what makes chicken tender and juicy

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 16, 2024

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Juicy, Tender Air fryer Chicken Breasts

The air fryer makes tender juicy chicken breasts with or without brining. Chicken in all forms is great for most diets, therefore its a perfect side for people following a keto, low-carb, or Whole30 diet.

This Air Fryer Chicken Breast recipe is one of the best air fryer recipes to try. In less than 30 mins you can put together a mouth-watering and flavorful dinner with chicken made in the air fryer. I would be more than happy to show you how to do it in a few easy steps.

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Air Fryer Chicken Breast Recipe

When it comes to using chicken in recipes, many people prefer roasting or cooking chicken thighs since they come out so juicy and extra crispy. Though breasts can be the easiest cut of poultry to cook, it can also be a bit tricky and challenging because all white meat is usually lean and tends dry out quickly if not cooked properly.

The air fryer does an amazing job at making juicy flavorful chicken breasts or any meat at all. Believe me when I say this is probably the only recipe you need.

If youve made chicken schnitzel in the air fryer from scratch or from frozen you would agree that air fryers cook chicken in less time than in the oven and yet keeps it nice and tender. Breaded meats or veggies are the best as get extra crisp and delicious with no need to submerge in oil to achieve it.

What is an Air fryer, is it healthy?

An Air fryer is a counter top appliance that works by circulating hot air in its cooking compartment. Simply put its like a mini convection oven. It is a great kitchen appliance to have, mine has literally taken over the job of my conventional oven

Related: How to use an Air fryer

Is it healthy? Yes it makes you enjoy your favorite fried foods with a tiny fraction of oil. What could be healthier than that! Bonus you dont need to heat up the entire kitchen when cooking with the air fryer like an oven would which is especially not welcome during the summer months.

Ingredients:

Chicken breasts: Boneless and skinless
Olive Oil
Italian seasoning: This spice blend tastes great on chicken.
Chili flakes for some heat (optional)
Garlic powder
Paprika: adds color and flavor
Salt to taste

Brining

I tend to marinate the chicken instead of brining. This is a personal preference. If you prefer to brine Ill show you exactly how to do it. Bear in mind that brining does not only help with moisture, the meat also absorbs salt. You would need to adjust your seasoning accordingly after brining. You can use non salt seasoning and herbs and leave out the salt.

How to do it.

For 4 chicken breasts, I use a 4 cups of lukewarm water to cup of kosher salt which amounts to a ratio of 1:0.25 meaning 1 cup of water to 1 Tablespoon of kosher salt. If you are using a different kind of salt, this salt conversion chart should help.

Brining for too long can make the meat very salty. I recommend a maximum of 1 hour for this recipe.

How To Cook Chicken Breasts in the Air Fryer.

This is an overview. Full details of ingredients, quantities and method can be found in the printable recipe card below.

The Marinade method

Pat dry before transferring to a freezer bag then add oil and seasoning blend

Massage condiments into chicken. Seal bag and marinade for at least 30 mins of up to 24 hrs of you have more time. If you are not brining I would recommend you do not skip this step. Marinating softens leaner meats and reduces the chances of them drying out.

When chicken is ready, bake in air fryer at 380F for 15 - 18 mins, flipping half way through. Remember to check the internal temperature. It should read 165F / 74C.

The Brining Method

Submerge chicken in brine solution and let it brine for up to an hour. After an hour, rinse and par dry with paper towel. Brush with oil and season lightly with a no salt seasoning.
Air fry at 380F until the internal temp reads 165F. Be sure to flip half way through

How to cook frozen chicken breast in the air fryer.

Sometimes I forget to get the meat out of the freezer in time for dinner and I know I am not the only one. If you are wondering if you can cook frozen foods in the air fryer, you can.

To be honest, cooking chicken from frozen in the air fryer wont come out as well seasoned as when cooking from scratch. Good news I have a nice tip for you. Try seasoning the chicken or any meat at all before freezing.

Thats my secret to the best air fryer frozen chicken or any meat at all. Cook it at 400F / 200C for 15-20 mins or until internal temperature reads 165F / 74C on a meat thermometer. Contrary to my thoughts that cooking frozen chicken at a lower temperature would work better, after many recipe testings I have concluded that its better and faster to cook at a higher temp than lower and it still comes out juicy.

How long to cook chicken breast in the air fryer?@

The length of time to cook chicken breasts in the air fryer will depend on the size. I usually cook mine any where between 15 to 20 mins at 380F.

Bare in mind that the chicken breasts used in this recipe are large. If you have smaller chicken breasts, start checking for doneness at 10 -12 mins

However the most important thing when cooking meats is the internal temperature. For chicken the internal temperature should read at least 165F / 74 C on the meat thermometer.

Tips for success.

Brining or marinating the chicken breasts help to improve taste and texture. I highly recommend it.
Let the meat rest for about 5 mins after cooking before cutting.
Cooking equal sized chicken helps with even cooking. Using a meat tenderizer to hammer the chicken to equal thickness can help when you have chicken of different sizes
I like to season and marinade the chicken in a freezer bag.

Your Frequently Asked Questions answered

Can you put raw chicken breasts in an air fryer?

Yes, you can cook raw meat in an air fryer. A whole chicken may take up to 55 minutes at 360F to cook in an air fryer. You can even roast chicken, steak or pork in this fantastic kitchen appliance.

Do you have to flip the chicken in an Airfryer?

Its best to flip chicken or any food in the air fryer halfway through the cooking time. Just like you need to turn an omelet over on the pan to cook the other side, you need to flip foods in the air fryer, so that they brown & crisp evenly.

Unlike an oven, the air fryer cooks from the top. Therefore if you want your recipe to cook evenly, always turn, rotate or shake air fryer basket.

How does brining add moisture to meat?

Brining makes the chicken breasts juicy by a process called osmosis. Osmosis is the diffusion of a solution through a semi permeable membrane. The chicken is the semi permeable membrane which absorbs the salt solution. By doing this the meat will be more juicy and tender when cooked.

Do you need oil while cooking the chicken breasts in the air fryer?

Yes you need a bit of oil to cook chicken breasts in the air fryer. The air fry has gained popularity over the past few years as a helpful kitchen appliance because you can make a healthy version of your favorite fried recipes such as fried chicken, pastries, french fries, and potato chips with very little oil.

Instead of completely submerging food content in oil, you just need a tablespoon of oil for an air fryer to give your recipe a similar taste and texture.

More Air fryer Chicken Recipes

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Juicy Tender Air fryer Chicken breasts

Chichi

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Global

Servings 2

Calories 294 kcal

Equipment

5.8 quart Air fryer
Ziplock bag
Kitchen tongs

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon Italian season
teaspoon paprika
Tablespoon chili pepper flakes
teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
teaspoon salt

Instructions

Mix the spices together and set aside. Pat the chicken breasts dry. Transfer the breasts into a ziplock bag, add the oil and spice blend to the chicken.
Massage the blend into the chicken and let it marinate for about 30 mins
Spray the air fryer basket, place chicken breasts in the air fryer, set temperature to 380F and cook for 15-18 mins or until internal temp reads 165F/ 74C on a meat thermometer.
Let chicken rest for five minutes before serving.

Notes

The length of time to cook the chicken will depend on the size and thickness of the of the chicken.
I didnt tenderize my chicken because it wasnt too thick and both chicken breasts were about the same size. If you have really large chicken, you tenderize it with a meat tenderizer to even out the meat sizes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 294kcalCarbohydrates: 2.8gProtein: 52.6gFat: 9.2gSaturated Fat: 2.6gCholesterol: 130mgSodium: 751mgPotassium: 898mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.7gCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition DisclaimerNutritional information is an estimate and may change based on products used. Please read our Nutrition disclaimer page. Subscribe to my YouTube ChannelSubscribe to Air Fryer Yum on YouTube for more detailed videos! Remember to click the bell icon to get notified when I upload new videos. Save this Recipe for later!Follow @AirFryerYum on Pinterest!

How to Roast a Chicken So It's Juicy, Crisp, and Tender

Epicurious's best roast chicken recipe is also our most popular. Which is not surprising given the key words involved: "Thomas Keller" (people like Thomas Keller!) and "roast chicken" (literally everybody likes roast chicken!).

Just how popular, though? The recipe's ranked four out of four forks by over 700 Epi readers who have made it at homeand 94 percent say they'd make it again. Pretty much everyone who wants to know how to roast a chicken was overjoyed with this method. The last person to add a review, in late January, offered a typical rave: "This is the BEST and SIMPLEST ROASTED CHICKEN RECIPE EVER!"

Well, then. What makes this bird so good? What, indeed, makes a roast chicken the best? I'd say it's a combination of crisp skin and moist, tender meat. (There's also the matter of where the chicken comes frombut that's in your hands.) Let's break down everything Keller tells us to do to get perfect roast chicken every time.

Skip the excess ingredients

There are as many tricks to making great roast chicken out there as there are roast chicken recipeswhich is to say, a lot. Some want you to sprinkle cornstarch on the skin; some call for softened butter under the skin, or even mayo; some want you to dry the bird overnight in the fridge; and on and on.

Keller's having none of it. He knows that all that's needed is a hot oven and a generous amount of salt. You'll notice that there are very few ingredients to this recipe: really just a chicken and some S&P, plus a little butter and mustard at the end to amp up the richness and flavor. (He concedes that you can add thyme, if you must.)

Truss the legs of the bird

It's a little fussy, but trussing a chicken has an important effect on the finished product: when the wings and legs are tucked in close to the body, the end of the drumstick covers part of the breast, making sure it stays moist and helping the chicken cook evenly. Plus, Keller adds, "it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird." (Not used to trussing chicken? It's just like trussing a turkeyonly easier.)

Salt the chicken generously all over

The most crucial step of all. "I like to rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating," Keller writes in the recipe. Don't be shy: you want to salt the hell out of this sucker. A generous amount of saltafter you've dried the chicken well with paper towelswill help the interior of the bird stay moist while crisping the skin and enhancing the flavor.

Want to see how to roast a chicken, right before your eyes? Then watch this:

Roast the chicken in a super-hot oven

Keller doesn't bother with basting or buttering the chicken while it's in the oven. "I feel this creates steam, which I don't want," he writes. Instead he lets the bird cook, unbothered, in a 450-degree oven until it's done, about 50 to 60 minutes. Only then does Keller tinker with it, adding some chopped thyme to the roasting pan and basting the bird with its juices. He then lets it sit for 15 minutes.

Now devour the chicken, slathered with butter

Everything else is gravy. Because this is the world's most perfect chicken recipe, Keller says you may as well just start eating the bird while you're butchering itto hell with your guests: "Separate the middle wing joint and eat that immediately." You got it, Tom! "I like to take off the backbone and eat one of the oysters, the two succulent morsels of meat embedded here, and give the other to the person I'm cooking with," he writes. "But I take the chicken butt for myself."

Same.

After that, he suggests slathering the meat with good butter and serving it with mustard on the side. And there you have it. Epi's most acclaimed recipe is also its most fun, its simplest, and its most delicious. (Though fans of our boiled water may beg to differ.)