Shake and bake chicken in the air fryer gives you crispy, golden chicken that is packed with flavor. My air fryer shake and bake chicken recipe is so simple, making it perfect for busy nights.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, please read my disclaimer.
Shake and bake seasoning has made my life easy and my meals flavorful.
This store bought seasoning mixture is perfect for baked chicken (as the name implies), but once you try the shake n bake chicken air fryer method, you won’t want it any other way!
It’s unbelievably easy to prepare shake and bake chicken in the air fryer.
All of the spices and ingredients are mixed together in one seasoning packet, so you can simply shake your chicken in a bag with the seasoning, and it’ll be ready to cook –– no need to add anything else.
While this shake n bake chicken air fryer recipe is delicious on its own, you can pair it with a side of Air Fryer Green Beans or Roasted Carrots and Asparagus to make it a more complete meal.
Here’s what I’m going to teach you in this post:
- Tips for coating your chicken so every bit of the seasoning mix sticks to the surface.
- How to make perfect shake and bake chicken in the air fryer instead of baking it in the oven. Instead of shaking and baking, we’ll be shaking and air frying!
- What temperature to reheat shake and bake chicken in the air fryer at so that it doesn’t get dry on the inside or soggy on the outside.
This air fryer shake and bake recipe requires minimal ingredients: only chicken breasts and the shake and bake seasoning!
The whole recipe comes together in just 30 minutes, and it’s as easy as can be.
And if you love shake and bake, try my air fryer shake and bake pork chops recipe too!
How To Make Shake and Bake Chicken In the Air Fryer
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE: Preheat your air fryer to 380 degrees F. Prep time will be quick, so you’ll want to have your air fryer heated up and ready to start cooking right away.
STEP TWO: Brush your chicken breasts lightly with olive oil. This step is essential to guarantee that the seasoning sticks to the chicken!
STEP THREE: Pour your shake and bake seasoning into the plastic bag that came with the mixture. Coat chicken breasts one at a time by dropping them into the bag and shaking until covered evenly. Be sure to twist and hold the bag closed before you shake it. You can discard any leftover coating.
STEP FOUR: Place the chicken in a single layer inside the air fryer.
STEP FIVE: Spray the tops of the chicken with oil using an EVO Oil Mister, then cook in the air fryer at 380 degrees F for 14-18 minutes, flipping halfway through. Your chicken will be ready once the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
How Do I Reheat Shake and Bake Chicken?
It’s easy to reheat shake n bake chicken in the air fryer, but you’ll want to do it carefully so that your chicken stays juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside.
For best results, let your chicken come to room temperature before reheating it. Having your leftover chicken at room temperature will help ensure that all parts of it reheat fully instead of staying cold.
This will also help keep the chicken moist so that it won’t dry out when being reheated.
Reheat your chicken at 370 degrees F for about 4-5 minutes, or until heated through.
Can I Use Foil in the Air Fryer When I Cook My Chicken?
Yes! While you can certainly make air fryer shake and bake chicken without it, aluminum foil is safe to use in the air fryer.
The benefit of using foil with this recipe is that it makes cleaning up even easier.
If you do choose to use foil, be sure to coat it lightly with a nonstick cooking spray so your chicken won’t get stuck.
Got more questions about using foil safely in the air fryer? Check out my article that discusses air frying with foil here.
Is Air Frying Chicken Better Than Baking Chicken?
Given that the seasoning is called shake and bake, you might be wondering why I went with the air fryer method instead of baking in a conventional oven.
Personally, I love making shake and bake chicken in the air fryer because of how quickly the air fryer preheats, as well as how perfectly it crisps up the coating on the chicken.
Other Air Fryer Chicken Recipes You’ll Love:
- Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast
- Air Fryer Honey Soy Chicken Thighs
- Air Fryer Grilled Chicken
- Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken
Love air frying? Join our newsletter! You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or join our free Facebook Air Frying Community.
Shake and Bake Chicken In The Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 4 6-8 ounce boneless chicken breasts
- Water for moistening
- 1 packet Shake N Bake
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 380 degrees F. Place the chicken breasts on a plate and brush them with olive oil.
- Add the Shake N Bake packet to the plastic bag that comes in the box and shake the chicken breasts, one at a time, to coat; discard any remaining coating.
- Place the coated chicken in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Spray the tops of the chicken with cooking oil spray, then air fry at 380 degrees F for 14-18 minutes, flipping once halfway through until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving as desired.
Notes
How to reheat shake and bake chicken:
1. Preheat the air fryer to 370 degrees. 2. Add chicken to the basket and cook for 4-5 minutes or until it's hot.Nutrition
This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.
Can you do this with chicken legs?
You can! I would use similar cooking instructions to my chicken drumsticks recipe here: https://www.everydayfamilycooking.com/air-fried-bbq-chicken-drumsticks/
The bags are no longer in the box. They decided it was too much plastic waste, so now the boxes just come with the mix. I just use a bowl and poured the mixture in there and then coated the chicken. I also love that it works well in the air fryer. I just had 4 chicken tenderloins with the original shake n bake with homemade ranch dressing and it was really good. It brings back memories since I use to make the chicken nuggets with shake n bake for the kids I use to take care of. LOL.
I’m so glad that you have found this works well in the air fryer, I love using this recipe as it’s a classic to me and I can relate with it bringing back memories. Chicken nuggets with shake and bake are a great idea for the kids!
So wait did I read that wrong? Preheat air fryer to 400 but then cook on 380?
Hi J, thank you for that catch! I originally tested this recipe at 400 degrees, but found 380 degrees to be the sweet spot.
Going to make this tonight but have the thin cut chicken breasts. Would the cook time be the same? Thank you.
Hi Jenny, since chicken cutlets are much thinner, they will take less time to cook. The time and temperature in this recipe will make more sense to use: https://www.everydayfamilycooking.com/air-fryer-chicken-cutlets/