Air Fryer Hen Breast – Wholesome and Straightforward

Air Fryer Hen Breast are juicy, tender, and nice for meal prep. Serve this wholesome, simple hen recipe for dinner, or chop for salads, soups, and casseroles.

Oh sure you CAN use your Air Fryer for greater than crisping up hen nuggets and french fries, because the recipe for Air Fryer Hen Breast exhibits!

Whereas air frying is nice for attaining a crispy, golden brown crust on “fried gadgets” (maintain me again), it additionally renders lean hen breast supremely tender, juicy, and able to be paired with just a few wholesome sides for dinner, or chopped then tossed into salads, soups, and casseroles.

Cooking hen breast within the air fryer is ideal for meal prep and actually makes cooking hen a breeze. Should you’re the kind of one that’s at all times nervous about undercooking hen breast, this can be a dependable methodology for cooking it evenly in a comparatively hands-off method.

You’re going to like it!

Substances Wanted

All you want is three components to get mild and lean — but juicy — hen breasts on the desk:

• Hen breasts: I largely use Simply Naked hen breasts and inventory my freezer anytime they go on sale. The standard is constant and I like how all of the hen breasts are ~8oz in order that they prepare dinner evenly and on the identical charge within the Air Fryer.
• Seasonings: I usually season hen breasts with pepper and do-it-yourself seasoned salt, which is a mix of salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika, however you should utilize your favourite spices or seasoning blends. Typically I marinate the hen in Italian dressing then drain and pat dry earlier than air frying.
• Further virgin olive oil: brush or mist the hen breasts with further virgin olive oil earlier than including seasonings to make sure they stick.

Ought to I Marinate or Brine My Hen Breast?

An Air Fryer is basically a mini convection oven, so when you usually marinate or brine hen breasts you prepare dinner in a skillet on the range, or in a traditional oven, then you are able to do that earlier than air frying hen.

Complete I don’t suppose a brine is important for boneless, skinless hen breasts, a marinade is a simple means so as to add taste. As I mentioned, typically I’ll marinate the hen in Italian dressing for as much as 24 hours forward of cooking for further taste. Simply make sure to drain then pat the hen breasts dry earlier than air frying.

How Lengthy to Prepare dinner Hen Breast in an Air Fryer

Regardless of the dimensions or methodology, hen breasts ought to be cooked to an inside temperature of 165 levels. We love this digital meat thermometer for correct outcomes. Complete cooking time for air frying completely different sized hen breasts at 360 levels are as follows:

• 4-5oz (small hen breasts): 10-12 minutes
• 6-8oz (medium hen breasts): 13-Quarter-hour
• 9-120z (giant hen breasts): 16-20 minutes

In testing this recipe, I discovered the full cooking time stays the identical whether or not you air fry one hen breast, or as many as will match contained in the basket with out overlapping.

Use Air Fryer Hen Breasts

As I discussed, the makes use of for air fried hen breasts are limitless. Use them in any recipe that requires chopped, shredded, or rotisserie hen, or pump up the protein in an in any other case meatless meal:

High Ideas

This air fryer hen breast recipe isn’t rocket science — fortunately! — so don’t overthink it. That mentioned, listed here are three suggestions to bear in mind when cooking hen within the air fryer:

1. Pour to a fair thickness. Boneless skinless hen breasts naturally have a thicker finish and a thinner finish, so cowl the hen breasts with plastic wrap then pound to a fair thickness with a meat mallet or rolling pin previous to seasoning or marinating to make sure they prepare dinner evenly.
2. Don’t crowd the basket. The hen breasts might be touching inside the Air Fryer basket, however make sure they’re not overlapping.
3. Allow them to relaxation. Let the air fried hen relaxation on a plate loosely coated with foil for 5-10 minutes earlier than slicing to make sure they keep good and juicy. Fortunately, that is the right period of time to whip up a batch of Air Fryer Asparagus!

Serve with Air Fryer Asparagus

Make Air Fryer Hen Breasts

Step 1: Preheat the Air Fryer.

Begin by preheating your Air Fryer to 360 levels, or the closest temperature setting to 360 levels in your mannequin — I’d go all the way down to 350 levels vs as much as 375, for instance, if given the selection.

My Air Fryer is a few years outdated at this level, however right here’s the most recent model >

Step 2: Pound the hen breasts to a fair thickness.

Subsequent, place hen breasts on a reducing board then cowl with plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound the hen to a fair thickness throughout your complete breast. This may make sure you don’t find yourself with an undercooked fatter finish, and an overcooked thinner finish.

Step 3: Season or marinate the hen.

Resolution time: will you merely season your hen breasts, or marinate them?

• Seasoning: brush or mist each side of the hen breasts with further virgin olive oil then sprinkle in your favourite seasonings. I normally go for do-it-yourself seasoned salt and black pepper, although taco seasoning is nice when you’ll be utilizing the hen in a Tex-Mex model dish.
• Marinating: add the hen breasts to a gallon Ziplock bag then add your favourite hen marinade — I like ready Italian dressing. Even a ten minute marinade is sufficient time to lend taste to the hen.

After marinating, drain then pat the hen breasts dry with paper towels.

Step 4: Air fry the hen breasts.

Spray the basket of the preheated air fryer with nonstick spray then prepare the hen breasts in a fair layer within the backside, touching however not overlapping.

Air fry based on the dimensions of your hen breasts — once more, 4-5oz breasts will take 10-12 minutes, 6-8oz breasts will take 13-Quarter-hour, and 9-120z breasts may take 16-20 minutes — or till the interior temperature reaches 165 levels as measured by an prompt learn thermometer, flipping the hen breasts midway by.

Step 5: Let the hen relaxation.

Switch the air fryer hen breasts to a platter or reducing board to relaxation for 5-10 minutes, so the juices keep locked inside, then slice and serve. That’s all she wrote!

What to Serve with Air Fryer Hen Breasts

I attempt to not overthink aspect dishes with this simple air fryer meal so I’ll usually serve the hen with Air Fryer Asparagus and store-bought mashed potatoes (we love Merely Potatoes and Bob Evans manufacturers of ready mashed potatoes).

Listed below are another favourite sides to serve them with:

Description

Air Fryer Hen Breast are juicy, tender, and nice for meal prep. Serve this wholesome, simple hen recipe for dinner, or chop for salads, soups, and casseroles.

Substances

• 4, 6-8oz hen breast, pounded to a fair thickness
• further virgin olive oil
• seasonings (seasoned salt, pepper, spice mix, and so forth) OR ready Italian dressing

Instructions

1. Preheat the Air Fryer to 360 levels, or the closest temperature setting to 360 levels in your mannequin.
2. Brush then season each side of the hen breasts with further virgin olive oil and desired seasonings. OR, marinate hen breasts in ready Italian dressing for as little as 10 minutes, or as much as 24 hours. Pat dry with a paper towel previous to air frying. 
3. Spray the basket of the air fryer with nonstick spray then add the hen breasts — they are often touching however not overlapping. Air fry for 13-Quarter-hour or till the interior temperature reaches 165 levels, flipping the hen breasts midway by. Let the hen breasts relaxation for 5-10 minutes then slice and serve.

Notes

• Right here is the up to date model of my Air Fryer >
• You’ll be able to prepare dinner as many hen breasts at a time as will match within the basket of your Air Fryer. They are often touching however not overlapping.
• Cooking time tips at 360 levels:
  • 4-5oz (small hen breasts): 10-12 minutes
  • 6-8oz (medium hen breasts): 13-Quarter-hour
  • 9-120z (giant hen breasts): 16-20 minutes

This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Woman Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.

Photographs by Ashley McLaughlin