Can You Put Breaded Chicken In An Air Fryer? (read this first)
Not only can you put breaded chicken in an air fryer, it’s a quick and easy way to cook a deliciously tasty meal.
Cooking chicken in breadcrumbs in a conventional oven often cooks too dry. Which is why we love this recipe so much. Every time we’ve cooked this air fryer breaded chicken recipe it’s been a hit.
There is a bit of preparation work but it’s not too challenging and we truly believe that anyone can cook this in their air fryer and get great results time after time.
Can You Cook Frozen Breaded Chicken Breasts In An Air Fryer?
Sometimes the day just runs away from you and you suddenly realise it’s almost teatime and you have nothing prepared. If you happen to have some frozen breaded chicken breasts in your freezer, you could have dinner done in around 15 to 20 minutes.
There’s no need to thaw the chicken, simply place the frozen breaded chicken breasts in the air fryer basket ensuring that there is a gap between them and cook at 180 C (350 F) for 10 minutes.
Then turn the chicken over and cook for another 5 minutes before checking the internal temperature of the chicken using a meat thermometer. The temperature of the chicken internally needs to be at least 74 C (165 F).
Can You Cook Frozen Breaded Chicken Nuggets In An Air Fryer?
You can cook frozen chicken nuggets in an air fryer and cooking them is simplicity itself.
All you need to do is arrange the chicken nuggets in a single layer in the air fryer basket and cook at 180 C (350 F) for 10 to 12 minutes.
Check that the internal temperature is at least 74 C (165 F), if not cook for another minute or so until it is and then serve.
How Can You Make Breaded Chicken Golden Brown & Crispy?
There is a little secret that we have learned that ensures that breaded chicken cooks crispy. All you need to do is either brush light olive oil onto the breadcrumb coating or use a mister to spray the oil onto the breadcrumbs.
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Don’t use too much oil, 1 to 2 tablespoons is more than enough to cover the breaded chicken breasts. Using too much oil can cause the chicken to remain soggy and not get crisp at all.
Always remember when using oil in an air fryer less is best.
How To Make Your Own Breaded Chicken To Cook In The Air Fryer?
This easy to follow recipe will take around 10 minutes to prepare your chicken breasts and then around 15 to 20 minutes cooking time.
Ingredients
You will need;
- 2 boneless chicken breasts
- 30g plain flour
- 75g breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons light olive oil
- 1 large egg (beaten)
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Method
- Set up a dipping station by placing 3 bowls in a line, 1 containing the flour, the 2nd containing the beaten egg, and the 3rd containing the breadcrumbs, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper and black pepper (ensure all of the ingredients in the 3rd bowl are thoroughly mixed).
- Dip the chicken breast into the flour, then the egg and then the breadcrumb mixture ensuring that the breadcrumb mixture gets pressed onto the chicken breasts.
- Spray each side of the coated chicken with light olive oil.
- Place the chicken in the air fryer’s basket ensuring there is a gap between each piece of chicken.
- Cook in a preheated air fryer at 180 C (350 F) for 10 minutes.
- Turn the chicken and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the coating gets golden brown and crispy.
- Check the internal temperature of the chicken using a meat thermometer (the chicken needs to be at least 74 C (165 F).
The time needed to cook your chicken breasts will vary depending on the size and thickness.
How To Save On Clean Up Time
If you’re worried about any of the breadcrumbs falling from the chicken and causing you loads of extra work cleaning the air fryer, there are ways to prevent this.
You can use any of the following;
Use The Air Fryer Shelf
If you own an oven-type air fryer, all you need to do is place the breaded chicken on the air fryer’s shelf and the drip tray will collect most of the fallen breadcrumbs.
Use A Silicone Liner
- Food-Grade Silicone Material: Silicone Air Fryer Liners are non-toxic, and have no fluorescence 100% Healthy. They are non-stick, waterproof, and oil-proof. They can withstand temperatures up to 428 degrees Fahrenheit and have no effect on the taste of food.
These liners are made from food grade silicone which is waterproof, grease proof and non-stick.
Using a silicone liner will prevent any breadcrumbs from falling into the air fryer or getting stuck in the perforations of the air fryer basket or shelf.
Use A Disposable Paper Air Fryer Liner
- [Disposable Air Fryer Liners for NINJA FOODIE DUAL]- These Parchment Liners are also compatible with Major brand Ninja AF300UK AF400UK, Tower T17088 Vortex, EMtronics, Tower Instant Vortex fryer, Salter, Daewoo and other Dual air fryers.
These disposable air fryer liners are made from reinforced baking (parchment) paper which will collect all of the breadcrumbs that fall off your chicken and save you having to clean the air fryer basket or shelf.
They are waterproof, grease proof non-stick and heat resistant and can withstand temperatures up to 220 C (428 F).
Once you’ve finished cooking, the liner can be thrown away with your general waste. In some areas they can be placed in the recycling bin (check with your local council).
SEE ALSO:
- Do Air Fryer Disposable Paper Liners Work? (and are they worth it)
- Can You Put Frozen Chicken In An Air Fryer? (breast, wings, mini fillets etc)
- Can You Put Broccoli In An Air Fryer?
- Can You Put Bread In An Air Fryer?
Frequently Asked Questions
You can put breaded items in an air fryer but be aware that some of the breadcrumb coating is likely to fall off during the cooking process. To save on cleaning, we recommend either using the air fryer shelf (with the drip tray underneath) or use a silicone or disposable paper liner to cook the breaded items in.
It will take anywhere between 10 to 20 minutes depending on how large and thick the chicken is. Air fry for 10 minutes at 180 C (350 F) then turn the chicken over and cook for a further 5 minutes. The chicken is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 74 C (165 F).
You can put frozen breaded chicken in the air fryer. To cook, just preheat the air fryer to 180 C (350 F) for 10 minutes and then turn the chicken over and cook for another 5 minutes. Check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer. The chicken needs to be at least 74 C (165 F). If this temperature has not been achieved cook for a further 2 minutes and check again.
If your breaded chicken isn’t browning or getting crispy in the air fryer, you should spray a little light olive oil on the breadcrumb coating. 1 to 2 tablespoons is more than enough oil.
To prevent breaded chicken from sticking in an air fryer you should spray the chicken with light olive oil. Just use a small amount of oil, 1 to 2 tablespoons is ample.
You can cook southern fried chicken in an air fryer. Place the southern fried chicken in the air fryer basket and cook for 10 minutes at 180 C (350 F) then turn the chicken over and cook for a further 5 minutes. Then check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer when the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 74 C (165 F) it is safe to eat.
Yes you can cook buttermilk chicken thighs in an air fryer. The best way to do them is to place them in the air fryer basket and cook for 10 mins at 180 C, and then turn them over and cook for another 5 minutes. Just make sure that the middle of the meat’s temperature gets to at least 74 C before serving.
