For an easy air fryer dinner you can have on the table in 30 minutes, Air Fryer Breaded Chicken Breasts are the answer! Crispy, packed with flavor, plus low carb and gluten-free, too (yes, we mean it), this recipe for air fried breaded chicken is a must-try.
Jump to:
Breaded Chicken Breasts in the Air Fryer
You're in for a treat with these breaded chicken breasts in the air fryer. Even we were skeptical at first about how crispy air fryer chicken could really get. In fact, this recipe is actually the very first one we made in our air fryer many years ago! (Can you tell it worked out better than we thought it would?)
This air fryer chicken breast recipe set a standard for the rest of our air fryer dinners. It makes the crispiest, most tender chicken breasts, all by following a low-effort, easy step-by-step recipe. If you have 30 minutes and a handful of simple ingredients, you can make this dish. Let's get air frying!
Ingredients
- Pork Rinds: We love to use pork rinds, also referred to as chicharrones, as an alternative for breadcrumbs, because they are naturally gluten-free and low carb (source) and honestly delicious. They're a super tasty snack, and an even better breading! Of course, you can absolutely use your favorite bread crumbs, including panko bread crumbs, if you prefer.
- Parmesan Cheese: Mix parmesan into the breading mixture, and it enhances the overall flavor.
- Seasoning: For the seasoning, we're using a mix of kosher salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and optionally, red pepper flakes for a kick of spice, and it tastes great. You can mix up the seasoning with whichever chicken seasoning you like best, or just add in extra spices like onion powder and paprika to customize it further.
- Egg: This is mixed with the heavy cream to help adhere the breading mixture to the chicken breasts.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: This is mixed with the egg to help adhere the breading mixture to the chicken.
- Chicken Breasts: You will want boneless skinless chicken breasts. If yours are frozen, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight, or place them in a bag, then thaw in a bowl of ice-cold water for about 1 hour, refreshing the cold water halfway through the thaw time. Never use hot water to thaw food.
- Oil Spray: Use a natural vegetable oil such as avocado oil or olive oil spray in a sprayer bottle. Never use pressurized cooking sprays. Refer to our comprehensive guide on Air Frying Oils for more information.
Watch the Video
Instructions
Step 1 - Prepare the Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. If your air fryer does not have a preheat function, allow it to run at 400°F for 5 minutes with nothing in the basket.
Step 2 - Make the Breadcrumb Mixture: In the bowl of a food processor, add pork rinds, Parmesan cheese, kosher salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
Step 3 - Process on high to crush pork rinds. Transfer to a container big enough to dip the chicken and set aside until ready to bread the chicken.
Step 4 - Bread the Chicken Breasts: In a container big enough to dip the chicken, add egg with heavy whipping cream and whisk to combine.
Step 5 - Pat your chicken breasts dry using a paper towel. This step is important for helping the breading mixture adhere to the chicken.
Step 6 - Dip one chicken breast in the egg mixture to coat both sides. Then, dredge the coated chicken breast in the pork rind breading, being sure to completely coat both sides of the chicken.
Step 7 - Set breaded chicken breast aside and continue until all chicken is evenly coated.
Step 8 - Air Fry Chicken Breasts: Spray the air fryer basket with oil spray. Use an oil sprayer with your favorite high smoke point oil, such as avocado oil or olive oil - never use a cooking spray with additives, as those can break down your air fryer's non-stick coating!
Step 9: Place breaded chicken in preheated air fryer basket in a single layer and air fry for 8-10 minutes. Turn chicken breasts over halfway through air frying.
Step 10: Chicken is done when an instant read thermometer inserted in thickest part of chicken reads 150°F. Air fry remaining chicken in same manner until all chicken is cooked through.
Step 11: Allow your crispy chicken breasts to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Resting the chicken is an important step to allow it to finish cooking. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Cook time is based on a preheated air fryer.
- Make sure to use an oil sprayer with your favorite natural high smoke point oil. Avoid using pressurized cooking sprays; these can damage your air fryer.
- Use chilled chicken breasts. This helps the breading adhere to the chicken.
- Pat chicken breasts dry before dipping in the breading mixture.
- All air fryer models are different and may vary slightly in cooking time, so make absolutely sure to check your chicken with a meat thermometer before removing it from the air fryer!
Making a Breading Station
To make this recipe as quick and easy as possible, we recommend you set up a breading station before you start cooking.
- Get out two food-safe containers that are both big enough to fit one chicken breast lying flat.
- Fill one with the egg and cream mixture, and the other with the breading mixture.
- Set the containers side-by-side, then place a baking tray with a rack at the end of the assembly line you've made.
- Now you'll be able to quickly and cleanly coat your chicken breasts in the breading!
TIP: For easy clean-up, we recommend laying paper towels underneath the containers, and lining the baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Storage Instructions
After cooling, store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To avoid the breading becoming soggy, reheat in the air fryer at 400°F for 2-3 minutes.
Freezing Instructions
For longer storage, you can freeze the leftovers. Allow it to cool completely, then add it to a freezer-safe container such as a freezer bag with the air pressed out. Label with the date and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Follow our recipe for Air Fryer ALDI Red Bag Chicken to reheat.
Serving Suggestions
- Use these chicken breasts as a replacement for chicken in all your favorite chicken recipes!
- Make into a base for chicken Parmesan, paired with spaghetti or even Air Fryer Spaghetti Squash to keep it low-carb.
- Slice it into thin strips and use it for salads or wraps!
- Pair it with a sauce of your choosing and a side of vegetables, such as Air Fryer Broccoli plus Air Fryer Sliced Potatoes.
FAQ
We recommend you allow the chicken breasts to thaw in the refrigerator overnight first before attempting to bread and air fry it. If you need to thaw them quickly, fill a bowl with ice-cold water. Place the chicken breasts in a bag, then place the bag in the ice water. Refresh the water every 30 minutes until thawed. This generally takes about 1 hour.
No, you can use your favorite breadcrumbs for this recipe, including panko breadcrumbs. Feel free to replace the pork rinds.
No, you can use milk, half and half, or buttermilk instead. We recommend giving heavy cream a try first if you can!
Yes! Feel free to experiment with the seasonings you use for this air fryer breaded chicken breast recipe. You can go by our recommendations, or experiment and find your favorite!
Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
- Air Fryer Tyson Chicken Tenders
- Frozen Chicken Thighs in Air Fryer
- Thin Chicken Breast in Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken
- Try all of our Air Fryer Chicken Recipes!
Leave a comment and review for us below if you enjoyed this recipe, or if you have questions about any of our air fryer recipes!
Air Fryer Breaded Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 3.5 ounce pork rinds you can also use breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 egg
- 2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 thin chicken breasts boneless and skinless
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. If your air fryer does not have a preheat function, allow it to run at 400°F for 5 minutes with nothing in the basket.
- In the bowl of a food processor, add 3.5 ounce pork rinds, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes.
- Process on high to crush pork rinds. Transfer to a container big enough to dip the chicken and set aside until ready to bread the chicken.
- In a container big enough to dip the chicken, add 1 egg with 2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream and whisk to combine.
- Pat your chicken breasts dry using a paper towel. This step is important for helping the breading mixture adhere to the chicken.
- Dip one chicken breast in the egg mixture to coat both sides. Then dredge the coated chicken breast in the pork rind breading, being sure to completely coat both sides of the chicken. Set breaded chicken breast aside and continue until all chicken is evenly coated.
- Spray the air fryer basket with oil spray. Use an oil sprayer with your favorite high smoke point oil, such as avocado oil or olive oil - never use a cooking spray with additives, as those can break down your air fryer's non-stick coating.
- Place breaded chicken in preheated air fryer basket in a single layer and air fry for 8-10 minutes, turning over halfway through air frying. Chicken is done when an instant read thermometer inserted in thickest part of chicken reads 150°F. Air fry remaining chicken in same manner until all chicken is cooked through.
- Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cook time is based on a preheated air fryer.
- Make sure to use an oil sprayer with your favorite natural high smoke point oil, and not a pressurized cooking spray with additives. Pressurized cooking sprays can damage your air fryer.
- To make this as quick and easy as can be, set up a breading station before you start cooking, with two food-safe containers big enough that individual chicken breasts will lay flat. Set the containers side-by-side, then place a baking tray with a rack at the end to set each piece of chicken once breaded. For easy clean-up, we recommend laying paper towels under the containers to catch spills.
- Make sure to use chilled chicken breasts. This helps the breading adhere to the chicken.
- Always pat chicken breasts dry before cooking them.
- All air fryer models vary and may have a slight variation in cooking times, so make sure to check your chicken with a meat thermometer before removing it from the air fryer!
Comments
No Comments