Frozen Chicken Breast In Air Fryer

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Friends, Frozen Chicken Breast In The Air Fryer is the answer you’ve sought for those too-busy-to-cook days. Busy days get the best of us now and again, and we find ourselves unprepared when dinner time rolls around. No matter how often you open the fridge and look inside – a cooked meal will not appear.

Thankfully, cooking frozen chicken breast in the air fryer is the perfect solution. In just minutes, you will have juicy, flavorful chicken breast ready to serve from frozen!

Cooking frozen chicken is easy with the Air Fryer and is one of the most family-friendly meals you can make. It is great to whip up to eat as is, in salads, shredded over soup, sandwiches, and as a main course.

This quick and delicious chicken comes out perfectly cooked with a delicious and slightly crispy exterior, and it goes with just about anything. You can use unseasoned frozen chicken breasts or freeze-seasoned chicken to simplify the process.

And if you love chicken as much as I do, you’ll want to check out this Air Fryer Whole Chicken, these crispy Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings, and kid-approved Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets.

You might also like this post on how to Reheat Fried Chicken In Air Fryer or even how to Reheat Rotisserie Chicken In Air Fryer. Because chicken + air fryer = easy meal solutions!

Why Make This Recipe

• Frugal – Skip the takeout and save a little money. 
• Easy – Pop the chicken in the air fryer, flip it, and serve!
• Versatile – Chicken goes with everything, so it’s the perfect last-minute meal.
• Diet Friendly – Suitable for gluten free, low-carb, Keto, Paleo, and Whole30 diets.

Ingredient Notes

• Chicken breasts – This recipe uses boneless skinless chicken breasts that turn out tender and juicy. You cook the frozen chicken breasts directly in the air fryer, and there is no need to thaw them first.
• Oil – Use either olive oil or cooking spray.
• Optional – I suggest seasoning before you freeze them. You can use a dry rub, garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper, cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, a marinade, or your favorite seasoning mixture.

Ready to learn how to make these frozen chicken breasts in the air fryer? Grab those chicken breasts and the other ingredients, and I will show you…

How To Make Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breasts

Get a complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

1. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F / 180 degrees C.
2. Spritz frozen chicken with oil, season as desired, and place in the air fryer basket. 
3. Air Fry for 10 minutes, then flip and cook for 5 more minutes.
4. Check the internal temperature and cook for a few more minutes if needed. 
5. Transfer to a plate and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Frozen Chicken Air Fryer Suggested Cooking Times

• ½ inch (1.2 cm)  thick – 10 minutes
• 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick – 15 minutes
• 1 ½ inches (4 cm) thick – 20-22 minutes
• 2 inches (5 cm) thick – 28–30 minutes

Chef’s Tip: Always check for doneness with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should be at least 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C when inserted into the thickest part of chicken breasts.

Expert Tips 

• Leave space between the chicken pieces in the air fryer. Don’t allow them to touch, and don’t stack them. Lay them in a single layer.
• Use similar-sized pieces of chicken for even cooking times. If they are different sizes, then separate and cook similar sizes at the same time.
• Smaller pieces of chicken will cook quickly. 
• Pre-frozen chicken is usually more even in size than fresh chicken that has been frozen and will cook more evenly. If you buy chicken to freeze, cut it to an even thickness or pound it with a meat mallet before freezing. 
• Always check for doneness with a meat thermometer.
• Let the meat rest for 10-15 minutes on a cutting board or serving platter before slicing. You want to make sure to maintain juices in the meat so it is juicy.
• I recommend slicing the meat thinly and against the grain.
• Air fryer temperatures vary slightly depending on the make and model. Use the cooking time listed as a guide, check to ensure the chicken has reached the correct temperature, then adjust as needed.

Delicious Variations

• Swap Your Seasonings – sprinkle on any of your favorite seasonings to give the chicken a different flavor. Use garlic powder, paprika, dried herbs like oregano and basil, and of course, salt and pepper. You can also make an oil and seasoning mixture to coat the frozen chicken with before cooking.
• Serve Different Sides – chicken is incredibly versatile and can be served with so many things. Try pasta, rice, veggies, and potatoes, or even make a delicious chicken sandwich.
• Use in other Recipes – this air fryer chicken can be used in many great recipes. Cooked chicken turned into soups, pasta, casseroles is a great dinner solution. Or use it to make shredded chicken and add to tacos, fajitas, and more.

Prep And Storage

• Prep Ahead – The best part of this frozen chicken breast recipe is that you don’t have to prep ahead! If you buy chicken in bulk, you can season it with spices or a marinade before freezing and skip the seasoning step when you cook in the air fryer. 
• Store – Leftover chicken breast should be eaten within 3 days. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
• Freeze – Leftover cooked chicken can be stored in the freezer. It is not recommended to thaw, reheat chicken breasts and then refreeze multiple times. 

FAQs

Similar Recipes

Looking for more EASY, delicious, and flavorful recipes? I’ve got you covered. Check out my full collection of frozen food guides, or start a few of my most popular air fryer chicken recipes:

• Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Thighs.
• Parmesan Air Fryer Chicken Wings.
• Air Fryer Chicken Legs Drumsticks.
• Air Fryer Stuffed Chicken Breast.

Serving Suggestions

There are so many delicious, family-friendly recipes and sides you can serve this with! Here are a few of my favorites;

• Air Fryer Green Beans – Add some fresh, crunchy green beans to your chicken meal.
• Easy Smothered Potatoes – These smothered potatoes are perfect with this juicy chicken breast.
• Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli – Make sure to add your greens to your air fryer chicken breast.

More Air Fryer Frozen Foods Hacks

Want even more how to cook frozen food, including frozen meat in the Air Fryer hacks? Then check out these helpful posts:

• Easy Air Fryer Frozen Vegetables.
• Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp.
• Air Fryer Frozen Meatballs.
• Air Fryer Frozen Burritos.
• Air Fryer Frozen Taquitos.
• Air Fryer Frozen Onion Rings.
• Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings.
• Air Fryer Frozen French Fries.
• Air Fryer Frozen Pizza.
• Air Fryer Frozen Corn Dogs.
• Air Fryer Frozen Pierogies.
• Air Fryer Frozen Garlic Bread.
• Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets.
• Air Fryer Frozen Egg Rolls.

Recommended Tools

• You need a fantastic Air Fryer.
• An instant read thermometer to make sure your chicken cooks through.
• For the best tools to help make your recipe even easier and more successful, check out my collection of the Best Kitchen Tools on Amazon.

Weight Watchers Points

There is just 1 Blue Plan SmartPoint in a serving of this (and 0 Blue Plan SmartPoints if you replace the olive oil with no-calorie cooking spray).

Thank you for reading my frozen chicken recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice, and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes, and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.

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