Cook TimeCook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total TimeTotal Time: 27 minutes minutes
Cooking TemperatureTemperature: 380 degrees Fahrenheit
The exact cook time can vary. Read below for our tips!
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Planning on having chicken for dinner but forgot to defrost it first? Air fryer frozen chicken breast is the answer!
Made right from frozen with no thawing time involved, this frozen chicken breast turns out flavorful and juicy.
Similar to cooking fresh chicken breast in the air fryer, all you need is a few spices, some oil, and your air fryer!
This chicken makes a great meat component to go with a larger meal or can be used as an ingredient itself in homemade quesadillas or similar.
Recipe Tips/Substitutions
Before making air fried frozen chicken breast, you should check out these recipe tips so that you know what to expect!
- There is no thawing time involved – you can spice and oil this chicken breast right from frozen and it cooks perfectly.
- Because it’s harder to massage the oil onto the breast when it’s frozen, just be sure to sprinkle it on evenly so that the meat is covered all around.
- You can always change up the spice blend. We like a simple blend of basic spices, but you can change it up to suit your taste buds. Just make sure to use dry spices. If you want to use sauce, add it after the chicken is done cooking.
Step by Step Instructions
If you are wondering “can you cook frozen chicken in the air fryer”, the answer is absolutely! To see visuals for how we make ours, have a look at the process photos in this section.
Otherwise, you can skip below to the recipe card to get started cooking!
First, add the spices – salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper – into a small bowl. If you don’t like a bit of spice, skip the cayenne pepper!
Stir until the spices are well mixed.
Lightly spray all sides of the frozen chicken breasts with avocado oil. Alternatively, you can also brush them with 1/2 teaspoon of oil per frozen breast.
Then, sprinkle the spice mix on top of the breasts. Flip the chicken over and add the seasoning mix to the other side as well.
Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once the air fryer is up to temperature, place the frozen chicken breasts on the air fryer tray.
Cook the chicken for 10 minutes, then flip them and cook the chicken for 10 more minutes or until fully cooked through.
Your cook time might be slightly different based on what size of air fryer you have and the size of the chicken breasts.
Once cooked, remove the chicken breasts from the air fryer and place them on a clean plate.
Take tin foil and cover the chicken and plate and let the chicken sit for 3-5 minutes. This helps the chicken stay juicy.
You don’t have to do this step, but we would recommend it because it can make a difference.
Once the time is up, remove the tin foil from the plate and serve the chicken breasts hot. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
Chicken breast made in the air fryer keeps well in the fridge. Just be sure to wrap it in tin foil or place any leftovers in a sealed container. This will help it stay moist and keep it from drying out.
Consume the leftovers within 3-4 days maximum.
To reheat, you can place the chicken on a plate and pop it in the microwave. You can also toss it back in the air fryer for a few minutes!
What to Serve Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breast With
You can serve air fried frozen chicken with so many different sides. This is because the spices are tasty yet simple and chicken breast is a versatile meat option.
We like this chicken breast with potatoes – any style, like homemade wedges – as well as another vegetable like asparagus or corn on the cob!
Related Recipes
For more air fryer chicken recipes, have a look at these recipes made with fresh and frozen meat:
- Air Fried Chicken Wings
- Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
- Air Fried Stuffed Chicken Breasts
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
- Frozen Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breast
Frozen Chicken Breast is so easy to make in the air fryer! Flavorful on the outside and moist and juicy on the inside, you'd never know this chicken dish was made from frozen chicken without thawing time.
4.91 from 11 votes
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Prep Time: 4 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Additional Time: 3 minutes minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 2 frozen chicken breasts, 7-8 ounces per breast
- avocado oil spray
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
Instructions
Add the spices – salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper – into a small bowl and mix them together until the spice is a blend.
Lightly spray all sides of the frozen chicken breasts with avocado oil. Alternatively, you can also brush them with 1/2 teaspoon of oil per frozen breast. Then, sprinkle the spice mix on top of the breasts. Flip the chicken over and add the seasoning mix to the other side as well.
Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once the air fryer is up to temperature, place the frozen chicken breasts on the air fryer tray. Cook the chicken for 10 minutes, then flip them and cook the chicken for 10 more minutes or until fully cooked through. Your cook time might be slightly different based on what size of air fryer you have and the size of the chicken breasts.
Once cooked, remove the chicken breasts from the air fryer and place them on a clean plate. Take tin foil and cover the chicken and plate and let the chicken sit for 3-5 minutes. This helps the chicken stay juicy.
Once the time is up, remove the tin foil from the plate and serve the chicken breasts hot.
Notes
- You don’t have to thaw the chicken at all. They can go right from the freezer to cooking in the air fryer.
- We would recommend not skipping the last step of covering the chicken with tin foil on a plate – this is how the chicken turns out juicy!
- If your frozen chicken breast is a lot smaller or larger than 7-8 ounces, you’ll likely have to adjust the cooking time.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 618mg
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Author Lisa Wychopen
