Air Fryer Rooster Breast – Wholesome and Straightforward

Air Fryer Rooster Breast are juicy, tender, and nice for meal prep. Serve this wholesome, straightforward 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 Rooster 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 a number of 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 really makes cooking hen a breeze. If you happen to’re the kind of one who’s all the time fearful about undercooking hen breast, this can be a dependable methodology for cooking it evenly in a comparatively hands-off method.

You’re going to find it irresistible!

Components Wanted

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

• Rooster breasts: I principally use Simply Naked hen breasts and inventory my freezer anytime they go on sale. The standard is constant and I really like how all of the hen breasts are ~8oz so that they prepare dinner evenly and on the identical charge within the Air Fryer.
• Seasonings: I usually season hen breasts with pepper and selfmade 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.
• Additional 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 Rooster Breast?

An Air Fryer is basically a mini convection oven, so should 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 assume a brine is important for boneless, skinless hen breasts, a marinade is a straightforward method so as to add taste. As I mentioned, generally I’ll marinate the hen in Italian dressing for as much as 24 hours forward of cooking for further taste. Simply make sure you drain then pat the hen breasts dry earlier than air frying.

How Lengthy to Prepare dinner Rooster Breast in an Air Fryer

Regardless of the dimensions or methodology, hen breasts must be cooked to an inner temperature of 165 levels. We love this digital meat thermometer for correct outcomes. Complete cooking time for air frying totally 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 (massive hen breasts): 16-20 minutes

In testing this recipe, I discovered the whole 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.

How you can Use Air Fryer Rooster 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 Suggestions

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

1. Pour to a good 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 good 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 will be touching throughout the Air Fryer basket, however ensure 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

How you can Make Air Fryer Rooster 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 previous at this level, however right here’s the most recent model >

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

Subsequent, place hen breasts on a chopping board then cowl with plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound the hen to a good thickness throughout your complete breast. It will 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 often go for selfmade seasoned salt and black pepper, although taco seasoning is nice should you’ll be utilizing the hen in a Tex-Mex fashion 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 good 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 might take 16-20 minutes — or till the interior temperature reaches 165 levels as measured by an instantaneous learn thermometer, flipping the hen breasts midway by means of.

Step 5: Let the hen relaxation.

Switch the air fryer hen breasts to a platter or chopping 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 Rooster Breasts

I strive to not overthink aspect dishes with this straightforward 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:

Pictures by Ashley McLaughlin