30 Minutes Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Breast

Photo of prepared air fryer chicken breast on a white plate sprinkled with parsley.

30 Minutes Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Breast

Shhh….don’t tell the family. They won’t believe that this Air Fryer Chicken Breast isn’t fried. Or that it is gluten-free, grain-free, low-carb and keto-friendly.

Course Main

Cuisine Gluten Free, Healthy, Keto, Low Carb

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword crispy

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 14

Brining Time 2

Total Time 29

Servings

Calories 351kcal

Author Wendy Polisi

Ingredients

16 ounces boneless chicken breast
¾ cups dill pickle juice optional - I use Bubbies
¾ cup super-fine almond flour
¾ cup parmesan cheese see note
½ teaspoon smoked sea salt or sea salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 eggs beaten
Avocado oil spray

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Wash chicken and place in a zip-top bag.
Using a meat mallet, pound to a uniform thickness, about ½ inch.
Place chicken in a bowl and pour pickle juice on top of it. Allow to brine in the refrigerator for up to two hours. (You may skip this step if desired.)
Preheat air fryer to 390 degrees.
In a shallow dish, combine almond flour, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
In a separate shallow dish, beat eggs.
Drain chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Coat with eggs and then dregs in the almond flour mixture. Use your fingers to gently press the coating into the chicken. Spray both sides of the chicken with oil
Spray the Air Fryer with oil, and add chicken. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes.
Carefully flip with a spatula. Re-spray and cook an additional 6 to 7 minutes, until golden and crispy and the internal temperature is at least 160° F. Allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Don't have an Air Fryer? Make Oven Fried Chicken

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place chicken on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Cook for 20 minutes. Carefully flip with a spatula.
Cook an additional 20 minutes.

Make Ahead: The chicken can be coated ahead of time and kept covered in the refrigerator for up to one day. You may also coat and freeze the chicken breast. To do this, place the coated chicken breast on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen solid, transfer to a freezer bag. When ready to cook, thaw on a plate in the refrigerator.
The quality of the Parmesan Cheese will impact the flavor of this recipe tremendously. I recommend buying a block of aged Parmesan if you can.
Almond flour can stick to surfaces more than traditional flours. Do not skip spraying the air fryer well with oil! If some of the coating sticks when you flip it, you can use the spatula to get the stuck bits up and gently press back into the chicken. If you spray well the sticking should be minimal.

Variations

Soak chicken in buttermilk instead of pickle juice.
For a spicy kick, add two teaspoons (more or less to taste) of your favorite hot sauce to the egg mixture.
Not watching carbs and don’t have almond flour? Any flour will work.

Nutrition