Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Breast
You will love how quick and easy it is to whip up Air Fryer Chicken Breast that is smothered in thick and sticky BBQ sauce. Ready in just 20 minutes with a crispy outside and so juicy. A simple dinner recipe the whole family will love!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 ½ - 2 lb chicken breast (3-4 chicken breasts) boneless, skinless
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp cracked pepper
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ⅛ - ¼ cayenne pepper optional
- olive oil/oil spray
- ⅓ c BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Stir the paprika, garlic, cayenne, salt and pepper together and set aside. Pound chicken if needed to make the thickness as even as possible. Pat the chicken breasts dry and then spray or rub with olive oil. Spread the spice rub over the oil sprayed chicken and gently press into help it stay. Repeat on the other side of the chicken.
- Spray or brush the basket of the air fryer with olive oil and lay the chicken top side down (presentation side). Close the airfryer, set it 360°F and heat for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken after 10 minutes and cook for another 8-10 minutes or until the chicken is about 160°F internal temperature.
- Spread the BBQ sauce generously on top of the chicken and return to the air fryer for another 1-2 minutes to heat the BBQ sauce. It should reach 165°F at this time. Remove and allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
Video
Notes
- For best results, pound the chicken to make it as even as possible. If you have chicken that is very thick on one side and thin on the other, it can cause one side to be over cooked while the other is under cooked.
- Chicken breasts certainly come in all shapes and sizes. If you have very large, thick (over an inch and a half) chicken, it will take a bit longer to cook for sure. If your breasts are small, you may want to check in after less time. A meat thermometer is key for this.
- You do not want to cook the chicken the entire time with the BBQ sauce. Only add it to the air fryer chicken breasts in the end. You will end up with very black chicken if not!
- Switch up the regular paprika for smoked paprika to bring out the smoky BBQ flavor in this air fryer chicken!
Nutrition
Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 733mg | Potassium: 700mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 260IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg