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This Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Breast recipe is perfect when you have a taste for grilled BBQ chicken breasts, but don’t want to grill outside. With simple spices and your favorite barbecue sauce, this is an easy weeknight dinner or meal prep that the whole family will enjoy.
I love BBQ chicken, and on days when we can’t grill outside, I’ve gotten creative with ways to enjoy those sweet, smoky flavors without the grill. This air fryer chicken breast recipe requires just a few ingredients and comes together in less than 20 minutes for an easy weeknight meal.
I use a few of the spices you’ll find in my homemade BBQ seasoning to pack these air fryer BBQ chicken breasts full of flavor, even before they’re slathered in sauce!
Why Make This Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Recipe
Recipes like my Instant Pot BBQ chicken and Crock Pot BBQ chicken thighs are the best way to enjoy BBQ without the grill or smoker. Here’s why you’ll love this air fryer recipe, too:
- Char-grilled flavor in your air fryer: I like making BBQ foods (especially barbecue chicken) in the air fryer because it is the easiest way to char the sauce like it was on the grill, but it doesn’t require you to have a grill or even step outside.
- Quick & easy: With only minutes to prep and cook, this is by far one of the quickest and best air fryer BBQ chicken breasts that you can make at home.
- Versatile: Enjoy this juicy chicken breast as a main dish with simple sides like my homemade coleslaw or any of these BBQ chicken sides.
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You’ll Need These Ingredients
Here are a few notes to ensure your juicy air fryer BBQ chicken breast is a success. You’ll find the exact measurements in the recipe card.
- Chicken Breasts: I’m using raw, boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I have a separate recipe for cooking air fryer BBQ chicken thighs, which requires a slightly longer cooking time.
- Avocado Oil: A little oil helps to brown the meat and allows the spices to stick to the meat.
- Spices: I’m using common pantry spices like smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper, and Italian seasoning. You could swap these for my BBQ rub for chicken or chicken spice rub. They include things like brown sugar substitute and cayenne pepper.
- BBQ Sauce: I’m using homemade BBQ sauce (I also used it on my air fryer BBQ wings). But you could use any hickory or mesquite BBQ sauce you’d like.
How to Make BBQ Chicken Breasts in the Air Fryer
You’re going to love how quickly this smoky, saucy BBQ chicken breast recipe comes together in the air fryer.
Season the Chicken Breasts
First, pat the chicken breasts dry. Then, add the chicken to a bowl with the oil and spices, and toss to coat. Arrange the seasoned chicken breasts in a single layer inside the air fryer.
Air Fry
Cook the chicken breasts at 400ºF for 8-9 minutes, flip, and cook for another 7-8 minutes. In the last 5 minutes, brush the chicken breasts with BBQ sauce on both sides.
Air Frying Tips for BBQ Chicken Breasts
- Add sauce near the end. You can use sauce in an air fryer, but save it until the last 5-10 minutes of cooking, just enough to char it a little. BBQ sauce cannot withstand the temperature needed to cook and grill most meats. So, if you apply it at the beginning of cooking, it will burn.
- Grease the chicken. Spray all sides of the chicken with cooking spray or non-stick spray to help prevent them from sticking to the air fryer basket. Do NOT spray the air fryer basket directly with aerosol sprays, however, as it can damage the basket coating.
- Line the air fryer basket. Use air fryer parchment paper for a mess-free clean-up.
- Cooking times may vary. Most chicken breasts take 15-18 minutes to cook in the air fryer. The cook times vary based on the size of the chicken breast.
What to Serve With This
Working this air fryer BBQ chicken breast into a meal is as easy as adding a side of cornbread, veggies, or another cookout side dish. These are some easy sides to consider:
How to Store Leftovers
- Store: The best way to store leftover air fryer BBQ chicken breasts is in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Allow the chicken to cool and store it in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw the chicken in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat: Leftover BBQ chicken is delicious served cold in salads and wraps, or you can reheat it in the air fryer or microwave.
Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Breasts
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Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds Chicken Breasts, raw, boneless
- 2 Tablespoons Avocado oil
- 1/3 cup Keto BBQ Sauce, click for the recipe
BBQ Chicken Spice Mix
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Natural Ancient Sea Salt
- ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
Instructions
- Mix the spice mixture in a small bowl
- Add the spices, chicken breasts, and avocado oil to a bowl. Toss the chicken until it's coated evenly.
- Place chicken wings on a flat layer in the air fryer basket.
- Air Fry the chicken breasts on 400 degrees for 9 minutes.
- Flip the chicken breasts with tongs. Cook them at 400 degrees for 7-9 more minutes (depending on the chicken's size). Add BBQ sauce to both sides of the meat during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
- Optional: Serve with additional bbq sauce on the side.
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Recipe Notes
Nutrition Details
The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into Spoonacular API, a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used.
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