Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breast (Boneless Skinless)
When I cook frozen chicken in air fryer, it is ready in under 30 minutes and it’s tender, juicy and flavorful at all times. This easy air fryer chicken breast recipe is a time saver as you don’t need to thaw the chicken before cooking.
I like to have frozen chicken in the freezer as they are handy for making quick meals for dinner. Frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts are my favorite as they are lean meat, healthy and versatile. They are quicker to cook than bone in chicken. I serve it with sides or use in wraps, pasta, soups, and sauces.
About This Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breast Recipe
- No thawing – No need to thaw the frozen chicken. Remove the packaging, season chicken, and cook to perfection! That’s the simple process for making this recipe.
- Flavorful – The combination of sweet and savory seasonings makes the chicken juicy, tender and delicious. It’s so good and you will love it.
- Fast – Even though the chicken breasts are cooked from frozen, the cook time is under 30 minutes. Yes, they are cooked perfectly in just 20 minutes. Of all the cooking methods, this is the fastest and the best way of cooking frozen chicken. Faster than the grill, oven or stove.
- Easy – This is an easy recipe with minimal preparation. You apply the seasoning on the chicken, then transfer to the air fryer and cook. Not much is required to get tasty chicken dinner.
- Cooks from raw – This recipe cooks frozen raw chicken from scratch. The chicken breasts are not precooked or preseasoned. If using pre seasoned chicken breasts, cut out step 1-3 of the cooking instructions below.
Ingredients
Frozen chicken breast fillets – Boneless skinless chicken breast.
Soy Sauce – Use dark or light soy sauce. I like to use dark.
Honey– This can be substituted for brown sugar.
Paprika– Smoked paprika gives it a slightly smokey flavor.
Mixed herbs – Italian seasoning is a good substitute. Use this or any herb of your choice
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt
Black pepper
Cooking Oil– Olive oil or Vegetable oil.
How To Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts In Air Fryer
Step 1 – Remove the chicken breasts from the freezer bag and lay them on a plate or board (I pre clean chicken breasts before freezing so I don’t need to clean before cooking).
Step 2- Mix soy sauce, honey, paprika, garlic, onion powder, black pepper, mixed herbs, salt and olive oil in a small bowl.
A Step 3- Use a brush to apply the seasoning mix on the frozen chicken breast fillets. Ensure to brush all the sides of the chicken with the seasoning.
Step 4- Place the frozen chicken breasts in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Allow for some space in between the chicken breast fillets.
Step 5- Air fry frozen chicken breast in the air fryer for 20 minutes at 390F/190C. Turn the chicken halfway through the cooking to cook the other side.
Step 6- Bring out the chicken, then allow them rest for 3-5 minutes and serve.
Helpful Tips
- Switch up the seasoning if you want. Any good chicken seasoning will work but flavor profile will be different.
- There’s no need to preheat the air fryer.
- Don’t pile the chicken on top one another. Arrange them in a single layer with some spaces in between each fillet.
- Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken to guide you to know when it’s cooked. Once the temperature reaches 165F, they are cooked to food safety standard.
How Long To Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts In Air Fryer
Frozen boneless chicken breasts cooks in 20-30 minutes in the air fryer depending on their sizes. I used 1kg (2lb) chicken breasts which are 4 small sizes and it cooked in 20 minutes. For medium sizes, where 2lb is like 3 pieces, it will take 25 minutes to cook. The bigger and thicker the chicken, the longer it takes to cook.
Cooking time for frozen precooked chicken is different to frozen raw chicken. Precooked chicken will cook faster than raw. Precooked usually takes between 10-15 minutes.
What To Serve With
Chicken breasts can be shredded and used in wraps, and salads or serve with sides like those recommended below.
Roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, fried potatoes
Mixed vegetables, steamed broccoli, sauteed carrots
Salads, coleslaws
More Air Fryer Recipes
Air fryer seasoned diced potatoes
Air fryer salmon
Steak bites in air fryer
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Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breast (Boneless Skinless)
Equipment
- Air fryer
Ingredients
- 2 lb (1kg) Frozen chicken breasts Boneless skinless chicken fillets
- 1/2 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon Honey
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Mixed herbs
- 1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
Instructions
- Remove the chicken breasts from the freezer bag and lay them on a plate or board (I pre clean chicken breasts before freezing so I don't need to clean before cooking).
- Mix soy sauce, honey, paprika, garlic, onion powder, black pepper, mixed herbs, salt and olive oil.
- Use a brush to apply the seasoning mix to the frozen chicken breast fillets. Ensure to brush all the sides of the chicken with the seasoning.
- Place the frozen chicken breasts in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Allow for some space in between the chicken breast fillets.
- Air fry frozen chicken breast in the air fryer for 20 minutes at 390F/190C. Turn the chicken halfway through the cooking to cook the other side.
- Bring out the chicken, allow them rest for 3-5 minutes and serve.
Notes
-
- Switch up the seasoning if you want to. Any good chicken seasoning will work but flavor profile will be different.
-
- There’s no need to preheat the air fryer.
-
- Don’t pile the chicken. Arrange them in a single layer with some spaces in between each fillet.
-
- Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken to guide you to know when it’s cooked. Once the temperature reaches 165F, they are cooked to food safety standard.
