Chicken Breast with Sesame (Air Fryer)

This air fryer chicken breast is seasoned with sesame oil and spices, then cooked to perfection in a little gadget that I never thought I'd enjoy this much. Yes, I absolutely love my air fryer. What do you think can be better than a perfectly caramelized, delicious pan-fried chicken breast? Or a crispy oven-roasted chicken breast? That's right, an air fryer chicken breast beats them both. And I am not afraid to say it. Of the air fryer recipes that I've tried so far, this one is the most impressive. Lately, I've been experimenting with convection baking and have had a lot of success with it. I love the results that fast-moving hot air produces. Well, an air fryer is just that, a small convection oven. Only it's compact and requires no preheating. How cool is that? True, you can't do large batches in an air fryer but, oh boy, it's so worth it.

2 chicken breasts, skin-on
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. black pepper, freshly cracked
1 Tbsp. sweet paprika
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. granulated garlic or garlic powder
1 Tbsp. granulated onions or onion powder

Rub the chicken breasts with sesame oil. Sprinkle salt, pepper and the rest of ingredients all over. Pat down and rub gently to ensure even coverage.

Place chicken breasts on the rack inside the air fryer, ensuring some space between the chicken breasts, skin side up.

Plug in your air fryer, set the temperature to 380°F and the time to 20 minutes. When the 20 minutes of cooking is up, flip the breasts and continue cooking for another 10 minutes.

Remove chicken breasts from the air fryer and set on a plate. Let rest for 5 minutes, then serve.

Makes 2 servings.

Cook's Notes: Cooking time will depend on the size of your chicken breasts. Also, some air fryers cook hotter (food positioned closer to the heating element, etc.) so check the temperature after 20 minutes to prevent overcooking.