Air Fryer Fried Chicken
on Aug 30, 2023, Updated Jun 28, 2024
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Enjoy the classic crispiness of fried chicken without any of the bad oils with my Air Fryer Fried Chicken recipe. This 25-minute, four-ingredient dish can be served as an elegant entrée, filling lunch, or nostalgic appetizer.
If the thought of deep frying is overwhelming or unappealing, but you still crave the crunch and juiciness of southern fried chicken, then you have to try my air fryer fried chicken! This no-oil recipe comes together quickly and makes almost no mess.
Air Fryer Fried Chicken
All you’ll need to get started is some sliced chicken breasts, all-purpose flour, eggs, and a few spices. In no time, you’ll have a platter full of crispy air fried chicken ready to be paired with your favorite dipping sauces or side dishes. This juicy and comforting dish may not be traditional, but boy is it easy to make and oh so tasty!
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken Breasts—Sliced or pounded into one-inch-thick pieces.
- All-Purpose Flour—When fried, will give your chicken a thin and crispy exterior.
- Eggs—Help the breading stick to the chicken.
- Spices—A simple blend of paprika, garlic powder, and salt.
How to Make Crispy Air Fryer Fried Chicken
- In a shallow dish, whisk together the flour, paprika, garlic powder, and salt.
- In a second shallow dish, scramble the eggs.
- Coat each piece of chicken first in the flour mixture, then in the eggs, and again in the flour mixture.
- Place the breaded chicken into the basket of your preheated air fryer and cook until golden brown and crispy.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
The flour in this recipe helps to dry out the surface of the chicken, so you shouldn’t have any issues with it coming out soggy. The drier your meat, the better it will crisp up! So, if you’re really worried, you can always pat your chicken breast dry with a paper towel before coating it in the flour and eggs.
Although it is possible to use a wet batter in an air fryer, I don’t recommend it. This type of coating is runny and gloppy and will make a mess of anything it touches. Instead, coat your chicken breasts in breading. This mixture of flour, spices, and eggs will yield fried chicken that is just as crunchy, but way less messy!
Absolutely! Air fryers are essentially just tiny convection ovens; they quickly circulate hot air to cook and crisp up food. As long as your chicken pieces aren’t more than an inch thick, it should only take 15 minutes at 370°F for them to cook through. You’ll know that your air fryer fried chicken is done cooking when a thermometer inserted into the thickest breast reads 165°F.
How to Store Leftover Air Fryer “Fried” Chicken
This homemade “fried” chicken is best served immediately; however, you can hold on to the leftovers for a few days. When stored in an airtight container, any leftover air fryer fried chicken will stay good in the fridge for up to 4 days.
If you want to make sure that your leftover fried chicken stays moist, I recommend reheating it in the microwave. If you’re more concerned about this chicken staying crispy, then reheat it in a 370°F air fryer for 5 minutes. Either way, this leftover air fryer chicken can be enjoyed on its own or used as the protein in salads, pastas, sandwiches, and on pizzas.
What Pairs Well with Air Fryer Fried Chicken?
I love this simple air fryer fried chicken recipe because it can be served so many ways! Serve it as an appetizer alongside a variety of dipping sauces like chipotle ranch, garlic aioli, or honey mustard. You can also pair it with a few comforting sides such as roasted asparagus, homemade macaroni and cheese, and mashed potatoes for a filling dinner. Or go the nostalgic route and serve your fried chicken pieces with French fries! You really can’t go wrong.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- You can make this air fryer fried chicken gluten free by swapping out the all-purpose flour for your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- Make chicken nuggets or chicken strips by simply cutting your chicken breasts into different shapes. Just keep an eye on your chicken as it cooks—the smaller the pieces, the faster it will crisp up!
- I like seasoning this “fried” chicken with a really simple blend of spices. However, you can add whatever spices you like to the flour mixture. Try tossing in some red pepper flakes, rosemary, chicken bouillon, oregano, parsley, black pepper, or even grated parmesan cheese!
More Recipes
- Air Fryer Tofu
- Air Fryer Onion Rings
- Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
If you’ve tried this Air Fryer Fried Chicken recipe or any other recipe on Bless This Mess, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some pictures of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories.
Air Fryer Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 large chicken breasts
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Cut each piece of chicken into two pieces and set aside. In a medium sized shallow dish, whisk together the flour, paprika, garlic powder, and salt. Beat the eggs in a separate shallow dish.
- Dip each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, ensuring they are fully coated. Next, dip each piece of chicken in the egg mixture followed by flour mixture one more time.
- Preheat the air fryer to 370°F for 5 minutes. Once the air fryer has preheated, fill the basket with chicken and cook for 15 minutes at 370°F.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- This air fried chicken is best served fresh, but you can store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days when kept in an airtight container.
- Reheat your leftover chicken in the microwave for about 1.5 minutes or in the air fryer for about 5 minutes at 370°F.
- Cutting the chicken into smaller pieces ensures that they cook all the way through by the time the outside of the chicken turns golden brown.
- Make sure that your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F before you serve it.
- This chicken is great served with macaroni and cheese, steamed veggies, mashed potatoes, a side salad, etc. It is also great as its own stand alone dish.
- I like to give each piece of chicken a little shake after the final flour coating just to make sure it is not too thickly coated in flour.
Nutrition
Air fryer fried chicken offers a healthier and convenient alternative to traditional deep-frying methods. It delivers a crispy and flavorful outcome with significantly less oil, making it a popular choice for those looking to enjoy a guilt-free indulgence.
