Savor the taste of homemade cooking with our Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Breasts. This recipe features chicken breasts that are seasoned to perfection with a from-scratch lemon pepper mix, then coated in a blend of cornstarch and flour for that ideal crispy finish.
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Getting Crispy Chicken
The secret to achieving the crispiest chicken is by using cornstarch. It's the most important ingredient to getting that desirable airy and crunchy texture when biting into a piece of fried chicken.
Using flour alone won't create the crispiest chicken; you need cornstarch to elevate your crispy chicken to the crispiest chicken!
Using cornstarch isn't only great for creating crispy chicken; it also is great for making crispy vegetables when roasting your favorites in either the oven or air fryer.
It's simple to do; follow your usual recipe for roasting and toss your vegetables to be roasted in just about ½ tablespoon of corn starch. This method is also great for crisping vegetables on the stove!
One of my favorite ways to use cornstarch is by using it in desserts! Whenever I make cheesecakes, usually in my pressure cooker, I use cornstarch to help bind the cheesecake mixture together. It produces beautiful results and without a floury taste.
Corn starch is also gluten-free, so it's a great alternative for recipes that call for flour, such as soups and vegetable dishes!
Check out these other air fryer recipes such as this recipe for Air Fryer Lemon Vinegar Chicken Breasts for another tender and juicy chicken recipe, and check out this recipe for Air Fryer Ribeye - an easy recipe with simple ingredients.
For more lemon pepper flavor, this recipe for Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Wings is fun recipe for the summer.
The Crispiest Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Breasts
There are just a few main ingredients in making these crispiest chicken breasts - lemons, coarsely ground pepper, cornstarch, flour, and cooking spray for coating.
Creating the dry mixture and batter is fairly simple in making these chicken breasts.
To ensure getting not only the crispiest chicken but also the juiciest - don't skip the brine! This allows the chicken to tenderize and makes it juicy and flavorful.
I recommend leaving the chicken in the brine for at least 24 hours.
Although, you can take it out earlier than that. I recommend 24 hours to maximize the tender and juicy results.
This recipe uses both lemon juice and lemon zest. When zesting the lemons, be careful not to get grate the white peel of the lemon. Doing so will make your chicken more bitter.
After zesting the lemons, squeeze the lemons to release them of their juices. Remove any seeds that may have fallen into your juice and set them aside. You'll be using the lemon juice for the batter to dredge your chicken!
How to Make Crispy Chicken in an Air Fryer
Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook your chicken breasts in batches. It's also important to shop for chicken breasts that aren't too large for your air fryer! This could result in uneven cooking, and they may not even fit!
If using a basket-style air fryer, you will need to cook only two chicken breasts at a time, flip your chicken breasts, and coat them with oil during cooking.
When using the oven-style air fryer, you may be able to fit all four chicken breasts but will still need to turn and rotate the trays. You'll also need to spray any dry spots with cooking spray to get an even cook.
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Crispy Lemon Pepper Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
Buttermilk Brine
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 tablespoon salt
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 skin-on chicken breasts
Dry Mixture
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoon Argo® Corn Starch
- 4 tablespoon lemon zest roughly 4 lemons
- 3 ½ teaspoon black pepper coarse, grinded
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Batter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoon Argo® Corn Starch
- 7 tablespoon lemon juice from zested lemons
- 4 tablespoon water
- cooking spray
Garnish
- coarse pepper grinded
- fresh parsley
Instructions
- Pour the buttermilk, lemon juice, and the salt into a large sealable bag along with the skin-on chicken breasts.
- Place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- In a large bowl, mix together the dry mixture ingredients (all-purpose flour, Argo® Corn Starch, lemon zest, black pepper, garlic powder, and salt).
- In a separate bowl, mix together the batter ingredients (flour, Argo® Corn Starch, lemon juice, and water). You are looking for a wet and loosely combined batter mixture.
- Once the chicken breasts are brined, remove them from the sealable bag and discard the remaining buttermilk mixture.
- Pat the chicken breasts with paper towels to remove any excess moisture.
- Roll the chicken breasts in the dry corn starch mixture.
- Then dredge the chicken breasts into the wet mixture, making sure to shake off any excess batter.
- Spray the air fryer basket or trays with cooking spray.
- Spray the chicken breasts with the cooking spray and them into the air fryer basket or trays. It may be necessary to cook the breasts in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Set the air fryer to 350° and for 20 minutes.
- Allow the chicken to cook for 10 minutes, spray the breasts with more cooking spray (paying attention to spots with flour). Turn the breasts and coat the other side and rotate the trays if applicable.
- Top the chicken breasts with freshly ground pepper and fresh parsley if desired.
Nutrition
Dana is an experienced recipe creator who crafts easy and delicious recipes for all levels of home cooks.
Her recipes range from classic comfort foods to healthy and nutritious meals, and she is always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to bring flavor and variety to the table.
Anne Lawton says
mmm! Would have never thought to use my air fryer to make lemon chicken
Anne Lawton says
mmm! Would have never thought to use my air fryer to make lemon chicken
Terri says
Can I use this recipe and bake chicken instead of deepfry?
Dana says
Yes you can bake this in the oven. The only difference would be that baking it in the oven will take longer than in the air fryer.
ปั้มไลค์ says
Like!! Great article post.Really thank you! Really Cool.
Jonathan Wright says
Is there any particular reason that bone-in and skin-on thighs can't be used? How about boneless and skinless breasts and/or thighs?
Dana says
That will still work! You will just need to adjust the cooking time based on your air fryer.