Yes, you can absolutely cook fresh, raw chicken in an air fryer. The air fryer, which is essentially a compact convection oven, is an excellent method for cooking all cuts of fresh chicken, resulting in juicy meat with a crispy exterior in less time than a conventional oven.
Method
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Bake prepped chicken uncovered until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 50 to 60 minutes.
General Tips For Cooking Air Fryer Chicken
The chicken or chicken pieces go straight into the air fryer basket. However, if you have something really saucy or with a lot of cheese that could melt, you can totally use a tray.
Add the coated chicken to the air fryer in batches, spreading out into a single layer and adding a few sprays of cooking oil. Air fry for 8–10 minutes, until crispy and cooked through. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce.
🔥 Common Air Fryer Chicken Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)
Place in the air fryer basket, breast-side down. Air-fry at 370 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Using tongs, carefully flip the chicken, breast-side up, and continue to air-fry until skin is crisp and brown, 15 more minutes. Tent aluminum foil over the chicken and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
How To Cook Chicken In An Oven
Roast the chickens at 400 degrees for about an hour and a half, depending on the size of the birds. The way I figure time for this is to take the average weight of one of the chickens (say, 4.5 lbs) and calculate 15 minutes per pound (that would be about 67 minutes for a 4.5 lb chicken).
Cooking chicken in an air fryer at 200°C (400°F) takes 10-30 minutes, depending on the cut, with breasts needing about 10-20 mins (flipping halfway), thighs/drumsticks around 20-30 mins (flipping), and wings generally 15-25 mins, but always check for an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F) for doneness to ensure safety and juiciness.
Instructions
Place the chicken on the air fryer basket / grate in an even layer, leaving a bit of space for air to circulate around. Air fry the chicken at 415 degrees for 10 minutes. If you have larger pieces of chicken, you'll want to go closer to 13 minutes. You're looking for an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Place chicken in the basket of the air fryer breast side down; cook, undisturbed, for 45 minutes. Carefully flip the chicken over using tongs; cook until an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 20 minutes. Remove chicken to a cutting board; let rest for 10 minutes.
Bake for 16–22 minutes, depending on size and thickness. (Thicker chicken breasts will take longer to cook.) A 150–200g/5½–7oz skinless chicken breast fillet will need 16–18 minutes; a 200–250g/7–9oz one 18–20 minutes; and a 250–300g/9–10½ one 20–22 minutes.
Cooking time is generally 20 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken registers 165°F in the thickest part. Amazingly, all the chicken pieces wind up cooking at about the same rate — dark meat pieces cook a bit slower than white meat, but the thickness of the breast meat means everything finishes around the same time.
Medium heat is best for chicken. Internal temperature of chicken should be 180º F (82º C) when it's done. Cover your grill to save precious heat and ensure even cooking.
Cooking chicken in an air fryer generally takes 10-20 minutes for breasts and thighs, depending on size and cut, at temperatures around 375-400°F (190-200°C), while larger pieces or whole chickens take longer (45-60+ mins). Always ensure the thickest part reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and let it rest before serving for juicy results, flipping halfway through for even cooking.
To Cook Frozen Chicken Breast in the Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees F. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season as desired. Spray the air fryer basket with non-stick spray then air fry the chicken for 18 to 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
Conclusion: Both the air fryer and oven methods result in delicious and juicy chicken breast. However, the air fryer method takes less time, making it a great option for busy weeknights. Whether you choose to use the air fryer or oven, this recipe is sure to impress your taste buds!
Recipes that use a wet batter, including fried chicken, will end up being very messy if cooked in an air fryer. This is because there won't be enough hot oil to set the batter, and it will likely drip everywhere rather than forming a crunchy coating.
People are getting rid of air fryers due to small basket sizes limiting family meals, issues with peeling non-stick coatings, difficulty cleaning, safety concerns like melting components, the perception they're just small ovens, limitations on certain foods (like wet batters), and sometimes switching to cheaper, more efficient appliances like halogen ovens. Many find they outgrow basic models, leading to batch cooking, and eventually replace them with larger or different appliances.