Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Breasts - Succulent And Juicy!

If you're a BBQ chicken fan then you'll just LOVE this quick and easy air fryer BBQ chicken breasts recipe. Juicy, smoky and packed with flavor!

Why You'll LOVE This Easy Air Fryer Recipe

It's SO Easy! - it seriously couldn't be easier to make these BBQ chicken breast in the air fryer. Our foolproof recipe means you'll be tucking into juicy chicken for dinner on repeat!

Flavourful - we season the chicken breast with smoky herbs and spices and air fry, before finishing off with delicious BBQ sauce. So these taste GREAT, every single time!

Versatile - air fryer barbecue chicken breasts are great for a quick, easy weeknight dinner with French fries and salad, or use the chicken for BBQ chicken wraps, salads, meal prep - whatever you're fancying!

If you love cooking with your air fryer, don’t miss our Air Fryer Recipes Hub where you’ll find easy dinners, sides, snacks and desserts all in one place.

Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Breast Recipe 

Serves – 4 people

Prep Time – 5 minutes 

Cook Time - 25 minutes

Total Time – 30 minutes

Our Most Popular Alternative – Air Fryer Cajun Chicken

Equipment Needed

• Air Fryer – we use a Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone Air Fryer – the 9.5 litre two drawer cooking space is BRILLIANT when you’re cooking for a family. And it makes cooking meat, chicken or fish and potatoes at the same time super easy!
• Silicone Tongs
• Food thermometer – I totally recommend getting yourself a food thermometer, especially for air frying, it really gives me peace of mind when cooking. I like to know that food is cooked to the correct temperature.
• Tablespoon
• Teaspoon
• Shallow bowl - for marinating the chicken

Ingredients For Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Breasts 

Everything you need to make the BEST Air Fryer BBQ chicken breasts

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 2 teaspoon paprika - you can use smoked paprika if you prefer
• pinch salt
• pinch black pepper
• 4 tablespoon BBQ sauce - just choose your favorite brand

How To Make BBQ Chicken In the Air Fryer 

Our air fryer chicken recipe couldn't be easier! Definitely quick enough for weeknight cooking!

Step One - marinate the chicken breasts

• Add the chicken breasts to a bowl, pour over the olive oil, and toss the chicken in the oil.
• Then sprinkle in the paprika, garlic powder and dried parsley, season with salt and black pepper. (you can leave this in the fridge to marinate for up to 12 hours)

Step Two - air fry the BBQ chicken breasts

• Add the chicken breasts to the air fryer basket, don't overcrowd or overlap.
• Air fry the chicken at 200C/400F for 10 minutes, flip over and continue to air fry for a further 10 minutes, or until cooked through properly.

Step Three - add the BBQ sauce

• Once the chicken is cooked, spread or brush a tablespoon of BBQ sauce on top of each chicken breast - cook in the air fryer for a couple of minutes to warm the sauce through.

Step Four - slice the chicken

• Then remove the cooked air fryer BBQ chicken breasts from the air fryer and leave on a board to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

What To Serve With Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Breasts

These lovely, smoky, juicy chicken breasts are great served with loads of different sides and salads - we've popped a few of our faves below to start you off!

• Air Fryer Frozen Fries
• Air Fryer Potato Wedges
• Macaroni Cheese
• Air Fryer Corn On The Cobs
• Ranch Coleslaw
• Tomato And Cucumber Salad
• Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
• Bacon Potato Salad
• Baked Beans  

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Helpful Recipe Tips

Tips and ideas so that your air fryer BBQ chicken is the BEST!

What’s the best temperature to air fry chicken breasts?

We air fry chicken breasts at 200C / 400F and flip them half way through cooking so that they cook evenly.

How do you tell if air fryer chicken is done cooking?

Okay - so medium sized chicken breast take around 18-22 minutes in the air fryer BUT, here's the thing, every air fryer is slightly different, and chicken breasts come in a variety of sizes and thickness.

SO, always check that chicken is cooked right through to the centre and we ALWAYS use a digital meat thermometer to make sure the core internal temperature is hot enough. And continue cooking until it reaches a minimum temperature of 75C (168F) at the thickest part of the chicken.

And always check the whole breast is cooked through properly before serving.

How to store leftover air fryer BBQ chicken

Any leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. We don't usually reheat BBQ chicken as the slices can dry out, we usually use it up in wraps with salad or pasta salad.

Can I use chicken thigh?

You can make this recipe using chicken thighs - just adjust the cooking times as they take longer to air fry.

Can I use chicken tenders?

BBQ chicken tenders are super delicious and using chicken tenders in place of the whole chicken breast works well with this recipe. (oh... and they're also super tasty with a blue cheese dip)

Can I use frozen chicken breasts?

You can use frozen chicken breasts for this recipe as long as the packet instructions says they're suitable for cooking from frozen! (ALWAYS CHECK) and remember to adjust the cooking times as frozen chicken takes longer to cook than fresh. Again, check the chicken is cooked through properly before serving.

Do I have to let the chicken rest before cutting into it?

Yes! I know, it's annoying, and you just want to get on and serve up dinner. But, letting the chicken rest for 5 minutes just means it's so much juicer and tender.

Is BBQ chicken spicy?

Our BBQ chicken isn't spicy as we use a mild sauce, but if you want to spice things up in the kitchen grab yourself a spicy BBQ sauce or add in a good pinch of chilli flakes or some cayenne pepper.

Is BBQ chicken gluten-free?

You can easily convert this recipe to gluten free if you make sure you use all certified gluten free ingredients.

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straight from the Daisies & Pie kitchen

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