Air Fryer Dill Pickle Chicken - Tender and juicy chicken breasts marinated in a dill pickle brine, dredged in crispy breadcrumbs and air fried to perfection.
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The weather here in Wisconsin is starting to warm up! While we have used our outside grill a couple times, I'm still getting lots of use out of my Ninja Foodi and air fryer. I really do use them year-round because they make getting dinner on the table so quick and easy!
Today, we're making some chicken your family is either going to be really excited about or will turn their noses up at. Personally, I love dill pickles, and the thought of combining that flavor with chicken was really appealing to me.
I encourage you to try the recipe with your own family, especially if you are pickle fans! The actual pickle flavor will be more subtle than you think but it still comes through with each bite of the chicken.
Let's get to making this flavorful chicken!
HOW TO MAKE DILL PICKLE CHICKEN:
To make this lip-puckering chicken, you'll need:
- Chicken breasts
- Dill pickle juice
- Seasoned breadcrumbs
- Salt & pepper
- Eggs
Grab a ziplock bag and marinate the chicken breasts in pickle juice for at least 4 hours. Marinating overnight will give you the very best flavor!
You can use juice right out of your pickle jar in the fridge or you can actually purchase just the juice itself.
If you find that you don't quite have two cups of juice left in your pickle jar, getting your marinade to at least 1 ½ cups should be just fine.
In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.
Dredge the chicken in a bowl with beaten eggs.
Cover both sides of the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture.
WHAT DOES DREDGING REALLY DO FOR CHICKEN?
When you dredge chicken before air frying, it gives it a crispy, golden crust. For this recipe, we used eggs to dredge the chicken, but you could also spray some olive oil onto the chicken.
The purpose of the eggs or oil is to help the breadcrumbs stick to the chicken to lock in the juiciness and create the crispy exterior.
Place the breaded chicken in your preheated, greased air fryer basket. Spritz the chicken with olive oil and air fry at 400º Fahrenheit for 8 minutes.
Flip the chicken, spritz it with olive oil and air fry for 6-8 more minutes.
Your chicken should be a beautiful golden brown when it's ready.
WHAT IF MY CHICKEN NEEDS MORE TIME TO AIR FRY?
Remember that every brand and model of air fryer is different. You may need to experiment with adjusting times and temperatures if you're finding that your food is over- or under-cooked when following recipes.
When you're making a recipe for the first time, check your food frequently while air frying and keep a digital thermometer handy.
Your chicken should be brown and crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside!
Garnish with a little parsley.
And go ahead and throw a few sliced pickles on top! You could even try garnishing your chicken with some of these crunchy toppers for a different "pickly" twist!
IS AIR FRIED CHICKEN HEALTHIER?
Well, yes, it is. You get the texture of fried food without having to use a ton of oil. The oil is what makes fried foods fatty and calorie-rich.
HOW COME MY CHICKEN DIDN'T "CRISP UP"?
If you follow the recipe instructions, you shouldn't have any problem with "soggy" chicken. Remember that spraying the chicken with olive oil before air frying and when flipping the chicken helps with the crisping.
You also want to make sure you don't overcrowd the basket by throwing too much chicken in at once - you don't want the chicken to overlap.
If you're struggling with space, try "standing up" the chicken against the walls of the air fryer basket.
HOW SHOULD I STORE ANY LEFTOVER CHICKEN?
Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container. It should last 3-4 days in the fridge. To reheat, place the chicken in the air fryer at 360º Fahrenheit for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
IN SEARCH OF MORE AIR FRYER RECIPES?
- Easy Omelette
- French Toast
- Easy Air Fryer Burgers
- 5-Ingredient Lemon Chicken
- Air Fryer Oreos
- Easy Baked Potatoes
- Pork Chops
- Brussels Sprouts
- Pot Roast
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Air Fryer Dill Pickle Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts (cut in half lengthwise)
- 2 cups dill pickle juice (I just used the juice from my pickle jar in the fridge)
- 1 ½ cups seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 large eggs (beaten)
- Pickle slices for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a ziplock bag, marinate chicken breasts in dill pickle juice for at least 4 hours.
- Preheat air fryer at 400º Fahrenheit for 5 minutes.
- To make breading, combine breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper.
- Dredge chicken in beaten eggs and then cover in breading.
- Place breaded chicken in a greased air fryer basket.
- Spritz top of chicken with olive oil.
- Air fry at 400º Fahrenheit for 8 minutes.
- Flip, spritz with olive oil and air fry for 6-8 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165º Fahrenheit.
- Garnish with a couple pickle slices and serve.
Notes
- If you don’t have eggs, you can use oil to get your breadcrumbs to adhere to your chicken.
- Check the temperature of your chicken before taking it out of your air fryer. It should have an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container for three to four days.
Ginger
This is a great recipe, but sooo many freaking ads and pop ups. It was hard to actually get to and read the recipe!
Ashley
Waaaay too much, plus I didn't see a "jump to recipe" option. Unlikely I'll be back to this site. Recipe does look yummy though, so it's too bad.
Sara
Hi Ashley, there's a jump to recipe button at the top of all of my posts. I hope you'll visit again!
Wendy
I literally just finished eating a chicken sandwich I made using this recipe. It was delicious and so easy. Thank you!
Doreen
Absolutely delicious and my whole family loved it