Air fryer lemon chicken breast! This easy air fryer lemon pepper chicken breast recipe is going to be your favorite! It's moist, tender, packed full of flavor, and delicious. Let me show you how to make lemon chicken in air fryer.
Serve with side dishes like potatoes, salads, vegetables, for a complete chicken dinner.
When it comes to flavoring chicken, you're about to find out that it's not hard to do at all. The lemon in the marinade for this chicken recipe tenderizes it and infuses flavor to give the best tasty chicken meal.
The air fryer makes sure to perfectly cook the chicken and seal in the moisture, too. This helps to keep the lemon flavoring and seasonings within the chicken so that you're getting it with each and every bite.
Air Fryer Lemon Chicken Breast Recipe
This air fryer lemon chicken breast recipe is easy, quick, and makes a great weeknight dinner or meal prepping option.
Only a few ingredients are used to marinate the chicken breasts before they are air fried to perfection with a tender, and juicy inside.
There's just something amazing about the way that lemon compliments chicken. Pair the acidity of the lemon with the other spices and ingredients, and you've got a winning flavor combination every single time. Not only that, but the air fryer creates a crisp outer skin layer that perfectly seals in the moisture and the juices. This makes for an exceptional bite that is bursting with lemon flavor.
Every time you use your air fryer for cooking chicken, you can rest easy knowing that it will be cooked perfectly if you get the seasoning right. This is because the air circulation in the air fryer allows for a very efficient method of cooking.
It's also safe to say that cooking chicken in the air fryer saves you stress and time, too. Even if you forgot to bring the chicken out in enough time to thaw completely, the air fryer takes over and makes it all okay. This alone makes the air fryer one of the best kitchen appliances ever!
This air fryer lemon pepper chicken recipe is healthy, tasty, and quick to make. It is high in protein, low carb, and is an air fryer keto chicken recipe. Now, let me show you how to make lemon chicken breast in air fryer.
Related: Air fryer boneless chicken breast, Air fryer frozen chicken breast
Marinade
The marinade used in this recipe is simple and the ingredients used are less than 10. They are:
Lemon juice
Lemon zest
Rosemary
Parsley
Dried thyme
Black pepper
Garlic powder
Olive oil
Ingredients
The detailed ingredients list, measurements, and directions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Chicken breast
Lemon juice and zest
Garlic powder
Thyme
Rosemary
Black pepper
Parsley
Salt
Oil
How To Cook Lemon Chicken in Air Fryer
Here's how to make lemon chicken in air fryer:
Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.
In a bowl, mix the lemon juice, zest, black pepper, garlic powder, rosemary, thyme, parsley, salt, and oil.
Add the marinade to the chicken breasts and rub it all over the chicken.
Cover the bowl with clingfilm. Put it in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Arrange the chicken breasts in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
Set the air fryer to a temperature of 180C/380F, then air fry chicken for 8 minutes.
After 8 minutes, use a tong to flip the chicken and air fry for another 8 minutes.
Bring out the air fryer basket and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes to redistribute the juices inside.
Serve and enjoy.
What To Serve With
You can serve it with various side dishes including:
Potatoes - Air fryer diced potatoes, Roasted baby potatoes, Parmentier potatoes.
Vegetables- Air fryer roasted vegetables, boiled broccoli, roasted carrots, pan fried vegetables.
Grains - rice, bulghur, couscous
Salads
How To Store
To store leftovers, you'll need to let them cool completely then pack them into an airtight container or Ziploc bags, label, and store them in the fridge if you only want them preserved for a few days or put in the freezer if you'd like to store it for longer.
In the fridge, it will last up to 5 days and In the freezer, it will last for up to 6 months.
To reheat: You can reheat from frozen or thaw them first before heating. They can be reheated easily in the microwave, air fryer, or oven.
Tips For Making Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Keep in mind that a little bit of lemon flavoring will go a long way with the chicken. This doesn't mean that you need to skimp, but it's good to be aware. You can always add on fresh lemon juice and zest once it's cooked if you decide that you want a strong lemon taste.
- The longer you can let the spices rest and marinate the chicken, the more flavorful it's going to be. I think that 60 minutes is a good length of time to be sure that the flavor penetrates the chicken but you can marinate it for up to 8 hours.
- Adjust the black pepper quantity to suit how spicy you like your chicken.
- It's good practice to rest the chicken for few minutes after cooking it before cutting into it.
- Leftovers can be used in wraps, salads, sandwiches, and soups.
- Cooking time may vary based on air fryer model, basket style or oven style so adjust cooking time accordingly.
How do you zest a lemon?
Since this recipe calls for lemon zest, it's important to know how to do it. Start by cleaning the outer rind of the lemon and washing it thoroughly. Dry it off and then take either a lemon zester or a cheese grater and start to rub it back and forth on the lemon.
The zest is actually the yellow part of the lemon, so as you zest, you'll start to notice that it's going to turn white the deeper into the lemon you go. If you see white, just rotate and turn the lemon and start to zest in a new location.
Is air fried chicken healthy?
Yes, it is! Since you're using less oil, you're going to be eating less fat and consuming fewer calories, too. This will help to cut down on the fat content and oil level that you're ingesting, making it an overall healthier dish.
How do I know that the chicken is cooked all the way through?
If you cook a lot of chicken, investing in a meat thermometer is the way to go. You can easily insert the thermometer and check the internal temperature of the chicken in no time flat.
Make sure that you put the thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken and let it read the heat. As long as the reading says that the cooked chicken is at least 165 degrees, it should be safe to eat.
More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
Air fryer boneless chicken thighs
Frozen chicken wings in air fryer
If you find this air fryer lemon chicken recipe post helpful, please rate it 5 stars and leave a comment below. If you don't want to miss any of our posts Subscribe to the blog for free weekly recipes in your email. Also, follow us on Instagram and Pinterest.
Join Our Free Air fryer Recipes Group on Facebook.
Air Fryer Lemon Chicken Breast Recipe
Equipment
- Air fryer
Ingredients
- 3 pieces Chicken breast
- 4 tablespoons Lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon Rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon Parsley
- ¼ teaspoon Dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper or to taste
- Salt to taste
- 1.5 tablespoons Olive oil
- Lemon zest and black pepper To serve
Instructions
- Here's how to make lemon chicken in air fryer:Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.
- In a bowl, mix the lemon juice, zest, black pepper, garlic powder, rosemary, thyme, parsley, salt, and oil.
- Add the marinade to the chicken breasts and rub it all over the chicken.Cover the bowl with clingfilm. Put it in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Arrange the chicken breasts in the air fryer basket.Set the air fryer to a temperature of 180C/360F, then air fry lemon chicken for 8 minutes.After 8 minutes, use a tong to flip the chicken and air fry for another 8 minutes.
- Bring out the air fryer basket and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes to redistribute the juices inside.Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Keep in mind that a little bit of lemon flavoring will go a long way with the chicken. This doesn't mean that you need to skimp, but it's good to be aware. You can always add on fresh lemon juice and zest once it's cooked if you decide that you want a strong lemon taste.
- The longer you can let the spices rest and marinate the chicken, the more flavorful it's going to be. I think that 60 minutes is a good length of time to be sure that the flavor penetrates the chicken but you can marinate it for up to 8 hours.
- Adjust the black pepper quantity to suit how spicy you like your chicken.
- It's good practice to rest the chicken for few minutes after cooking it before cutting into it.
- Leftovers can be used in wraps, salads, sandwiches, and soups.
- Cooking time may vary based on air fryer model, basket style or oven style so adjust cooking time accordingly.
Do you need to preheat the airfryer first?
No, you don't have to preheat it.