Description
A quick and tasty recipe for making frozen chicken breasts in the air fryer, resulting in juicy and flavorful chicken.
Ingredients
Scale
- ⅓ cup barbecue sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey (or as desired)
- 1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste if desired)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or more to taste if desired)
- Optional dried herbs or seasonings (cumin, ginger, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, smoked paprika, etc.; start with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon and increase if desired)
- 1–1.5 pounds frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts (similar sized recommended; chicken tenders or strips may be substituted, do not use bone-in chicken)
- Optional fresh herbs for garnishing (parsley, basil, mint, cilantro, green onions, etc.)
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 375F if needed.
- In a small bowl, mix together the barbecue sauce, olive oil, honey, salt, pepper, and any optional seasonings.
- Lightly brush the frozen chicken pieces with the barbecue sauce mixture on all sides.
- If chicken pieces are frozen together, run them under warm water until they separate.
- Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer in the air fryer and air fry for about 15-20 minutes.
- Flip the chicken, brush with remaining sauce, and continue air frying for another 10-15 minutes until chicken reaches 165F.
- Check internal temperature with a digital thermometer to ensure doneness.
- Allow the chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes to redistribute juices.
- Optionally garnish with fresh herbs and serve, pouring any collected juices over the chicken.
Notes
- Undercooking chicken can be dangerous; be sure to take the internal temperature.
- All air fryers have different heat outputs, affecting cooking time.
- Smaller pieces of chicken may cook faster than larger ones; remove them accordingly.
- Letting the chicken rest helps retain its juices.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece (approximately 4 oz)
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 550mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 75mg