Air fryer frozen chicken breast is so easy to make! Great hack if you forget to defrost dinner. Like air fryer frozen chicken wings but to feed hungry kids you’ll want more than that. Works great in a Ninja Foodi 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
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. 😉
in Ninja Foodi
With Ninja Foodi recipes you are going to use the lid that is attached to make this. That way you will get a crispy exterior but tender inside. You can also use directions for our frozen chicken in the Instant Pot too with the other lid though because this has the high pressure function.
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.
Ingredients
- Bag of frozen chicken breasts – 2 at a time fit comfortably
- Salt and pepper
- Garlic powder
- Parsley
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 fryer fried chicken 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.
How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breast in Air Fryer
Step 1 – 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.
I highly suggest you preheat the air fryer or the cook time will not be right. Now place your Tyson frozen chicken into your basket, we’re talking about previously fresh, no breading
Step 2 – 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!
with Frozen Chicken Breast Patties
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.
FAQ
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.
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.
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.
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breast Recipe
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
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
Instructions
- Put frozen chicken breasts in your air fryer basket. Sprinkle ingredients on top evenly between the two of them.
- Close and cook at 360 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove and check to ensure they are done (some are thicker than others so may need additional time). Allow to sit for 5 minutes to maintain juices before slicing them.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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.
- That’s how we knew how long to cook our frozen Ninja Foodi sausages and more.
Side dishes that go well
- As well as our air fryer cauliflower
- Or these fluffy air fryer baked potatoes
I recently purchased a Cuisinart Air Fryer/ Toaster Oven TOA-60. The first thing that I made was over-cooked and dry (not your recipe). I found your blog and placed one smaller-sized frozen chicken breast sprinkled with tumeric, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper and lightly brushed with avocado oil in the basket and air fried for 11 minutes; it was beautifully browned but not quite up to temperature, so I turned it over and cooked it for another 3 minutes. It was absolutely perfect—good enough for company! THANK YOU for all of the time it takes for you to test and share!
You’re welcome, glad it was a hit
This is such a great tip to know, especially when you just want an easy meal!
Yay!
Ok, why haven’t I thought of doing this before!?! Thanks for all your air fryer recipes! This one is another winner!