Air Fryer Bone-In Chicken Breasts Recipe

Make the most juiciest and delicious air fryer bone in chicken breasts in less than 30 minutes! This recipe is quick, delicious, and the perfect way to make chicken in your air fryer.

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This chicken breast in the air fryer is a game-changer. I’ve done boneless skinless chicken breasts in the air fryer, and it’s fantastic. But it’s time for the bone-in chicken to get some shine.

Chicken in the air fryer comes out delicious and juicy and full of flavor. This skin-on chicken comes out with crispy, flavorful skin while the meat inside stays tender and juicy. And this all happens in less than 30 minutes!

Try my other air fryer chicken recipes, like air-fried chicken and roasted whole air fryer chicken. Or try my air fryer turkey breasts.

How to make bone-in chicken breast in an air fryer

First, gather your ingredients. I use the following.

• Bone-in, skin-on split chicken breasts – I use 2 boneless, skin-on chicken breasts that are about 12 oz each. This is the amount of bone-in chicken breasts that will usually fit in a 5-quart air fryer.
• Seasoning – I use my all-purpose seasoning for this recipe. Feel free to use any seasonings of your choice, like Barbeque, lemon pepper, or jerk seasoning. Or keep it simple with a bit of salt and pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. 

Then, preheat your air fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit.

Next, pat your chicken breasts dry with a paper towel. Drying the chicken breasts will allow the seasonings to stick to the breasts

Sprinkle all sides of the chicken breasts with the seasoning. Also, gently lift the skin and sprinkle seasoning under the skin.

Place the seasoned chicken breast in the preheated air fryer basket, skin side down. Cook the chicken on this side for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, open the air fryer basket and flip the chicken breast with tongs. Cook the chicken breast, skin side up, for an additional 8-10 minutes until the chicken breast is done and cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove the chicken breast from the air fryer and place it on a cutting board. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 – 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

How long does it take to cook a chicken breast in an air fryer?

The total cook time of this chicken breast will take about 25 minutes in the air fryer. Larger chicken breasts will take a little longer to cook, while smaller chicken breasts will cook quicker. Check your chicken breasts with a quick read thermometer to ensure the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

How to check the internal temperature of chicken breasts?

Using a quick-read thermometer is the best way to ensure your chicken is fully cooked and not overcooked. To use a quick read thermometer, place the thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken breasts.

Do I need to put oil on chicken breasts in the air fryer?

I don’t use additional oil on these skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts; however, you can if you like. The skin on the chicken releases oil while it cooks, resulting in crispy skin. Just make sure to pat the chicken dry before seasoning.

If using oil, I suggest using oils with a higher smoke point, like olive oil or avocado oil. You could also rub the chicken breast with flavored butter or mayo. This will add additional flavor and gets your chicken nice and golden.  

Why use bone-in chicken breasts?

Bone-in chicken breast is more cost efficient and usually cheaper per pound then boneless chicken breasts. The bone and the skin help keep the chicken juicy while it cooks. If you love crispy skin, this also works best.

What to serve this with?

This goes well with sides like fried cabbage, mashed potatoes, air fryer baked potato, asparagus, green beans, broccoli, and a nice salad.

How to make boneless, skinless chicken breast?

I cook boneless, skinless chicken breast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 13-14 minutes, flipping halfway. I do add a bit of oil to boneless breasts.

I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!

If you have tried this air fryer bone-in chicken breasts recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below!

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4.75 from 12 votes

Air Fryer Bone-In Chicken Breasts

Make the juiciest and most delicious air fryer bone-in chicken breast in less than 30 minutes! This recipe is quick, delicious, and perfect for making chicken in your air fryer.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword air fryer bone in chicken breasts

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 311kcal

Author Tanya

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 2 bone-in chicken breasts 12 oz each
• 1 ½ Tablespoons all-purpose seasoning or seasoning of your choice.

Instructions

• Preheat your air fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Next, pat your chicken breasts dry with a paper towel.
• Sprinkle all sides of the chicken breasts with the seasoning. Also, gently lift the skin and sprinkle seasoning under the skin.
• Place the seasoned chicken breast in the air fryer basket, skin side down. Cook the chicken breast on this side for 15 minutes.
• After 15 minutes, open the air fryer basket and flip the chicken breast with tongs. Cook the chicken breast, breast side up, for an additional 8-10 minutes until the chicken breast is done and cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Suggested Tools

1 Large Air Fryer

Notes

• If the chicken breasts are patted dry, you will not need any additional oil for this recipe. Drying the chicken breasts will allow the seasoning to stick to the chicken. 
• I use 12 oz chicken breasts for this recipe. Larger breasts will need an additional minute or two while smaller breasts will need about a minute or two less. Use a quick read thermometer to ensure the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Nutrition

Calories: 311kcal | Protein: 38g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 114mg | Potassium: 398mg | Vitamin A: 150IU | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

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