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.
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.
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
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.
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.
- Preheat the air fryer (mine needs about 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 bottom.
- Next, sprinkle and press on the Panko mixture. Trying to distribute evenly between each breast.
- 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.
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.
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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Frozen Chicken Breasts in the 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.
Equipment
-
Air Fryer
Recipe Notes
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 Information
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