Ready in less than 30 minutes, Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breast Recipe is so easy! This juicy chicken is a great way to get dinner on the table fast. Perfect for the entire family, this is one of our weekly go-to recipes for busy weeknights.

โค๏ธ Why you will love this recipe
- Easy: All you have to do is spray the breast with a little cooking spray, season it, and air fry it. This is one of the easiest cooking methods for chicken!
- Quick: This quick dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes.
- Juicy: Yes! This succulent air fryer chicken breast recipe is super moist. It’s one of the best things about air fryer chicken. It is always cooked perfectly.
- Healthy meal: All that is in this recipe is chicken, spices, and olive oil. It’s perfect for so many diets as well: Whole30, keto, and paleo to name a few! It’s a much better option than chicken nuggets for kids. Air fryers are our favorite way to prepare meats and veggies because it requires less oil than the oven.
- Everyone loves it! This easy meal is perfect for the whole family! You can adapt the seasoning for this delicious chicken to suit different family members too. Some might like spice, and some might not.
๐๏ธ Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Chicken: You’ll need frozen boneless skinless chicken breast for this recipe. We recommend organic chicken whenever possible.
- Spices: We made a dry rub out of garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and ground black pepper. Fancy a little heat? Add in 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder. Feel free to substitute your favorite seasoning. We sometimes use cajun or taco seasoning. See the list below for more seasoning ideas!
- Oil: We always use a refillable oil spray for cooking and coating things like meat and vegetables. However, any healthy vegetable oil like olive oil or avocado oil will work too. You’ll only need a little oil to make sure the chicken breasts are lightly coated in oil so that the seasoning can stick to them.
๐ฅฃ How to make Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breasts
1. First thing, preheat the air fryer to 200°C/400°F.
2. While the air fryer is heating up, rub or spray oil onto all sides of the chicken breasts.

3. Mix your seasonings together and sprinkle them over the frozen chicken breasts. Pro tip: rub the seasoning in with your hands to ensure complete coverage.

4. When the air fryer is ready, place the seasoned frozen chicken into the air fryer basket in a single layer and air fry chicken for 20 minutes, turning the chicken over halfway through.


5. Check that it is cooked properly by testing the internal temperature of the chicken. We find an instant read thermometer is the easiest way to do this. When the temperature reaches 71 degrees C/160 degrees F, it is ready to rest. A dial thermometer (like the one pictured below works well too. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, slice the thickest part of the chicken to make sure it is no longer pink inside.

6. Rest the chicken for at least 5 minutes before cutting it. This ensures juicy chicken breasts!

๐ซ Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Store any leftover chicken breast in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat thoroughly in the microwave, air fryer, or oven, or eat it cold straight from the fridge.
๐ช Recipe Notes & Tips
- Cooking time: The cooking time can vary between different brands of air fryers, so you may need to add a couple of minutes in the end. The thickness of your chicken breast also can affect the cooking time. Thicker chicken cooks slower because there is more meat to cook, and thinner chicken breasts take less time. If in doubt, check the internal temperature!
- Check it’s cooked properly: We always check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer as it’s the best way to see if your chicken is cooked in the middle. Simply insert the instant meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken. If it reads 71°C/160°F, it is ready! If you don’t have a thermometer, you’ll need to slice the chicken a little. If it’s no longer pink inside it’s ready to eat.
- Rest: For best results, rest the chicken! Resting the chicken breasts after cooking is key to locking in the juices, no matter which method you use. Cutting it too early results in dry chicken because all of the juices run out. We recommend resting it for at least 5 minutes.
- Does this recipe work for thawed chicken breast? Yes, it does! Cook the raw chicken for 15 minutes in total, flipping it halfway through. Don’t forget to check the internal temperature at the end and allow it to rest before slicing.
โฒ๏ธ Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breast cooking times by thickness
Here is a general guide that I find works well:
- ½ inch thick/ 1.2 cm: 10 minutes
- 1 inch thick/ 2.5 cm: 15 minutes
- 1 ½ inches/ 4 cm: 20-25 minutes
- 2 inches/ 5 cm: 28–30 minutes
Allow 5 minutes to preheat the air fryer and 5 minutes for the chicken to rest at the end.

โจ Seasoning ideas
Remember to coat the chicken with a little oil first before adding one of these seasoning mixes:
- Taco Seasoning
- Chinese: 1 teaspoon of Chinese 5 Spice + 1/2 teaspoon chili powder + 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder + 1 tablespoon coconut aminos/soy sauce. Coat with oil and coconut aminos or soy sauce before sprinkling on the spices.
- Curry: 1 teaspoon garam masala (or cumin) + 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder + 1/2 teaspoon chili powder + 1/4 teaspoon turmeric + 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Lemon: 1 teaspoon garlic powder + 1/2 teaspoon salt + 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Drizzle with honey to taste.
- Simple: 1/2 teaspoon of salt + 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper + 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
- Chili Parmesan: 1 teaspoon garlic powder + 1 teaspoon smoked paprika + 1/2 teaspoon chili powder + 1/2 teaspoon salt + 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper + 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese.
๐ฝ๏ธ What can I serve with this Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breast Recipe?
Serve this flavorful chicken breast with your favorite dipping sauce and a vegetable side or two to complete this simple dinner. It’s also great in wraps or tacos, and on salads. Here are our favorites:
Side Dishes
Dips
- BBQ Sauce
- Ketchup
- Ranch
- Garlic Mayo
- Spicy Mayo
- Taco Truck Green Sauce
- Avgolemono
- Hot Sauce or Buffalo Sauce
โ Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, absolutely! As the hot air circulates, the chicken is cooked perfectly, and turns out so juicy! It’s also much quicker than baking chicken in the oven.
The total cook time for frozen chicken in an air fryer is between 10-30 minutes, depending on how thick your chicken breast is, but it’s generally around 20 minutes. We flip it over halfway through. Be sure to check the internal temperature reaches 160°F before resting it for 5 minutes and then serving.

๐ More chicken recipes you will love
- Air Fryer Naked Chicken Strips
- BBQ Whole Chicken Recipe
- Keto Chicken Wings
- Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
- Air Fryer Chicken Legs
- How to Reheat Chicken Legs in an Air Fryer
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๐ Recipe

How to make Frozen Chicken Breasts in the Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 3 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Cooking spray or regular olive oil/avocado oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder optional
Instructions
- First thing, preheat the air fryer to 200°C/400°F.
- While the air fryer is heating up, spray oil onto all sides of the chicken breasts.
- Mix the garlic powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and ground black pepper together and sprinkle them over the frozen chicken breasts. Pro tip: rub the seasoning in with your hands to ensure complete coverage.
- When the air fryer is ready, place the seasoned frozen chicken into the air fryer basket in a single layer and air fry the chicken for 20 minutes, turning the chicken over halfway through.
- Check that it is cooked properly by checking the internal temperature of the chicken. We find an instant-read thermometer is the easiest way to do this. When the temperature reaches 71 degrees C/160 degrees F, it is ready to rest.
- Rest the chicken for at least 5 minutes before cutting it. This ensures juicy chicken breasts!
Notes
- Cooking time: The cooking time can vary between different brands of air fryers, so you may need to add a couple of minutes in the end. The thickness of your chicken breast also can affect the cooking time. Thicker chicken cooks slower because there is more meat to cook, and thinner chicken breasts take less time. If in doubt. check the internal temperature!
- Check it's cooked properly: We always check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer as it's the best way to see if your chicken is cooked in the middle. Simply insert the instant meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken. If it reads 71°C/160°F, it is ready! If you don't have a thermometer, you'll need to slice the chicken a little. If it's no longer pink inside it's ready to eat.
- Rest: For best results, rest the chicken! Resting the chicken breasts after cooking is key to locking in the juices, no matter which method you use. Cutting it too early results in dry chicken because all of the juices run out. We recommend resting it for at least 5 minutes.
- Does this recipe work for thawed chicken breast? Yes, it does! Cook the raw chicken for 15 minutes in total, flipping it halfway through. Don't forget to check the internal temperature at the end and allow it to rest before slicing.
Thank you! I never knew you could cook chicken from frozen in the air fryer, this is such a game changer!
So glad you like it, Kirsten! Thank you for the kind comment =]