Our Air Fryer Shake and Bake Chicken turns out crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and it’s ready in just 15 minutes! This is a great time saver and has that classic crispy flavor that we all grew up enjoying!
My mama made Shake ‘n Bake chicken at least once a week when I was a kid. The crispy coating was always a hit with the whole family and it’s such a simple recipe!
These days, we’re cooking our shake and bake chicken in the air fryer, which cuts about 10 minutes off the cook time. Doesn’t seem like a huge deal, but when you’ve got a busy evening or a bunch of hungry kids clamoring for dinner, every minute is precious. 😉
The air fryer will do the work nicely here to turn that seasoned breading perfectly golden and crispy. It’s even better than baked in our opinion!
And there really is just two simple ingredients. Chicken, and the Shake N’ Bake package. So simple! This already easy weeknight dinner option is even easier with the air fryer. You can prepare, cook, and serve this chicken in under 20 minutes.
For some other easy air fryer dinners with a crispy breading try our air fryer breaded pork chops or this pretzel crusted chicken for some extra crunch!
Ingredient Notes:
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Chicken – We’re starting this easy shake and bake chicken recipe with boneless skinless chicken breasts. You could also use boneless chicken thighs, chicken tenders, or even chicken drumsticks!
Shake ‘N Bake – We’re using the original flavored Shake N’ Bake for this air fried chicken. It comes in a variety of flavors so feel free to switch things up here and use a different kind like Parmesan Crusted or Crunchy Pretzel Shake n’ Bake if you have a preference!
Other – We keep this recipe simple with just chicken and the Shake N’ Bake seasoning, but feel free to customize this a bit if you’d like. You could add in extra seasoning or spices like salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder or paprika. Cayenne pepper would add some spicy heat. You could also try mixing in a bit of grated Parmesan cheese with the breading!
We love how easy classic Shake n’ Bake chicken is! There really just isn’t a whole lot to it. Breaded and fried chicken is always good and the air fryer makes it even simpler.
Step by Step Instructions:
Step One – Pound your chicken to an even thickness, moisten it with a bit of water, and then pop it in a ziptop bag with the shake and bake. Seal the bag and shake to coat the chicken.
Step Two – Spritz the air fryer with oil spray and arrange the chicken in a single layer. Air fryer for 5 minutes and then flip and spritz the chicken with a bit of oil. Cook for 5 more minutes.
Meat Thermometer
We use and love this ThermoPro meat thermometer anytime we’re making chicken, steak, or pork chops! It’s the easiest way to ensure meat is cooked to the perfect temperature every time and is a great gift for beginner cooks too!
Shop our Favorite Air Fryers!
We’ve tested loads of air fryers over the years and narrowed it down to the best of the best! Whether you’re looking for a basket style air fryer that fits nicely on your countertop or you want the toaster oven style air fryer, we’ve got the recommendation for you!
Serving Suggestions:
You can shake and bake chicken in the air fryer with a wide variety of side dishes! After all, chicken goes well with everything!
If you’ve got an air fryer with two baskets, try these air fryer red potatoes or our cheesy hasselback potatoes.
These air fryer vegetables are another great choice for serving alongside chicken.
And what could be simpler than corn on the cob? Air fryer corn on the cob! So quick and easy.
We’ve been known to buy the refrigerated packs of mac and cheese and mashed potatoes to keep dinner extra easy too!
FAQ:
Shake ‘N Bake is perfect for use in the air fryer as it’s just a mixture of crispy, seasoning breading. Cooking Shake and Bake Chicken in the air fryer is faster than using the oven, too!
It’ll take about 10 minutes to cook chicken breasts at 390 degrees in an air fryer, but each air fryer cooks a bit differently. The internal temperature of the chicken needs to reach a safe 165 degrees so use a meat thermometer to determine when it is ready.
You can keep any leftovers stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to a few months!
You can reheat the shake and bake chicken in the microwave, the air fryer, or the oven! The air fryer will product the most crispy, fresh tasting results and it’s our preferred method for reheating breaded foods.
Air Fryer Shake and Bake Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts boneless and skinless, about 1.5 pounds total
- 1 box Shake ‘N Bake Original Chicken
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 390 degrees.
- While air fryer is preheating, pound the chicken out to an even thickness. Moisten chicken with water.
- Dump the packet of breading in a large ziptop plastic bag or in a shallow dish.
- Add the chicken to the breading, one piece at a time, turning the chicken to fully coat it in the breading.
- Remove the basket from the air fryer and spritz with non-stick spray. Add the chicken in a single layer leaving space between each piece for air to flow. Depending on the size of your air fryer you may need to work in batches. For extra crisp breading, spritz with oil spray.
- Air fry for 5 minutes, flip the chicken pieces, and spritz again with oil. Cook for 5 more minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees using a meat thermometer.
- Serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
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