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You are here: Home / Main Dishes / Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breast

Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breast

June 9, 2022 by Tristin 32 Comments

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Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breasts recipe get brushed with a pickle brine and mayonnaise sauce, then coated in breadcrumbs to keep it super moist and super crispy. This healthier fried chicken recipe makes a juicy chicken dinner without the need for thawing.

We love cooking dinner in the air fryer, just like this healthy air fryer fried chicken recipe! If you love cooking dinner in your air fryer, too, you have to try London Broil in the Air Fryer, Air Fryer Stuffed Pork Chops, or even Cornish Hens in an Air Fryer.

Sliced breaded chicken breast on a plate with a striped towel in front and another chicken breast in back ground.

Crispiest Air Fryer Breaded Chicken Breasts

Forget to thaw out the chicken breast again? Well, today, I bring you a recipe that will save dinner!

I love being able to buy a bunch of chicken breast in bulk and throw them into the freezer to make dinners throughout the week. Apparently, I don’t like to thaw the chicken breasts in time for dinner (because I always seem to forget).

Lol! Does this happen to you, too?

Of course, you can always put in a zip bag and wait for it to thaw in cold water, but that takes a while, too. Since I have made Frozen Chicken Strips in the Air Fryer, why not try whole chicken breasts?

You will be eating dinner in no time by cooking your frozen chicken in the air fryer which takes so much less time than in oven.

Frozen Chicken Breasts in the Air Fryer

This delicious chicken breast recipe actually makes some juicy chicken breasts! Usually, if you cook meats from frozen they tend to be a little dry.

Well, we help combat that problem by spreading on a layer of sauce (mayo, pickle juice, and garlic YUM!) over the sides of the chicken breast and then coating that with bread crumbs. That helps to seal in the moisture.

Then just toss it into your air fryer basket and cook until the chicken has a crispy exterior.

Above view of three air fried chicken breasts.

PRO TIP! This recipe requires individually frozen chicken breasts. One way to prep the chicken before freezing is to add one chicken breast to a sandwich sized zip bag, then add that into a freezer safe container or gallon sized freezer zip bag. Repeat for all the chicken. If you cut the breasts in half to make cutlets, they will cook even quicker.

You can also place the chicken breasts not touching on a baking sheet and put it in the freezer for 4 hours. Then you can drop the breasts into a freezer safe container or gallon sized freezer zip bag without them freezing together.

Easy Chicken Dinner

Have you ever had juicy chicken breast straight from frozen?? I hadn’t until I tried cooking it in the air fryer, it’s my new favorite way!

If you have fresh chicken breasts, try this Air Fryer Chicken Breast Recipe without Breading. The whole family loves this Honey Garlic Marinated Chicken Thighs Air Fryer recipe, we eat it a lot and it is impressive enough to make for guests.

Why we love this Chicken Recipe

  • Forgot to thaw, no problem! Works in a pinch when you have forgotten to thaw out chicken breasts.
  • Quick dinner. This is the perfect dinner to make for busy weeknights.
  • Juicy chicken. I am not kidding, this recipe makes juicy chicken. You might purposely forget to thaw the chicken now.
  • Healthier than deep fried. Since you are breading it yourself and cooking it in the air fryer, it turns out a lot healthier than if you deep fry it.

Can you cook Frozen Chicken Breasts in an Air Fryer?

Yes, frozen skinless chicken breasts can be cooked in an air fryer. This is my favorite way to cook frozen chicken

A plate with two breaded chicken breasts that were cooked from frozen in the air fryer.

How long do you Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts in Air Fryer?

Since all air fryers cook differently, the total cook time will depend on the type of air fryer you have. I have a Cosori 5.8 quart basket style air fryer. The thickness of the chicken breast and size of the chicken breasts will make a difference, also. Play around with your air fryer to perfect the recipe.

Here are some basic cook times based on thickness:

½ inch thick: about 10 minutes 1 inch thick: about 15 minutes 1 ½ inches: about 20-22 minutes 2 inches: about 28–30 minutes 2 ½ inch: 32-35 minutes

Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breast Ingredients

  • Mayonnaise: Regular, full fat mayo, but low fat varieties can be substituted.
  • Pickle Juice: I spooned a little straight out of the pickle jar.
  • Parsley: Fresh, chopped parsley.
  • Garlic: Fresh, minced garlic.
  • Panko Bread Crumbs: These bread crumbs help lock in moisture and give a crunch.
  • Chicken Breast: I always use boneless skinless chicken breast and like to buy organic when I can.
  • Salt: I like to use sea salt or kosher salt.
  • Pepper: I like to use freshly ground black pepper.
  • Chicken Breast: I always use boneless skinless chicken breast and like to buy organic when I can. The thicker the breast the longer it will take to cook. ones I used here were pretty thick, like 2 1/2 inches so they cooked for 33 minutes.
All of the ingredients needed to cook frozen chicken in an air fryer.

How to Make Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breast Recipe

Here are the basic instructions for making this chicken breast air fryer recipe. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the exact instructions and ingredient amounts.

  1. Preheat the air fryer (mine needs about 5 minutes to preheat).
  2. Add the mayonnaise, pickle juice, parsley and garlic to a small bowl and stir to combine.
  3. In a separate medium sized bowl, add in the breadcrumbs, olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir well.
  4. Place the frozen chicken on a plate. Brush the garlic mayonnaise mixture all over the top and sides of each piece. Flip over and get the bottom.
  5. Next, sprinkle and press on the Panko mixture. Trying to distribute evenly between each breast.
  6. Air fry until the coating is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each breast registers 165 degrees F. 
Step by step instructions on how to make frozen chicken in the air fryer.

When is Frozen Chicken Breast Done?

The best way to tell if the frozen chicken is cooked all the way through is by using an electric thermometer. Once the chicken is cooked to 165°F the chicken is done.

Frozen Chicken in Air Fryer Tips and Variations

  • Pepperoncini juice. Use the brine from jarred pepperoncinis or banana peppers instead of pickle juice.
  • Use seasoning mixture in breading. In this recipe, I only used salt and pepper. But, you could other flavors to switch it up. You could use Italian seasoning, garlic powder, add a little cayenne pepper to make it spicy, or whatever your favorite seasoning blend is.
  • Pickle juice dip. My kids like to dip their chicken in pickle juice. If you think you might like it, try it out.
  • Instant Read Thermometer. Use an electric meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees f. That is the safe temperature to eat cooked chicken.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the serving size of chicken breast? According to the U.S Department of Healthy and Human Services, the actual amount of protein you should get in a day is 5 1/2 ounces. So the serving size of chicken breast is 3-4 ounces or about the size of a deck of playing cards. This means that a single chicken breast is way more than a single serving.

What temperature do you cook frozen chicken in air fryer? The temperature to cook chicken at in the air fryer is 380°F.

Is it safe to cook frozen chicken breasts in an air fryer? Yes, it is perfectly safe to cook frozen chicken in the air fryer.

How do you cook frozen chicken in an air fryer? It’s easy to cook frozen chicken by following this easy recipe. Just follow the recipe card below.

Can you put frozen meat in an air fryer? Yep, that is what we are here for today! This recipe will show you how to simply make frozen meat in the air fryer.

Storage Instructions

How to refrigerate air fryer chicken breast recipe? Let the chicken breast cool and put in an airtight container. It should last about 3-4 days in the fridge.

How do you reheat chicken breast in an air fryer? Pre-heat the air fryer to 350° F. Cook boneless chicken breast for 5 minutes, flipping over half way through time.

Up close of sliced breaded chicken breast.

Try these other air fryer frozen recipes!

  • Air Fryer Dino Chicken Nuggets
  • Air Fryer Mac and Cheese Bites
  • Air Fryer Crispy Crowns
  • Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
  • Frozen Egg Rolls in Air Fryer

If you’ve tried this air fryer frozen chicken breasts recipe, don’t forget to give me a star rating and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who have made my recipes!

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Sliced breaded chicken breast on a plate with a striped towel in front and another chicken breast in back ground.
Print Recipe
5 from 15 votes

Frozen Chicken Breasts in the Air Fryer

Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breasts get brushed with a pickle brine and mayonnaise sauce, then coated in breadcrumbs to keep it super moist. This recipe makes a juicy chicken dinner without the need for thawing. 
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Total Time40 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 327kcal
Author: Tristin – Home Cooked Harvest

Equipment

  • Air Fryer

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons pickle juice
  • 3 large garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tablespoon Italian flat leaf parsley minced
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 3 large frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts

Instructions

  • Preheat the air fryer to 380°F (mine needs 5 minutes to preheat).
  • Add the mayonnaise, pickle juice, parsley and garlic to a small bowl and stir to combine. 
  • In a separate medium sized bowl, add in the breadcrumbs, olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir well.
  • Place the frozen chicken on a plate. Brush the garlic mayonnaise mixture all over the top and sides of each piece. Flip over and get the other side.
  • Next, sprinkle and press on the Panko mixture. Trying to distribute evenly between each breast. 
  • Air fry for 25-35 minutes (depending on the thickness of the chicken breast). Flip over halfway through cooking time. Cook until the coating is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each breast registers 165 degrees F. 

Notes

Here are some basic cook times based on thickness:
½ inch thick: about 10 minutes 1 inch thick: about 15 minutes 1 ½ inches: about 20-22 minutes 2 inches: about 28–30 minutes 2 ½ inch: 32-35 minutes
  • Pepperoncini juice. Use the brine from jarred pepperoncinis or banana peppers instead of pickle juice.
  • Use seasoning mixture in breading. In this recipe, I only used salt and pepper. But, you could other flavors to switch it up. You could use Italian seasoning, garlic powder, add a little cayenne pepper to make it spicy, or whatever your favorite seasoning blend is.
  • Serving size. So the serving size of chicken breast is 3-4 ounces or about the size of a deck of playing cards.
 
 
* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results. 

Nutrition

Calories: 327kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 678mg | Potassium: 363mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 118IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out!

I love hearing from you! Share a picture of the recipe on Instagram and hashtag it #homecookedharvest.

Related

Filed Under: Air Fryer Recipes, Main Dishes

Previous Post: « Air Fryer Crispy Crowns
Next Post: Instant Pot Pork Adobo »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Linda

    June 13, 2022 at 2:41 pm

    5 stars
    I absolutely love this idea! And since I have a mutual love of air fryers and of forgetting to thaw out the chicken for dinner this recipe is now one of my favorites. I can’t believe that I didn’t know you could cook chicken from frozen! And love the “kind of copycat” Chick-Fil-A pickle juice and mayonnaise approach to the breading. An excellent recipe!

  2. Tristin

    June 13, 2022 at 2:55 pm

    I didn’t even know Chick fil a did that with pickle juice, no wonder their chicken is so good, lol. Thanks Linda!

  3. Colleen

    June 14, 2022 at 1:38 pm

    5 stars
    I love my air fryer but I’ve been sceptical of cooking chicken from frozen. Now I’m convinced. Thank you!

  4. Tristin

    June 14, 2022 at 2:00 pm

    Chicken is probably my favorite thing to make in the air fryer. Glad that you found this recipe Colleen!

  5. Pete

    June 15, 2022 at 9:20 am

    5 stars
    This is my new favorite Air Fryer recipe! So easy, I always have frozen chicken breasts in the oven. The mayo with pickle juice and garlic was genius! The only way I will make chicken in my air fryer now!

  6. Tristin

    June 16, 2022 at 9:21 am

    Pete, you are too kind! Thanks so much, I came up with the idea because I know some recipes soak chicken breast in pickle juice before deep frying. Thought it sounded like a yummy addition to the mayo.

  7. Savita

    June 16, 2022 at 9:22 am

    5 stars
    Loved the crust of chicken breast, the recipe sounds so easy and delicious.

  8. Tristin

    June 16, 2022 at 9:35 am

    Yesss, I could eat the coating by itself, so good! Thanks Savita!

  9. Cathleen

    June 16, 2022 at 9:46 am

    5 stars
    Ooh this is so perfect for me!! I love my air fryer, so I know that I am going to be making this chicken over and over. Thank you so much for this! 🙂

  10. Tristin

    June 16, 2022 at 11:30 am

    We are a little air fryer obsessed, too, Cathleen. This is a great recipe to make again and again!

  11. Kim

    June 16, 2022 at 7:00 pm

    5 stars
    This is brilliant! I can’t wait to try it. I am always forgetting to thaw something for dinner. It never occurred to me that I could bread something while it was frozen!

  12. Tristin

    June 16, 2022 at 7:35 pm

    Same here, Kim, I always forget to pull out that chicken! I hope you love this recipe!!

  13. Kathryn

    June 17, 2022 at 9:56 am

    5 stars
    I love this recipe! It’s so easy and convenient to cook frozen chicken, it was perfectly juice and delicious!

  14. Tristin

    June 17, 2022 at 12:11 pm

    I am so happy that it turned out so well for you Kathryn. Thanks!!

  15. Gwynn

    June 18, 2022 at 8:11 am

    5 stars
    I love cooking in my air fryer and this is a new favorite recipe. My family loved this chicken recipe and the pickle mayo coating adds great flavor!

  16. Tristin

    June 18, 2022 at 9:12 am

    Glad you and your family loved this recipe, Gwynn.

  17. Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer

    June 18, 2022 at 7:09 pm

    5 stars
    That coating though… seriously! IN LOVE!!! I always have frozen chicken and this was crazy easy!

  18. Tristin

    June 18, 2022 at 7:35 pm

    Yeesss, Lori, that breading on the outside is so crunchy and yummy!

  19. Jenny

    June 19, 2022 at 12:04 pm

    5 stars
    I love chicken with pickle brine and mayonnaise sauce. This is a great air fryer recipe. Cheers!

  20. Tristin

    June 19, 2022 at 12:20 pm

    Thanks so much Jenny!

  21. Jacqueline Debono

    June 19, 2022 at 3:46 pm

    5 stars
    Like you, I often forget to take the meat for dinner out of the freezer, and not just chicken breasts! I recently got an airfryer and can’t wait to give this dinner saving recipe a try. Looks delicious!

  22. Tristin

    June 19, 2022 at 4:00 pm

    I really hope you love it!!

  23. Ann

    June 19, 2022 at 8:18 pm

    5 stars
    I love chicken breast in the air fryer! So simple, quick, and delicious! I have this recipe down to try this week!

  24. Tristin

    June 19, 2022 at 9:00 pm

    Thanks so much Ann!

  25. Veronika

    June 19, 2022 at 9:49 pm

    5 stars
    I can’t tell you how many times I forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer to thaw before cooking haha. This is the perfect recipe for those days. It came out amazing and we really enjoyed it!

  26. Tristin

    June 19, 2022 at 10:00 pm

    Great! Glad you liked it Veronika, thanks!!

  27. Lauren Michael Harris

    June 20, 2022 at 6:44 am

    5 stars
    This chicken looks absolutely perfect! I love how easy it is to make in the air fryer and much healthier than fried.

  28. Tristin

    June 20, 2022 at 8:00 am

    It is super easy! Hope you enjoy Lauren.

  29. Barbara

    July 6, 2022 at 5:10 pm

    I love, love, love this easy, delicious chicken breast.
    I highly recommend it.

  30. Tristin

    July 6, 2022 at 5:18 pm

    Barbara, you are the sweetest! We are also big fans of this chicken recipe. Thank you so much for leaving such a nice comment 😀

  31. Jodie

    December 11, 2024 at 5:44 pm

    5 stars
    I had extra packets of Chick-fil-A Avocado Lime Ranch dressing, added the pickle juice, pepper, garlic to that-AMAZING!!!

  32. Tristin

    December 13, 2024 at 8:55 am

    That sounds delicious, Jodie. Definitely trying this idea, thanks for the recommendation!

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Hey there! Welcome, I am so glad you are here. I’m Tristin, the food-lover, recipe-maker, and photo-taker behind Home Cooked Harvest, which features easy recipes made with tasty ingredients. Read More…

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