The secret to incomparably tender chicken in this Air Fryer Chicken with no breading is a deliciously punchy mayonnaise-based marinade. With tangy dijon and a kick of heat, you are going to turn to this recipe again and again.
If your family is anything like mine, chicken is a go-to weeknight main dish that doesn’t take a lot of thought.
Serve it with a favorite dipping sauce, and pretty much everyone is happy.
When the weather is nice, I like to make this Keto Grilled Chicken. But, when it is hot - or when I just don’t feel like having to watch anything - I make this Air Fried Chicken with No Breading.
This is such a versatile recipe. It has enough flavor to stand well on its own. But it is also fabulous to make ahead for salads, low-carb wraps, casseroles, and pizzas.
If you are serving this by itself, don't forget the sauce! I like to serve it with Keto Ranch Dressing, Keto Blue Cheese Dressing, or Keto BBQ Sauce. Of course, the kids love ketchup.
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Ingredient Notes
- Mayonnaise - Use your favorite brand. If you don't want to marinate in mayo, you could use olive oil.
- Lemon Juice (optional) - Fresh is best but bottled works.
- Coconut Aminos - A gluten-free soy sauce alternative that's a bit sweeter and keto friendly. Soy sauce or tamari are easy substitutes if they fit within your dietary goals.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast - You could also make air fryer chicken thighs; reduce the cooking time by about 2 minutes.
Variations for This Recipe:
- Use lime in place of the lemon juice and add 2 chopped green onions and a tablespoon of tahini to the marinade.
- Add 2 tablespoons minced rosemary, and 1 teaspoon paprika to the marinade. (I like smoked paprika.)
- Add ¼ cup finely diced onions and 2 tablespoons of dry white wine to the marinade.
Step-by-Step
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Tips & Tricks:
- If you are looking to get an Air Fryer, THIS is the model I recommend. I've had four different air fryers before finally settling on this one. It is the best! If it is beyond your budget, know that you can get an air fryer that will perform well for considerably less.
- If you plan on marinating the meat for more than four hours, I recommend omitting the lemon juice, as it can make the chicken tough if it marinates for too long.
- The recommended internal temperature for chicken is 165 degrees, however, I recommend taking it out when it reaches 160 degrees and letting it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. The temperature will continue to increase as it rests.
Juicy Marinated Air Fryer Chicken with No Breading
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice optional
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 ½ pounds boneless chicken breast or thighs
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, coconut aminos, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.
- Place the chicken in a shallow dish or large zip top plastic bag.
- Add marinade and return to the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to overnight. (Omit the lemon juice if you are marinating more than 4 hours.)
- Preheat your Air Fryer to 400 degrees.
- Arrange chicken in a single layer in the air fryer.
- Cook for 7 minutes.
- Flip and cook for about 7 more minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Oven Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place chicken on a parchment lined baking sheet and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
Marcie W. says
Crispy chicken without the added calories of breading? Yes, please! This sounds perfect for those watching their calorie intake.
Kelly Martin says
I’ve heard a lot about air fryers lately. I’m thinking I should get one. That chicken looks delicious!
Heather says
I haven't tried to make chicken in the air fryer yet. That's going to be my next recipe.
Valerie says
That chicken looks great! I just recently tried making chicken including mayo and I really liked the taste.
Emman Damian says
Air Fryer Chicken with no breading sounds so healthy and yummy! I hope I can cook this next weekend. Looks so delicious!
Carrie | Clean Eating Kitchen says
I love my air fryer! This looks like an awesome recipe that loaded with flavor. Look forward to trying it!
Shannon Gurnee says
I've been looking for more recipes to make in our air fryer. This looks like a good one that my family would enjoy!
Carolyn says
This looks so delicious! I have been hearing about air fryers and this looks like such a great way to use them!
Anna says
Looks delicious - I love that you give more recipe variations! will try to prepare this weekend! Thanks for sharing!
Kristine Nicole Alessandra says
I think cooking in an air fryer would be a better way to eat healthy food. I have been thinking of getting one. I will keep on mentioning this to my husband. Maybe he'd get this for me on my birthday. If not, I will get it myself! Saving this chicken recipe too for when I do get my hands on my very own air fryer.
Lyanna Soria says
That chicken looks delicious! I better get me some Air Fryer since I see lots of tasty recipes I could try with it.
Arlene says
I baked my chicken in the oven. The flavor was overwhelmingly scrumptious! Very easy to prepare! Thanks for this fabulous recipe.
Wendy Polisi says
I am so glad you enjoyed it as much as we do Arlene! It means so much to me that you took the time to let me know. Have a great weekend!
Russ says
I made this with chicken cut into thick strips, since marinades get in there better the more surface area you have. It was really good! It was my first chicken air fryer recipe. I eyeballed my spices rather than using exact measurements, but I was exact with the wet ingredients. I'd say this makes A LOT of marinade for just 1 or 1.5 lbs of chicken. I had so much of it in the bowl that I opened another lb of chicken to marinate. In the end, I was able to thoroughly coat about 2.5lbs of chicken with the measurements given in the recipe
Timini says
Could this recipe be used on the grill?
Wendy Polisi says
Yes - that would work just fine.
Sue Skane says
Had my air fryer less than a week but this looks delicious and I'm going to try it and the variations.
Thanks a heap.
Sue
Wendy Polisi says
Enjoy!
Nichole says
This was absolutely amazing! Whilst I did not get it crispy, the flavour was out of this world and the chicken was so moist. I loved that it was so quick to prepare with common pantry ingredients..It will now be my go to chicken recipe to use with salads etc
Thank you so much for the recipe..
Wendy Polisi says
So glad that you enjoyed it!
Dottie B says
Super delicious and easy to make!!
sheila wright says
Wendy, I been low carb for 22 years.. and my dear YOU have the BEST EVERYDAY RECIPES I HAVE RUN ACROSS..
THANK YOU THANK YOU...i LOVE YOUR WAY OF COOKING... FITS ME TO A ...T... you can bet I will follow you along...
I am just learning more about my Air Fryer so wowsie... this will be done tomorrow...
have a blessed weekend and enjoy..
sheila wright
Wendy Polisi says
You are so kind Shelia! Thanks so much. I am glad you are enjoying everything.
Heidi says
This chicken was outstanding! My whole family loved it and my husband said I finally nailed chicken in the air fryer with this.
Wendy Polisi says
You just made my week!
Debs says
Loved this recipe , so easy to make, definitely be making again. Thanks so much.
Jean Painter says
I made a mayo based marinade and let it set over night. When I put it in the air fryer it looked great, until I flipped it half way throuth the cook time. When I flipped it, the "coating" slid off. What did I do wrong?
Amy says
Do I need to oil the air fryer basket?
Wendy Polisi says
I would brush or spray the chicken with oil instead to minimize smoking.
Jean Painter says
I'm anxious to try this recipe, however, at the beginning of the page, it says to mix both Italian Seasoning AND Tamara. But, down in the recipe list, Tamara is not included. How much Tamara do you use?
Karen says
I see Tamara is in the instructions at the top but not listed w/the ingredients? Can you please clarify? I’m making this tomorrow. Thx!
Karen says
I see Tamara is the soy. Please disregard my previous comment
marcie D richardson says
My husband cannot have anything coconut what else can i use instead of coconut aminos
Wendy Polisi says
You could use gluten free tamari.
Amy Stanford says
This was so delicious! I used chicken tenderloins since that’s what I had, so I cooked it for less time. I will definitely be cooking this again!
Wendy Polisi says
I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Shatia says
Made this recipe for dinner yesterday and the whole family really enjoyed it, even the cat LOVED it. Probably one of the best if not the best chicken recipe we’ve ever made! Adding to our dinner rotation! Pairs so well with roasted veggies. Thanks so much for sharing.