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You are here: Home / Method / Air Fryer Recipes / 5 Spice Perfect Air Fryer Chicken

5 Spice Perfect Air Fryer Chicken

Published: March 13, 2020 | Updated: July 7, 2020 | By: Jordan

3.5K shares

This post may contain affiliate links which will not change your price but will share some commission. Please read my privacy policy.

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A foolproof Air Fryer Chicken breast recipe that works every time! Pair this juicy chicken with salad, couscous, or a vegetable side dish like broccolini.

This is my go-to recipe for making chicken in the air fryer. It’s tender and juicy, easy to make, and downright delicious. Plus, it’s ready in less than 20 minutes!

air fryer chicken sliced and on a white plate

Easy Air Fryer Chicken Recipe

I might be biased, but this is the best air fryer chicken recipe out there. Why? Because it’s juicy and the most flavorful chicken. Oh, and because it’s SO easy to make!

To be honest, I don’t even follow the measurements in the recipe, I just sprinkle each seasoning on the chicken. If you’ve got a heavy hand when it comes to sprinkling seasonings, stick to the recipe measurements!

I pretty much just sprinkle everything to taste and always make sure I’m only using a small amount of smoked paprika, because it can be overpowering.

Cooking chicken breasts in the air fryer is SO easy, I’ll probably never make them another way.

Ingredients For Air Fryer Chicken

The best thing about this recipe is that the ingredient list is made up of mostly pantry staples!

  • Boneless chicken breasts
  • Paprika
  • Smoked paprika
  • Onion powder
  • Garlic powder
  • Italian seasoning (you can also use parsley and/or oregano)
  • Salt and pepper

Sometimes I like to switch up the seasoning I’m using. I usually play around with swapping out the Italian seasoning for parsley, oregano, or the 21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe’s. You can also try adding the Umami Seasoning here too, it’s so good!

spice mixture in a small bowl with a wooden spoon

How To Make Chicken In The Air Fryer

1. Prepare the seasoning. Combine paprika, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Rub a thin layer of olive oil over both sides of the chicken and sprinkle the seasoning.

wooden spoon with seasoning for chicken

2. Cook the chicken. Place the chicken breasts in the air fryer basket and cook at 390F for 12 minutes. Flip the chicken halfway through.

two chicken breasts seasoned

3. Remove the chicken from the air fryer basket, slice and serve!

two cooked chicken breasts in an air fryer basket

side note – I have no idea what was going on with that baby chicken breast! I swear it didn’t look like that from what I could see through the package. HA!

Also, a meat thermometer is your best friend here. If you don’t have one, you can find them at a pretty low price online. They make cooking meat and seafood so much easier!

sliced air fryer chicken on a white plate with salad

A Secret For Making Really Juicy Chicken

If you have the time and want to make the juiciest chicken ever, you can brine the chicken breasts before you cook them.

Wait, but how do I brine chicken?

Fill a large bowl with 6 cups of lukewarm water and add 1/4 cup kosher salt, stir until the salt has dissolved. Add the chicken breasts to the water and let them sit in the refrigerator, at least 1 to 1 1/2 hours to brine. Remove the chicken breasts from the water, pat dry with paper towels and discard the water.

If you don’t have an hour to spare, no worries, your chicken will still be juicy and delicious!

What To Serve With Chicken

The best thing about this chicken is that it’s extremely versatile and you can pretty much serve anything with it. I usually serve it with an easy to make salad, but you can also serve it with a grain like rice or quinoa, or a starch like pasta.

sliced air fryer chicken on a plate with salad and a glass of water

Here are some of my favorite side dishes:

  • Couscous Salad
  • Winter Citrus Salad (this is the salad in the photo above)
  • Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Peppers
  • Garlic Parmesan Fries
  • Crispy Mini Potatoes
  • Smashed Potatoes Loaded Nachos

Which Air Fryer Should I Purchase?

There are SO many air fryers on the market, it can be tough to choose. Lucky for you, I’ve tried 3 different ones and highly recommend all of them.

  • Ninja Foodi Grill – I have this one and it’s the one I use the most.
  • Ninja Foodi Digital Air Fry Oven – I also have this one and love that you can flip it up to get your counter space back!
  • GoWise Air Fryer – This is the first air fryer I ever purchased, it’s great and affordable.

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sliced air fryer chicken on a white plate with salad
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5 from 19 votes

5 Spice Air Fryer Chicken

A foolproof Air Fryer Chicken breast recipe that works every time! Pair this juicy chicken with salad, couscous, or a vegetable side dish like broccolini.
Prep Time3 mins
Cook Time12 mins
Total Time15 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Air fryer, air fryer chicken, Air Fryer Recipes, Chicken
Servings: 2
Calories: 210kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark
Author: Jordan

Equipment

  • Ninja Air Fryer
  • GoWise Air Fryer

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless chicken breasts
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning you can also use parsley and/or oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • olive oil

Instructions

  • Preheat the air fryer to 390° F.
  • Combine the paprika, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Rub a thin layer of olive oil over both sides of the chicken and then sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken.
    wooden spoon with seasoning for chicken
  • Place the chicken breasts in the air fryer basket and cook at 390° F for 12 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165° F, flipping halfway through.
    two cooked chicken breasts in an air fryer basket
  • Remove the chicken from the air fryer basket, slice and serve with a salad, couscous, or broccolini.
    sliced air fryer chicken on a plate with salad and a glass of water

Notes

These are the air fryers I recommend:
  • Ninja Foodi Grill
  • Ninja Foodi Digital Air Fry Oven
  • GoWise Air Fryer

Nutrition

Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 245mg
Nutrition information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.
Tried this recipe?I’d love to see your dish, mention @jzeats or tag #jzeats!
3.5K shares

Published: March 13, 2020 Filed Under: Air Fryer Recipes, Chicken, Main Dishes, Meal Prep That Doesn't Suck, Whole30 Tagged With: 30 minutes or less, air fryer, air fryer chicken, chicken recipes, easy recipes, Whole30

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Adrianne

    May 10, 2020 at 12:44 am

    5 stars
    This chicken looks great and you are right, it is so versatile! I love that you can serve it with just about anything. You have tried more Air Fryer appliances than anyone I know, love it!! Cheers

    Reply
  2. Cookilicious

    May 10, 2020 at 1:48 am

    5 stars
    Wow, your plating and photography is top notch! Loved it

    Reply
  3. Cathy

    May 10, 2020 at 4:12 am

    5 stars
    Recently bought an air fryer and have been looking for yummy recipe ideas and your here definitely fit the bill! Made this the other day and loved it!

    Reply
  4. Amanda Wren-Grimwood

    May 10, 2020 at 4:12 am

    5 stars
    I don’t use my airfryer much but this has really given me the inspiration to cook chicken. Lovely flavours!

    Reply
  5. Alice | SkinnySpatula

    May 10, 2020 at 5:00 am

    5 stars
    You inspired me to get an air fryer! I wanted my chicken to come out JUST like yours, so I bought one and tried it. Absolutely perfect. Love the recipe and the photos!

    Reply
  6. Alison

    May 10, 2020 at 8:24 am

    5 stars
    Nice seasoning and crispy on the outside. I love the air fryer. It really works magic!

    Reply
  7. Beth

    May 22, 2020 at 3:59 pm

    5 stars
    I adore my air fryer, but haven’t made a chicken breast yet and I love the spices you chose. Totally making this this weekend!

    Reply
  8. Andrea

    May 22, 2020 at 4:19 pm

    5 stars
    I love how easy this is! That spice rub includes all of my favorites too.

    Reply
  9. Jessica Formicola

    May 22, 2020 at 4:21 pm

    5 stars
    This chicken is on our regular dinner rotation! So full of flavor and easy to make in the air fryer!

    Reply
  10. Alexandra

    August 19, 2020 at 4:11 am

    5 stars
    The spice mix on this was fantastic! The chicken is tasty – we served ours with a salad! Yum!

    Reply
  11. Chris Collins

    August 19, 2020 at 5:31 am

    5 stars
    This chicken was bursting with flavour! Thanks for sharing this recipe 🙂

    Reply
  12. Shelley

    August 19, 2020 at 7:51 am

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness – such wonderful (juicy!) flavor, so easily! I was glad you mentioned that you usually don’t get too precise with the spice measurements, so I can just eyeball it with the help of your recipe, which is especially great when I’m in a hurry lol! Great tip on brining, too – thanks!

    Reply
  13. Sue

    August 19, 2020 at 8:09 am

    5 stars
    I do have all these pantry staples in stock – this will be dinner tonight! Can’t wait!

    Reply
  14. Lisa Huff

    August 19, 2020 at 8:09 am

    5 stars
    I really need to get myself an air fryer! This chicken was so moist and perfect! I used this recipe and made it in the oven 🙂

    Reply
  15. Roslyn Malloy

    August 19, 2021 at 2:56 am

    5 stars
    DELICIOUS and so easy to make!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
    • JZ Eats

      August 20, 2021 at 9:32 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  16. Sara

    November 10, 2021 at 3:34 pm

    5 stars
    So easy and so good!! This is now one of our go-to’s. Thanks!!

    Reply

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about meI’m that girl behind the camera and the creator of all the delicious recipes on this website. I’m a Baltimore food blogger who enjoys nothing more than food!
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