Air Fryer Marinated Chicken Breasts

For these Air Fryer Marinated Chicken Breasts I used some of the same techniques that help me keep chicken juicy on the grill! And this Air Fryer chicken was amazing for a low-carb dinner!

Pin Air Fryer Marinated Chicken Breasts to try it later!

When I started seeing recipes for Air Fryer chicken breasts, I admit I was skeptical about whether you could cook chicken breasts in the Air Fryer without the chicken drying out.

But then one day it struck me that I could use the same techniques I use to Make Juicy Grilled Chicken Breasts to keep chicken juicy in the Air Fryer. And when I experimented with Kara to test variations for the Air Fryer Marinated Chicken Breasts, we loved how the chicken came out of the Air Fryer browned on the outside but still moist and juicy on the inside.

And we didn’t even have to turn it, although you could turn your chicken if you prefer. Air Fryer Chicken Breasts for the win!

What kept Marinated Chicken Breasts moist in the Air Fryer?

There were a few things that helped this marinated chicken breast stay moist in the Air Fryer:

• We marinated the chicken all day, using a marinade with olive oil, lemon juice, and dried herbs.
• I cut slits going lengthwise down the chicken breasts to help the chicken cook evenly and a bit more quickly. (Some cooking experts call this “slashed chicken.”)
• Let marinated chicken breasts come to room temperature before you cook them.
• I cooked the chicken breasts relatively quickly at a high temperature, without turning.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• olive oil
• lemon juice, I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
• Garlic Powder (affiliate link)
• Spike Seasoning (affiliate link)
• Dried Basil (affiliate link)
• Dried Oregano (affiliate link)
• Onion Powder (affiliate link)
• Dried Sage (affiliate link)
• black pepper

What if you don’t have time to mix up a special marinade?

For this Air Fryer Marinated Chicken Breasts recipe I used a marinade that was slightly adapted from my Garlic, Lemon, and Herb Grilled Chicken Breasts. That was delicious and worked perfectly, but if you want something simpler, you can use my popular two-ingredient chicken marinade. Or just marinate the chicken breasts in about 1/2 cup of Newman’s Own Classic Oil and Vinegar Dressing (affiliate link) for a version that’s even easier!

What Air Fryer Did I Use?

I became a big Air Fryer fan after I discovered the Cuisinart Convection Air Fryer Toaster Oven (affiliate link) and that’s what I used for this recipe. This air fryer has a larger basket, which lets me fit four pieces of chicken (or more), and I find this model easy to use. I also like having an air fryer that stays out on the counter.

Want more Low-Carb Air Fryer Recipes?

Check out 100 Keto Air Fryer Recipes to see a huge round-up of tasty Air Fryer recipes from Danica's Kitchen and other blogs. (You can also use Air Fryer Recipes to see all the Air Fryer recipes on my site.)

How to Make Air Fryer Marinated Chicken Breasts:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Trim fat and undesirable parts from chicken breasts. 
2. Cut short shallow slits crosswise going down each chicken breast. 
3. Mix olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, Spike Seasoning, dried basil, dried oregano, onion powder, dried sage, and black pepper to make the marinade.
4. Put prepared chicken breasts into Ziploc bag or plastic container with a snap-tight lid. 
5. Pour in the marinade, seal bag or container, turn over to get chicken fully coated with marinade, and marinate chicken in the fridge all day. 
6. When you’re ready to cook, drain the chicken and discard the marinade.
7. Put marinated chicken breasts into the air fryer basket and let them come to room temperature.
8. Preheat Air Fryer to 400F/204C if your Air Fryer needs to be preheated. 
9. Put the basket in the Air Fryer and cook the chicken breasts 12-14 minutes. 
10. After 12 minutes I would start checking the temperature with an Instant Read Meat Thermometer (affiliate link).
11. Chicken needs to be cooked to 165F/75C to be safe to eat.
12. Serve the Air Fryer Marinated Chicken Breasts hot and enjoy!

Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

The Air Fryer Chicken Breasts would be delicious with Roasted Turnips, Stir-Fried Spinach with Garlic and Parmesan, Garlicky Green Beans Stir Fry, or Barely-Cooked Asparagus with Lemon-Mustard Vinaigrette. If it’s salad season you could serve it with Avocado Tomato Salad or Laurel’s Jicama Salad.

Weekend Food Prep:

This chicken (or leftover chicken from the recipe) would be perfect to cut up and keep in the fridge to add to salads or stir-fries later in the week. So I’m adding the recipe to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

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Yield: 4 servings

Air Fryer Marinated Chicken Breasts

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Additional Time 8 hours

Total Time 8 hours 27 minutes

I used the same techniques I love for juicy grilled chicken to keep these Air Fryer Marinated Chicken breasts moist, and this chicken was so delicious!

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. Spike Seasoning (see notes)
• 1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 2/3 tsp. dried oregano
• 2/3 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. dried sage
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Instructions

1. Trim any visible fat and undesirable parts from the chicken breasts. If they aren't close to the same thickness, I would also slice off some of the underneath part so they are equally thick. (You can freeze those scraps to make homemade chicken stock if you like.)
2. Cut short shallow slits crosswise going down each chicken breasts. I make the slits about 1/2 inch apart.
3. Mix together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, Spike Seasoning, dried basil, dried oregano, onion powder, dried sage, and some fresh ground black pepper to make the marinade.
4. Put prepared chicken breasts into a large Ziploc bag or a plastic container with a snap-tight lid. 
5. Pour in the marinade, seal the bag or container, turn over a few times to get the chicken full coated with marinade, and marinate chicken in the fridge all day. (If you can't marinate all day, try to do it for at least 4-6 hours. Longer marinating times for 10 or 12 hours won't hurt a bit.)
6. When you're ready to cook, drain the chicken and discard the marinade.
7. Put marinated chicken breasts into the air fryer basket and let them come to room temperature.
8. Preheat Air Fryer to 400F/204C if your Air Fryer needs to be preheated. (You can use 390F/198C if that's the highest temperature your Air Fryer model has.)
9. Put the basket in the Air Fryer and cook the chicken breasts 12-14 minutes. You don't need to turn the chicken but if you notice some edges are browning more than others you can rotate the chicken pieces or rotate the basket.
10. After 12 minutes (or slightly sooner if your Air Fryer cooks hot) I would start checking the temperature with an Instant Read Meat Thermometer (affiliate link).
11. Chicken needs to be cooked to 165F/75C to be safe to eat.
12. Serve the Air Fryer Marinated Chicken Breasts hot and enjoy!

Notes

If you don't have Spike Seasoning, use any kind of all-purpose seasoning blend.

This recipe developed and tested by Kalyn and Kara. The marinade on the chicken was slightly adapted from Garlic, Lemon, and Herb Grilled Chicken Breasts.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 269Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2.2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8.1gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 661mgCarbohydrates: 2.7gFiber: .7gSugar: .3gProtein: 38g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Air Fryer Marinated Chicken is a good main dish for any low-carb, Keto, or Low-Glycemic diet, including any phase of the original South Beach Diet. 

Find More Recipes Like This One:
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