Air fryer thin chicken breast is quick and easy to make. The thinly sliced chicken breasts cook up in less than 10 minutes and have so much flavor.
I've cooked chicken breast in my air fryer many times. And it's delicious. Juicy and tasty. But I have fallen head over heels with cooking thinly sliced chicken breast in my air fryer.
It cooks up in less than 10 minutes, there is no flipping needed, and the chicken breast is still absolutely delicious and flavorful. More surface area means more flavor.
I use cornstarch in this recipe, but it's optional. If you want to make an air fryer chicken breast with no breading, then leave off the cornstarch! I like the texture it gives to the chicken, and some may not even consider if breading, so it's up to you.
You can also make a bunch of these (as many fit in your air fryer) and use them in different meals throughout the week! A great way to meal prep.
Ingredients
- Chicken breast
- Smoked paprika
- Garlic powder
- Olive oil
- Cornstarch (optional)
- Salt
- Pepper
How to make a thinly sliced air fryer chicken breast
First, you'll want to preheat your air fryer. Preheat at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes.
If you already have thinly sliced chicken breasts, grab a couple and you're good to go! If you have a thick chicken breast, you will want to carefully slice it in two so that you have two thin chicken breasts, as shown below. Place the chicken breasts on a plate.
Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with garlic powder and smoked paprika.
Drizzle olive oil over the chicken and rub in to coat.
Sprinkle cornstarch over the chicken breast (if using) and rub into the chicken.
Add to your air fryer basket.
Cook thin chicken breasts at 400 degrees F for 7-10 minutes. Chicken breast may be done at 7 minutes or may need longer. It depends on how thinly your chicken breasts are sliced. I always use a meat thermometer to check my chicken.
Chicken is properly cooked when internal temperature reads at least 165 degrees F.
Serve the thin chicken breasts as desired!
Recipe tips
- The cook time for your chicken breast will depend on how thinly sliced they are. Start checking temperature with a meat thermometer around the 6-7 minute mark and cook longer if needed. Internal temperature should be at least 165 degrees F.
- Have fun with it! Customize with different sauces and seasonings.
- This recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled. If adding more chicken breasts to the air fryer, just make sure to add them in a single layer and leave a bit of space for airflow.
Customization ideas
The thinly sliced chicken breasts can be customized in so many ways. Want different seasonings or dried herbs? Add them!
Want a bit of spice? Coat your chicken breasts in harissa paste or add a pinch of dried cayenne pepper.
Want some sweetness? Add maple syrup, honey, or brown sugar!
As as I mentioned, if you want to make an air fryer thin chicken breast with no breading, simply leave off the cornstarch. No other modifications need to be made.
How to serve the air fried chicken breast
The thin chicken breast is delicious sliced up and served on a salad like this Tuscan kale salad. It's also great in bowls like this CAVA copycat bowl. And it's delicious served on top of pasta like this peri peri pasta or creamy harissa pasta.
And of course, it's delicious served on its own with a side. Some of my favorite air fryer sides are baked sweet potatoes in the air fryer, air fryer parmesan broccoli, and air fryer Mediterranean vegetables.
I also love drizzling some preserved lemon vinaigrette or homemade chipotle mayo over the chicken.
Do you need to flip the chicken breast when cooking?
No need to flip the chicken! The chicken breast is thinly cut so it cooks evenly and does not need to be flipped while cooking.
More air fryer chicken breast recipes
- Air fryer chicken breast
- Air fryer panko chicken cutlet
- Air fryer parmesan crusted chicken
- Air fryer French's onion chicken
- Air fryer honey dijon chicken breast
- Air fryer caprese chicken
- Air fryer chicken fajitas
- Air fryer pesto chicken
- Air fryer chicken skewers
Air Fryer Thin Chicken Breast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 chicken breast or 2 thinly sliced chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 400 degrees F.
- Slice chicken breast in half (if needed) to create two thin chicken breasts. Place on a large plate or flat surface.
- Season both sides of the breasts with salt and pepper, then season with garlic powder and smoked paprika.
- Drizzle olive oil over the chicken breasts and rub into the surface to coat. Add cornstarch and rub in to coat.
- Place in the air fryer basket and cook at 400 degrees F for 7-10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Plate and serve as desired.
Notes
- The cook time for your thin chicken breast will depend on how thinly sliced they are. Start checking temperature with a meat thermometer around the 6-7 minute mark and cook longer if needed. Internal temperature should be at least 165 degrees F.
- Have fun with it! Customize your thinly sliced chicken with different sauces and seasonings.
- This recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled. If adding more chicken breasts to the air fryer, just make sure to add them in a single layer and leave a bit of space for airflow.
Nutrition
If nutrition info is shown, values are based on an online calculator and are estimates. Please verify using your own data.
Laura
I tried the recipe with the cornstarch, but I have a couple questions. Do you oil both sides of the chicken? And do you put the cornstarch on both sides?
Aimee
Yes and yes. :)