This easy air fryer blackened chicken recipe is great for a quick, effortless weeknight dinner. Chicken breast is rubbed with a homemade blackening seasoning, marinated, and then air-fried to crispy, juicy perfection.
Serve with a simple salad or air fryer broccolini for a delicious and healthy meal.
This dish draws inspiration from a delicious blackened chicken Caesar salad I enjoyed at a charming southern bistro not long ago. I loved the flavor, but it was seared in TONS of butter. It was delicious, but not something I wanted to eat every day.
This air fryer blackened chicken has all the flavor without all the fat. Cooking chicken breast in the air fryer is easy to do and delivers amazing results.
I hope you enjoy!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Easy + effortless: great for a quick weeknight meal when you're busy or feeling too tired to cook.
- Healthy: low in fat and high in protein.
- Flavorful: the blackening season packs tons of flavor into the chicken.
- Versatile: use in salads, wraps, or sandwiches, or serve as a main dish.
- Great for weekly meal prep: a great recipe if you like to plan and cook lunches or dinners ahead.
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts: boneless and skinless breasts are used in this recipe.
- Olive oil: rub on the chicken breasts before marinating and cooking.
- Smoked paprika: adds a smoky spice to the rub. If you're not a fan of smoked paprika, you can substitute it with sweet paprika instead.
- Onion powder: classic base flavor in blackening seasoning.
- Garlic powder: another classic flavor in blackening seasoning.
- Dried thyme: adds an earthy herbal note to the seasoning mix.
- Fennel pollen: This is my SECRET INGREDIENT for this blackening spice rub. and what makes this rub special. I love the flavor; it adds a sweet, citrus, and subtle licorice spice to the rub. If you can't find fennel pollen, you can grind ⅛ teaspoon of fennel seeds and add them to the mix. If you're not a fennel fan, you can omit it completely, but I highly recommend you try it. It's so good.
- Cayenne pepper: adds a touch of heat. Adjust this to your spice level preference.
- Salt and Pepper: the classic flavor enhancers.
How to make blackened chicken in the air fryer
Make the blackening seasoning, season, and marinate the chicken
- Make the seasoning: On a plate or shallow pasta bowl, combine all the dried spices, salt, and pepper. (1-2)
- Coat the chicken: Add the chicken breasts (3) and coat both sides evenly with the blackening seasoning.(4)
- Marinate: Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Crispy Chicken Tip: Don't hold back on the seasoning; make sure to coat BOTH sides of the chicken well; this will help make the exterior crispy!
Air-fry the chicken breasts
- Preheat the air fryer: Spray the air fryer basket with oil, and preheat the air fryer for 3 minutes at 360 degrees.
- Air fry the chicken: Add the chicken breasts, drizzle with olive oil, and cook for 9 minutes; flip and cook for another 9 minutes, or until the chicken is 165°F.
- Rest the chicken: Remove the chicken breasts immediately (so they don't overcook), and allow them to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Why do you need to rest the chicken before slicing it?
Resting the chicken breasts after cooking will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, making the chicken tender and juicy. If you slice into the chicken as soon as you take it off the heat, you will lose those juices and end up with a tough breast.
It's worth the wait to slice your chicken!
How or what to serve with blackened chicken
I love making this chicken in advance and using it cold in recipes all week. Here are a few ideas on how to use this chicken:
- Blackened chicken sandwich
- Cobb salad
- Wraps
- Serve with:
- Air fryer broccolini
- Roasted asparagus
- Simple arugula salad
- Sheet pan Brussels sprouts
- Crispy smashed potatoes
- Caesar salad
- Apple pecan salad
Storage, Freezing and Reheating Instructions
- To store: Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- To reheat: Wrap cooked chicken in foil and heat in the oven or toaster oven until warm. Cooked chicken breast will dry out very quickly when reheated, so be careful not to overcook.
- To freeze: Store in a freezer-safe bag or food-saver bag for 3-4 months.
If you tried this Air Fryer Blackened Chicken Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ? star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Recipe
Air Fryer Blackened Chicken
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*Easily adjust serving size to your liking by clicking the number under servings or with the boxes below in the ingredients section.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken Breasts boneless and skinless
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 1 spray Avocado Spray
Blackening Seasoning Rub
- ½ tablespoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ tablespoon Smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon Fennel Pollen see notes below
- ⅛ teaspoon Cayenne or to your desired heat level
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Make the seasoning: On a plate, combine all the dried spices, salt, and pepper.
- Season and marinate the chicken: Coat both sides evenly with the blackening seasoning. Using the same plate, cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (optional).
- Preheat the air fryer: Spray the air fryer basket with avocado oil spray and preheat the air fryer for 3 minutes at 360 degrees.
- Air fry the chicken: Add the chicken breasts, drizzle with olive oil, and cook for 9 minutes; flip and cook for another 9 minutes, or until the chicken is 165°F.
- Rest the chicken: Immediately remove the chicken breasts and allow them to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Fennel pollen: This is my SECRET INGREDIENT for this blackening spice rub. and what makes this rub special. I love the flavor; it adds a sweet, citrus, and subtle licorice spice to the rub. If you can't find fennel pollen, you can grind ⅛ teaspoon of fennel seeds and add them to the mix. If you're not a fennel fan, you can omit it completely, but I highly recommend you try it. It's so good.
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