Frozen Chicken Breast in Air Fryer

Name: Frozen Chicken Breast in Air Fryer
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 large frozen chicken breasts (frozen, boneless skinless is what was used); 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp pepper; 1/4 tsp garlic powder; 1/4 tsp parsley flakes

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Tender frozen chicken breast in air fryer is so easy to make! Great hack if you forget to defrost your chicken but dinner is just minutes away. Yes air fryer frozen chicken wings are great but to feed hungry kids you’ll want more than that. Works great to make Ninja Foodi frozen chicken too.

Want to make air fryer chicken breast with no breading but forgot to defrost it?? We’ll show you how to make tender frozen chicken breast in air fryer so dinner isn’t ruined! (affiliate links present)

How Long to Cook Frozen Chicken in Air Fryer
How Long to Cook Frozen Chicken Breast in Ninja Foodi
How to Cook Ninja Foodi Frozen Chicken Breast
Ingredients
How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breast in Air Fryer
How to Cook Tyson Frozen Chicken Breast in Air Fryer
What other frozen meat can you cook in an air fryer?
Frozen Chicken Breast in Air Fryer Recipe

How Long to Cook Frozen Chicken in Air Fryer

You’ll need about 15 minutes start to finish! First we made a KFC copycat air fryer fried chicken breast recipe. Then the next time I thought about it they were still rock hard! SO I had to figure that one out in order to save dinner for us, and share my findings with all of you too. 😉

Yes, we shared how to cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot but now it’s time to use our other favorite appliance! And yes you can use those instructions for frozen chicken Ninja Foodi style too, they both have the high pressure function.

If you love air fryer recipes too, here are some resources to start with:

THIS is my Favorite Air Fryer!
You can find more Air fryer recipes here, we have Ninja Foodi recipes as well; bookmark them both!
- Grab the best air fryer cookbook here.
Here’s a printable air fryer cook times chart here for your fridge.
- It has temp. and times for making the best frozen foods for air fryer too.

Then join our Facebook page where you can share and find more ideas you’ll love. We have a Foodi social media group as well.

How Long to Cook Frozen Chicken Breast in Ninja Foodi

When using the air crisp feature in the basket provided this machine has the same timing! I am far from perfect. I have 3 girls, am homeschooling 2 of them, work full time (here), and sometimes forget to prep dinner. I always have a bag of frozen chicken in the freezer so that is usually my go to.

Yes I have made Crockpot frozen chicken before and that is great for shredded chicken tacos. BUT you have to remember to take that out and put it in the pot in the morning.

I am not always totally together in the morning to do this especially if we have a busy day of work and horseback riding ahead of us. 😉 SO I’m here to share my air fryer hack with you here today.

How to Cook Ninja Foodi Frozen Chicken Breast

For this machine you would use the lid that is attached and the air crisp button. Directions below are the same from there. In 15 minutes you can go from out of the freezer to tender and juicy for dinner! Yes this is a healthy air fryer recipe, so if you’re following a keto or low fat diet this will be great.

We didn’t use any bread crumbs this time to keep the calories down, and if they’re rock hard nothing is going to stick anyway. If you’re looking for something more like air fried chicken without buttermilk but with a coating follow this recipe, or the one for homemade Ninja Foodi chicken tenders.

BUT this basic chicken in the air fryer recipe is great for everyone, even my 11 year old loves it. We’re using medium to large pieces found in a bag in your local grocery store freezer. Timing is set for the size and thickness you see here, it may vary slightly depending on the size of your chicken pieces. If you have a Foodi you can make pressure cooker frozen chicken breast with sauce using the other lid too.

What temperature should I cook frozen chicken breasts in an air fryer?

360 F – 380 degrees Fahrenheit is the best temperature to air fry frozen chicken keeping the inside tender. You don’t want to cook it too high or else the middle won’t get done by the time the outside gets crispy.

What seasonings should I use on frozen chicken breasts before cooking them in an air fryer?

Use at least salt and pepper on the outside after spraying with a bit of olive oil so it sticks. You can use any other herbs you normally would use on fresh or defrosted pieces.

How do I know when frozen chicken breasts are cooked through in an air fryer?

The outsides should be golden brown and the insides should be tender. Lift the piece(s) out of the basket and it needs to register a safe 165 degrees in the thickest part before consuming.

Ingredients

Bag of frozen chicken breasts – 2 at a time fit comfortably
Salt and pepper
Garlic powder
Parsley

Let’s start with putting 2 into your air fryer basket. Then you’ll want to sprinkle with seasonings like garlic powder and anything else you’d normally use. This is what we sprinkled on before we began to cook the chicken. Add any other dry seasonings you’d like as well.

How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breast in Air Fryer

I highly suggest you preheat the air fryer or the cook time will not be right. Doing so will also give you a better crisp on the outsides.
Now place your frozen chicken into your basket, we’re talking about previously fresh and not breaded chicken here
Add your seasonings (could spray a bit of olive oil if it is not sticking)
Close your basket and set to 360 degrees for 15 minutes
- if your meat is on the smaller side I would set for 12 minutes and check
- always ensure internal temperature of chicken is 165 degrees to be safe
Allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing to maintain juiciness and enjoy!

How to Cook Tyson Frozen Chicken Breast in Air Fryer

The brand doesn’t matter. One thing that would make a difference would be if it was a processed breast that was breaded. In that case you would want to follow our Frozen Chicken Patties in Air Fryer instructions, still great but just not the same.

A fork holds a cooked chicken breast slice, showcasing its tender and juicy interior achieved by cooking a frozen chicken breast in an air fryer. The meat is seasoned with herbs and spices, while the background blurs into soothing shades of green.

What other frozen meat can you cook in an air fryer?

Air fryer frozen shrimp is one of our favorite meals too
If your kids are a bit pickier, then throw in some air fryer frozen chicken nuggets for them and enjoy a meal together y’all!
Our air fryer whole chicken recipe are wonderful too.

Other Ninja Foodi air fryer recipes you’ll love

Try our air fryer stuffed chicken breast tonight!
Meatballs in an air fryer are easy and another keto low carb meal
If you haven’t tried our air fryer wings recipe yet, it gets RAVING reviews with it’s dry rub and crispy skin.

If you’re wondering how to cook other frozen foods, follow and print out our air fryer cooking times chart (linked above). That’s how we knew how long to cook our frozen Ninja Foodi sausages and more.

Side dishes that go well

I mean a vegetable is usually what we pair with every meal and many times some sort of carb. Rice is an easy one that is cheap and everyone loves it. Since you have the protein covered think outside of the box and grab produce that is on sale at the time.

As well as our air fryer cauliflower
Or these fluffy air fryer baked potatoes

A plate of grilled chicken breast slices garnished with chopped parsley. The chicken, originally cooked as frozen chicken breast in an air fryer, has visible grill marks and the slices are arranged neatly on a rectangular white plate. The background includes a wooden surface.

5 from 7 votes