Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Breast
Lean buffalo chicken breast from the air fryer—spicy, high-protein, and weeknight-fast. Toss in classic hot sauce butter and hit 165°F for a safer game-day or meal-prep staple.
🛒Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 cup Frank’s RedHot or similar cayenne hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon honey (optional, balances heat)
- Celery sticks and light ranch or blue cheese for serving
🔧Kitchen Tools Needed
- Air fryer
- Instant-read thermometer
- Meat mallet or rolling pin
- Mixing bowl
- Tongs
📝Instructions
- 1
Pound chicken to even 3/4-inch thickness or slice thick breasts horizontally. Pat dry. Rub with oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
- 2
Preheat air fryer to 375°F. Cook chicken 12–16 minutes, flipping halfway, until 165°F in the center.
- 3
Whisk hot sauce, melted butter, and honey. Toss hot chicken in sauce (or brush generously).
- 4
Rest 3 minutes. Slice and serve with celery and ranch. Leftovers make great wraps or salads.
- 5
Food safety: discard leftover marinade that touched raw chicken; only sauce cooked meat.
🥗Nutrition Information
⚡Calories per serving: 280
🏷️Recipe Tags
❓Frequently Asked Questions
How spicy is this?
Medium heat with classic cayenne sauce. Use less sauce or more honey to dial it down.
Can I use thighs?
Yes—boneless thighs need similar time; always cook to 165°F.
Meal prep tip?
Cool, refrigerate up to 4 days; reheat air fryer 350°F 3–5 minutes.
Why pound the breasts?
Even thickness prevents dry edges and underdone centers.
Butter-free option?
Toss with hot sauce and a teaspoon of oil instead of butter.
