brine the chicken for an hr and put the rub on it can i refrigerate till next day to cook?
I was totally surprised and delighted that this “plain” chicken was so moist and flavorful! No need to bake these in the oven or buy already grilled frozen chicken. I was only able to brine the meat for 30 minutes, but it was still delicious. Next time I’ll plan ahead a little better!
Awesome
It sounds like you either didn’t use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt or you used less water.
This chicken was perfect. The brining made a definite difference. Will be adding this recipe to the “what’s for dinner list.”
These chicken breasts were AMAZING!!!
I am not a very great cook, but these were super simple and really moist & tender! I will definitely make this again.
10 minutes at 380 isn’t long enough to cook a chicken breast.
It depends on your air fryer and the watts. It sounds like yours will need more time for all my AF recipes.
10 minutes worked for us. We had one breast that was a little thicker than the others that needed 12 minutes, but the rest were perfect.
I’m confused… when brining the chicken, you put it in lukewarm water and just let it sit out for 1.5 hours? Isn’t that unsafe? Or am I supposed to put it in the fridge? Sorry, I doubt cook ever so this may be a silly question but raw chicken irks me so I want to make sure I’m doing this correctly…
In the refrigerator.
I disagree with putting raw chicken in lukewarm water. This can cause illness
If you store it like that, yes. Putting it in there for an hour and then cooking it will not cause illness. People brine chicken ALL the time.
You put it in warm water to dissolve the salt, but this gets refrigerated.
Made this tonight with no variations from the recipe – turned out perfect! Oh, wait…I lied. I had to fry at 375degrees for a few mins longer than the recipe states – my air fryer doesn’t do 380. Other than that, no changes. I didn’t realize how much of a difference brine makes – so much better than ‘dry’ chicken. I asked husband how he liked it & he said “it was good”…So that’s a huge win (he never likes anything)! I’ve tried a handful of recipes from Skinnytaste and he and my picky ‘tween’ have not complained about any of them 🙂
Awesome
I also didn’t read the comments until after and felt the chicken was inedible. Way too salty. So bummed because every other skinny taste recipe i’ve tried has been great!
I’ve been brining chicken for a couple years now and I only do it for 15-30 minutes. It’s never been too salty. I use kosher salt and stir it into the water really well, then usually a dry rub and into the oven. Perfect every time. I will have to try it in the air fryer!
Yep, Perfect! cut time back a bit as my chicken pieces didn’t weight as much, worked like a charm. So nice to have them available to use on salads or recipes too besides eating right away with sides. Love my skinny taste air fryer.
THIS is amaziing.! These came out perfect…better than perfect. I wanted to prep the chicken for other recipes to make during the week. I did the brine and then only add olive oil, salt and pepper (so it wouldn’t change the flavor of the other recipes). They came out so perfectly amazing, no mess….. I am so thrilled. Thank you, Thank you, thank you!!!!!
Thank you for this recipe! Have you experimented with brining and then freezing the raw chicken to cook other times? I’d love to be able to do that.
I think the issue with the saltiness of this recipe could be with the type of Kosher salt that is being used. The 2 main brands available in the US are drastically different when it comes to saltiness. Morton kosher salt is TWICE as salty as Diamond Kosher salt. https://www.tastecooking.com/kosher-salt-question/
Exactly, if you use Mortons it will be too spicy, you would have to use half the amount.
Do you have to brine? I don’t have time but would like to make tonight.
Of course not, but then you won’t be doing this recipe.
Hi Mary, I did retest this recipe and updated the water ratio, if you try it again let me know how it turned out!
I’m new to air frying!!! I want to make this but I’m confused on how long to cook total time?
I followed the directions to a T and didn’t read comments about the salt until after the chicken went in to cook. I even tried wiping off the seasoning after cooking to help. It didn’t.
How much water did you use? What kind of salt?
This recipe is a keeper. This chicken turned out so juicy and flavorful and tasted amazing just plain by itself. I also love that with the air fryer I can make this in small batches when cooking just for myself.
Some chicken is essentially pre-brined, so if you do it again, it will be too salty.
Delightful! I love air fried chicken breast, but I always take the easy way. Pound it out thin, and stick it in the fryer with some seasoning and toss it on a salad. This recipe made my need for quick chicken so, so much better. Soaking the breast in saltwater is the way to go for sure and I didn’t have to hide it under salad dressing, just ate it as is with some veggies.
I was just about to make this recipe when I realized that the last ingredient cayenne pepper only said 1/8 . Is it of a teaspoon?
It’s definitely 1/8 of a teaspoon!
I am retesting the recipe.
So I’m trying to understand the points value for weight watchers on the recipes. On this one it says 0 then it says 5. Which one should I be looking at? Thanks.
Hi Melissa. This is 0 free style points and 5 points plus (+), which is an older WW program.
I didn’t read the comments first, I just thought I’m not adding salt to the spices-we thought it was delicious. I will make this again. I did it the oven way in a cast iron skillet. Very good.
Made these last night and they were delicious! On the advice of the commentary below, I only brined for one hour and then I omitted the salt from the spice mix. The chicken was juicy and flavorful! I’ll be making these again!
Ok, so I made this again for the second time tonight after reading other comments. The first time, it was super salty even for my standards ( I love salt). I was rushing the first time I made this and assumed I had made an error along the way- the salt in the brine didn’t dissolve fully. I loved the flavor and moisture in the chicken so I tried again tonight. Following some of the advice in other readers comments, this time I only used two tablespoons of salt, which I made sure I stirred into the warm water to fully dissolve. I only brined the chicken for about an hour. It came out phenomenal! Such a simple recipe, but so full of flavor. Being on weight watchers, I can’t believe it’s zero points- too good to be true!!!
Give this recipe another shot if you wrote it off the first time!
So we just tested it out tonight. We had 5 large chicken breasts and it came out too salty for us. The seasoning combo was really flavorful but too salty. We used kosher salt, brined for an hour and still had this result. Will repeat tomorrow with less salt. I’m giving it a four because without all the salt this would be so good!
Holy smokes this was good!! I read the reviews & brined for just shy of 1 hour, then omitted the salt from the rub recipe!! My super picky husband said this was the best chicken I’ve ever made!!
I’m trying this tonight. I don’t see anywhere that says how much water to use so I’m not sure how to figure the ratio. I filled a medium mixing bowl 3/4 of the way with water…maybe 4-6 cups and dissolved two tbsp kosher salt. I’m going to brine three chicken breasts for six hours then grill them. We shall see how they turn out! Make sure perfect sense to brine a chicken breast!
Hi Gina. I want to order your air fryer, but so many negative reviews can’t be ignored. Are you working with the manufacturer to remedy the basket and shut off problems and especially having to reset every time after following instruction to open and flip food halfway through? Thank you
Yes look at the reviews by recent! They have fixed all of the issues with it.
Hey Gina,
What bugs were going on with the Vremi? I pre ordered mine back in May and haven’t used it very much until this weekend. I made 3 of your chicken recipes and the vremi died half way through cooking. The lights come on but it won’t let me adjust time/temp
That was the issue they had. They will send you a replacement. Email: PremierCare@vremi.com
Phone: 646-490-9904 (7am – midnight eastern time)
I have thin chicken breast cutlets. How much would you reduce cook time if using these rather than regular chicken breasts?
I wouldnt use thin for this recipe
Way too salty. I brined with a Kosher salt for 6 hrs.
Ok, I am going to retest this! Perhaps I wrote my notes incorrect.
Hi Gina,
You seem to use mostly kosher salt in your recipes. I am worried that I won’t get enough idoine in my diet if I use kosher salt. Am I needlessly worried? I love your recipes and use your meal plans ALL the time.
Regards,
Heidi
I brined my chicken for 24 hours and it was way too salty. I would suggest brining for only a few hours and omit the salt from the spice blend. Other than that the chicken was moist and delicious.
If you had one of those air fryer baskets for the over would you use the oven directions temp or the air fryer directions temp?
Oh no – it tasted like a month full of salt!
I wanted to like this so badly because it is easy to dry out chicken breast in the airfyer.
Can’t win them all..
Did you use kosher or table? How long did you brine it?
I get the same results by throwing in a frozen breast and cooking at 400F for 20-23 mins. The moisture from thawing makes it juicy.
I have to say, this was by far the worst recipe of Gina’s I have ever tried, and was compelled to leave a comment. The chicken was WAY TOO SALTY! I only brined it for 2 hours, but clearly that was too long, and I followed the recipe to a “t”. While the chicken remained juicy, it was inedible due to the saltiness. Very disappointed!
I retested this recipe and it was perfect. Perhaps you used the wrong salt, Mortons, sea salt or table salt will be too salty.
I just made this last night. I brined it for 2 hours. I only added 1/4 teaspoon salt in with the spice mixture but it was perfect!
So close to being a 5 ⭐️ recipe! It was just a little too salty. Next time I’ll omit it from the rub and maybe not put as much in the brine. That being said, it came out perfectly cooked and super juicy. Even my picky about meat eater loved it and asked for more!
I missed the brining time so ours did for 45 minutes or so. Holy cow. This is a fantastic way to chef up what’s normally blah and often overcooked. Thanks, Gina. This is a keeper.
Yes the chicken was juicy but WAY too salty. I brined for close to 6 hours and was obviously too long, even with twice as much chicken, I even omitted the salt from the rub.
The flavor of the rub was good, and these came out juicy and perfectly cooked. But they were very salty. I wish I had not put the 3/4 tsp salt in the rub, or at least cut it down quite a bit. I guess there was a lot of residual saltiness from the brine.
Some chicken is already pre-brined. This chicken we buy from Sam’s Club is already brined so it comes out very juicy. Perhaps you double-brined the chicken, which would make it super salty.
Great point!
Yes! This is exactly what I was going to comment. If you buy chicken breasts that are already brined/injected, you don’t want to bribe again!
Should I still brine the chicken if I plan to cook in the oven?
YES
I wish there was a better measurement for the water other than a large bowl. I’m nervous to try not knowing the salt to water ratio.
I retested the recipe and updated directions, use 4 cups lukewarm water.
I made this Sunday and it’s a keeper for sure. I would use less green onion and sub spinach maybe but a really great recipe that I’ll be adding to our regular weekend rotation. I want to try it with hashbrowns next!
Can I brine the chicken one day and then cook it in the air fryer the next day? I work 9-5 everyday so brining 1.5-6 hours after work would be tough.
Yes! It will be great.
If I am brining or marinading something, I often put it in the brine in the morning before I go to work. Then it is ready when I get hom.e.
Do you let the chicken sit in the salt water in the fridge or at room temp that whole time? Thanks!
Refrigerator.
Hi Gina. I’ve been considering venturing into air frying & saw you have one available for preorder. Is this one different than your previous fryer? Thanks!
It’s the same one, they ran out of inventory.
Hi,
I’ve been considering buying an air fryer also, but I don’t think yours can be shipped to Canada 🙁
Where/how could I purchase it?
I am sorry that is correct.
This looks so good! It is possible to make this in the oven?
Yes I just added oven directions. You can also grill it.
I just saw the air fryer and put it into my amazon cart. But then was very disappointed in the poor reviews. Wondering if they are working on these issues & if so when the improved model might be available.
Yes they are, there were 3% that had issues. Of course, they are replacing them on the next shipment.
I am so making this! Can you please provide oven temps and cooking times for us “old school” folks who don’t have an air fryer?
Yes, I just did.
This is hilarious. I bought an air fryer today and was literally thinking “I wonder if I could air fry the chicken for tonight’s ST Chicken Mango salad” and voila this appears! Can’t wait to give the air fryer a whirl. I already know how amazing the salad is 🙂
Perfect!
This looks delybut the pin button is not showing up
Hover over the photo to pin.
Can I do this in the oven also since I don’t have an air fryer yet?
Yes I just updated the recipe.
Would this work in an actifry basket? 🙂
Dont have one but my guess is yes.
Hello! Do you need to refrigerate the chicken while it is brining? Thanks!
I was going to ask the same thing!
Same question
YES
Do you put the chicken in the fridge to brine or just leave out?
Fridge.
Can I use bone in chicken breast? Used boneless first time and was delicious but bone in was on sale