Easy Air Fryer Chicken Breasts and broccoli are a silly simple dinner recipe that fuels you in all the right ways. Lean protein, fiber, vitamins…this dinner recipe checks all the boxes.

Easy Air Fryer Chicken Breasts made with a few simple ingredients. Tender chicken for a clean dinner

Hypothetical situation:

Youโ€™ve had a long, busy day, youโ€™re super hungry and want to keep it healthy but you want to spend -30 minutes cooking.

Enter: Air Fryer Chicken Breast and Broccoli.

Okay, the broccoli is optional of course. Weโ€™re mostly here for the chicken. 

But you know what they say…chicken and broccoli is the body builderโ€™s diet, so eat this and youโ€™ll get JACKED.

Kidding, kinda.

Look, Iโ€™m going to give it to you straight. Is this the best chicken Iโ€™ve ever had in my life? No. 

But Iโ€™m biased because Iโ€™m more into the fattier cuts of meat or chicken breasts doused in sauce. For instance, my Baked Teriyaki Chicken Thighs, Chicken Marsala, Mushroom and Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast and 30-Minute Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken are more my speed.

For those who are accustomed to eating chicken breasts, it will come as no surprise that there is nothing remarkably fascinating about these air fryer chicken breasts.

It may sound unromantic, but utility, functionality, and practicality have their place in cooking and lifestyle. 

In fact, the majority of my meals are incredibly boring and very much solely for the purpose of fueling me with clean energy.

However, do I think this is a great option for folks who are looking to get in some lean protein after a long day of work and just want to whip up something healthy quickly? 

Or for those who just want to cook chicken quickly to add it to something else like a salad? YES.

Air Fryer Chicken Breast and Broccoli - easy healthy dinner recipe

If you arenโ€™t in a rush for food and you have more time on your hands, you an marinate the chicken for 3+ hours ahead of time in whatever marinade you love. I personally would go with a lemon garlic marinade or a teriyaki marinade. 

This will result in a more tender and flavorful chicken breast.

If youโ€™re like me and you like your meat to be seeping in flavor, or if you prefer chicken thighs over chicken breasts, check out my Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Thighs recipe!

Letโ€™s chat about the ingredients for this easy chicken breast recipe.

Ingredients for Air Fryer Chicken Breasts:

At a minimum, you need boneless skinless chicken breasts, avocado oil, sea salt, paprika, and garlic powder. These simple ingredients will bring life to the otherwise plain tasting breast. 

For extra credit, also use stone ground mustard and dried parsley. These two ingredients are optional but definitely help level up the flavor of the chicken! Iโ€™m partial to the addition of mustard.

Easy Air Fryer Chicken Breast and Broccoli - a simple dinner recipe for those looking for a good clean meal.

How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Breasts:

Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 350 degrees F. I use the Ninja AF161 Max XL Air Fryer.

Stir the avocado oil and mustard together in a small bowl. Stir together the sea salt, garlic powder, paprika, and dried parsley in a separate bowl.

Combine the oil and mustard and the seasonings in a bowl

Coat the chicken breasts with avocado oil mustard mixture then sprinkle with the seasoning mixture.

Coat the chicken breast with oil and sprinkle with seasonings.

Place the chicken breasts in the air fryer and air fry for 10 minutes at 350.

Air fry the chicken

Flip the chicken and air fry for another 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

The best way to ensure the chicken is fully cooked is to use a meat thermometer.

Flip the chicken and continue air frying

Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before serving. This allows the juices to distribute throughout the meat, leaving you with a juicy, tender texture.

Air fryer chicken breasts in an air fryer

If youโ€™re air frying up some broccoli, you can do so after the chicken is finished cooking, while itโ€™s resting.

Instructions for Air Fryer Broccoli:

Chop the broccoli into florets and place them in a large bowl. Drizzle with avocado oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Use your hands to toss everything together until itโ€™s well-coated. 

Transfer the broccoli to the air fryer and Air Fry at 400 for 5 minutes. 

Check on the broccoli and air fry for another 1 to 2 minutes if needed.

Air Fryer Broccoli

Thatโ€™s it!

Lightning quick clean energy for those times you need to get fed immediately!

Air fry it up!

If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo on Instagram and tag @The.Roasted.Root!

Easy Air Fryer Chicken Breasts made with a few simple ingredients. Tender chicken for a clean dinner

Air Fryer Chicken Breasts

5 from 2 votes
The quickest clean dinner you'll ever make!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 23 minutes
Servings: 2 Servings

Ingredients

  • 2 large chicken breasts
  • 1 Tbsp avocado oil
  • 1 Tbsp stone ground mustard optional
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder*
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

For the Broccoli:

Instructions

  • Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 350 degrees F.
  • Stir the avocado oil and mustard together in a small bowl. Stir together the sea salt, garlic powder, paprika, and dried parsley in a separate bowl.
  • Coat the chicken breasts with avocado oil mustard mixture then sprinkle with the seasoning mixture.
  • Place the chicken breasts in the air fryer and air fry for 9 minutes at 350. Flip the chicken and air fry for another 9 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. The best way to ensure the chicken is fully cooked is to use a meat thermometer.
  • Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before serving. This allows the juices to distribute throughout the meat, leaving you with a juicy, tender texture.
  • If youโ€™re air frying up some broccoli, you can do so after the chicken is finished cooking, while itโ€™s resting.

For the Broccoli:

  • Chop the broccoli into florets and place them in a large bowl. Drizzle with avocado oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Use your hands to toss everything together until itโ€™s well-coated.ย 
  • Transfer the broccoli to the air fryer and Air Fry at 400 for 5 minutes.ย 
  • Check on the broccoli and air fry for another 1 to 2 minutes if needed.

Notes

*If you have onion powder on hand, feel free to go with 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 2 ยท Calories: 557kcal ยท Carbohydrates: 20g ยท Protein: 75g ยท Fat: 18g ยท Fiber: 8g ยท Sugar: 5g
Author: Julia
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fryer broccoli, air fryer chicken breasts, chicken and broccoli, healthy dinner, healthy dinner recipe, keto, paleo, primal, whole30
Did You Make This Recipe?I want to see it! Tag @the.roasted.root on social media!
Air Fryer Chicken Breast and Broccoli - an easy high protein low fat meal, ideal for busy weeknights.

My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!

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Julia Mueller
Meet the Author

Julia Mueller

Julia Mueller is a recipe developer, cookbook author, and founder of The Roasted Root. She has authored three bestselling cookbooks, – Paleo Power Powers, Delicious Probiotic Drinks, and The Quintessential Kale Cookbook. Her recipes have been featured in several national publications such as BuzzFeed, Self, Tasty, Country Living, Brit.co, etc.

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Questions and Reviews

  1. My mom and I are allergic to avocado. What other type of oil would you suggest,that is still clean an healthy?
    I use coconut oil quite often but it’s because I’m familiar with it lol I’m open to trying others.
    Thank you!

    1. Hi Shan! Olive oil works great! There was talk for a long time about not using olive oil for cooking because it has a low smoke point, but there’s new research that shows only a small percentage of what makes up the oil burns at a high temperature and the oleic acid in the oil is protective against oxidative stress. I’ve also used algae oil in the past, which is my top recommendation but it is very expensive and can be difficult to find. Hope this helps!