Air Fryer BBQ Chicken

Name: Air Fryer BBQ Chicken
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 chicken breast; ¼ tsp coarse salt; ¼ tsp black pepper; ¼ tsp paprika; 1 cup barbecue sauce; garnish: chopped fresh parsley

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This air fryer bbq chicken is perfect for winter. It is juicy and tender with crispy edges and all the flavor of grilled chicken. Use your favorite barbecue sauce or make your own, either way you will have perfect barbecue chicken in 25 minutes!

Air fried bbq chicken breast on a wooden cutting board with a small bowl of bbq sauce, garnished with chopped parsley.

How we came to love barbeque chicken in the air fryer

Barbecue has a long steady history of being loved in America, though it likely originated in the Caribbean. It soared in popularity in the south during the midcentury, but it is still loved all over. You can see that in all the variations of barbecue you find throughout different regions.

Unfortunately, we don’t all have time to slow cook our chicken over a bed of fancy wood. If you pick your sauces right, you will find that this air fryer chicken recipe is a great way to get all that sweet smokey barbecue flavor quickly!

Chicken sliced and piled on a round wooden cutting board

Here’s what you’ll need to make it

Air fried chicken breast on a wooden cutting board

How to make bbq chicken in the air fryer

Preheat your air fryer to 400˚F. You will lower the temperature after searing. Prep your chicken by removing extra fat. Sprinkle coarse salt, pepper and ground paprika on both surfaces of the chicken breast.

Using a basting brush brush about 1-2 tbsp of barbecue sauce on the top surface. Place them in the air fryer with the sauce side up for 2 minutes. Remove the basket and flip the chicken. Spread barbecue sauce on this side now and place basket back for 2 more minutes. If you’re looking for a twist on traditional bbq sauce try making some of my Carolina BBQ sauce!

Decrease the temperature to 375˚F without removing the air fryer basket. Cook for 8-9 minutes before removing and flipping the chicken again. After flipping while the basket is still out, bast again with bbq sauce and cook for another 8-9 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the basket. Using a meat thermometer check that the internal temperature of the chicken is at 165˚F. Bast with barbecue sauce again if you like and allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving or slicing.

Close up of bbq chicken sliced and piled on a round wooden cutting board.

FAQs and tips on making air fryer bbq chicken breast

Can you use sauce in the air fryer?

Absolutely, I have used sauce in the air fryer many times. The air fryer will almost caramelize the sauce just like a grill would. It does get messy sometimes but it cleans up much nicer than a grill!

What goes well with bbq chicken?

So many things! My favorites are corn on the cob and cornbread. Baked beans, coleslaw, and mac and cheese are also perfect pairs for bbq chicken. You can always use leftovers for bbq chicken tacos!

Do I have to let my chicken breast rest after cooking?

Allowing the chicken to rest before slicing into it lets the juices redistribute through the meat. It is one of the best ways to ensure that your chicken is as juicy as possible.

Close up of chicken sliced and piled on a round wooden cutting board with a spring of fresh parsley.

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