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Air Fryer Barbecue Chicken

This is no-fail barbecue chicken recipe that's juicy and delicious and half the work of firing up the grill.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting Time 5 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 217
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 large chicken breasts boneless, skinless
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ⅓ to ½ cup BBQ sauce honey or brown sugar preferable
  • Cooking Spray High Temp/Grilling if available

Equipment

  • Air Fryer
  • Digital Meat Thermometer
  • Basting Brush, optional

Method
 

  1. Preheat your air fryer to 360℉ and spray your basket with cooking spray
  2. In a small bowl, mix all of your dry spices together and set aside
  3. Pat the chicken with a paper-towel to dry then lightly spray with cooking spray.
  4. Sprinkle ½ tsp of the spice mixture evenly on both sides of the chicken breasts, massaging gently to make sure the spices adhere to the chicken
  5. Place the chicken in the air fryer basket and cook for 10 minutes
  6. Flip after and cook another 10 minutes or until internal temp reaches 165℉ (check after about 8 minutes)
  7. Increase temperature of the air fryer to 450℉
  8. Spread the top of each chicken breast generously with BBQ sauce and return to the air fryer for about 2 minutes or until bubbly and nicely glazed
  9. Let chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting or serving

Notes

If you like your BBQ a little spicy, add a little cayenne to the spice mix. I wouldn’t do more than ⅛ tsp. A healthy pinch should do it.
I start with the top side of the chicken facing down in the fry basket, that way when you flip it the “pretty side” will be up - it makes for a nicer presentation.
The BBQ sauce is really a personal preference. I find sauces with brown sugar in them caramelize a little better and give you that nice sticky glaze you want. If you like a mustard base sauce, try adding ⅛ to ¼ tsp dry mustard to your spice mix.