Air Fryer Chicken Breast

Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover them with a large sheet of plastic wrap. Use a rolling pin, meat mallet, or your palm to lightly pound them into an even thickness.

For Dry Brining: Sprinkle the chicken all over with kosher salt and place it on a plate. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day. If skipping dry brining, proceed to the next step.

When ready to air fry, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let it stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. If you didn’t dry brine the chicken, add the salt to this mixture.

Place the chicken in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the top and toss to coat the chicken evenly on both sides.

Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees F (3 minutes for my model). Place the chicken smooth side down in the air fryer and cook for 6 minutes.

Remove the air fryer basket and carefully flip the chicken over with tongs. Continue cooking until the chicken registers between 155 and 160 degrees F, usually 2 to 8 minutes more. Check often towards the end to avoid overcooking.

Remove the chicken to a plate, cover, and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice and serve. Enjoy!