Air-Fryer Chicken Breast

By Eleanore Park

Updated Nov. 12, 2023

Air-Fryer Chicken Breast
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(1,155)
Comments
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By some kind of magic, an air fryer can transform a chicken breast into an easy, flavorful dinner with minimal effort. Part of this sorcery takes a cue from Eric Kim’s dry-brined chicken breast recipe, which calls for cutting the chicken breast in half, allowing you to pluck the smaller piece from the air fryer as soon as it’s done, leaving the thicker part to remain in the air fryer longer and preventing any overcooked bites. Paired with vinegar, soy sauce acts less as a salt and more as a marinating agent in this recipe. The circulating heat and compact space of the air fryer allows the ingredients to reduce into a sweet and slightly sticky sauce as they collect at the bottom, emboldening their flavors.

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Ingredients

Yield:1 to 2 servings
  • 1large boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 11 ounces)
  • Salt
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2teaspoons light brown sugar
  • 1tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2teaspoons olive oil
  • Lime wedge (optional), for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

246 calories; 9 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 36 grams protein; 425 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat air fryer to 375 degrees, if preheating is recommended for your air fryer.

  2. Step 2

    Pat chicken breast dry with a paper towel. Cut chicken breast in half crosswise into two pieces of equal weight, creating one shorter, thicker piece and one longer, thinner piece. Season chicken generously on all sides with salt and pepper; rub brown sugar all over. (Chicken breast can be seasoned and left uncovered for up to 12 hours in the refrigerator. Let the chicken come to room temperature before cooking.)

    Image of raw chicken breast being cut in half with a knife and tongs for making air-fryer chicken breast.
  3. Step 3

    In a medium bowl, combine the rice vinegar, soy sauce and olive oil. Toss chicken in soy sauce mixture until well coated and allow chicken to sit in marinade for 5 minutes.

    Image of chicken breast halves marinating in a bowl for making air-fryer chicken breast.
  4. Step 4

    Transfer chicken to the air fryer basket, setting leftover marinade aside. Cook for 6 minutes and flip the chicken over. Spoon the remaining marinade over chicken. Cook until chicken is lightly browned, the sauce has turned slightly sticky on the chicken and the internal temperature at the thickest part of the meat reaches 165 degrees, another 6 to 10 minutes. The thicker half of the breast may need a few more minutes to cook through than the smaller piece.

    Image of partially cooked chicken breast halves with a spoon pouring extra marinade over for making air-fryer chicken breast.
  5. Step 5

    Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest for at least 5 minutes so the juices can settle and redistribute. Slice the chicken against the grain. Pour any sauce left at the bottom of the air fryer over the chicken and serve. For some extra brightness, squeeze lime wedge all over the chicken, if desired.

    Image of cooked chicken breast being cut against the grain for making air-fryer chicken breast.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,155 user ratings
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Comments

Faith Fleming

Could something like this be made with the “toaster oven” style air fryer or only with the “pod” version? Assuming you have to use the air fryer basket along with a tray to catch the sauce?

Jan H in NC

My new GE Café range includes an air fryer setting on the oven. I am still looking for tips on adapting air fryer recipes meant for the freestanding device to use in the oven. For example, I’m not sure in this recipe if the sauce would cook down as described in the oven. Any tips would be appreciated.

anchovys instead and lemon zest

Delicious! The longer you let the chicken sit with the dry rub of brown sugar salt and pepper, the better the flavor. I made extra sauce and reduced the soy/vinegar/sugar for even more flavor. So simple and we quite enjoyed it.

Mark

I’ll leave it to someone who knows more about food safety than I do, but are we supposed to leave chicken on the counter until it comes to room temperature? Yes, I know we cook it, but still.

VP

I'm no expert, but I hardly think you'd need to worry about the maybe 20 minutes the chicken breast halves would need to get to room temperature prior to cooking. Think of how long they might be unrefrigerated while on a trip home from the grocery store.

Lorraine Fina Stevenski

With meat so expensive, I make chicken breasts for many meals. I use a foil lined sheet pan. There are so many delicious recipes. The most important tip is to cut each breast in half, pound lightly with the serrated side of a meat mallet to even out and tenderize the breast. And the quality of the chicken is important too. Some really inexpensive breasts are chewy and rubbery. I love Springer and Murray's chicken breasts.

Maya j

Is the brown sugar necessary ? I don’t want a sweet chicken breast

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