Combining two of my true passions, bbq chicken and roasted sweet potatoes, these air fried chicken bowls are a great weeknight dinner option. You can pop the potatoes in the oven while you prepare the chicken breast and kale salad. No marinating or brining required!
The whole thing comes together in about an hour to make an elevated high protein meal. And if you really want to maximize your time, double the recipe to use for this week’s meal prep.
Air Frying Chicken Breast That’s Actually Good
My method for air frying chicken breast is simple. Coat one pound of boneless skinless chicken breast in one tablespoon of olive oil. In this case, for bbq chicken, I also added a tablespoon of maple syrup. The added sugar adds great flavor, but it also helps with browning and caramelization.
It’s worth mentioning, added sugar isn’t a requirement. My brothy rice and chicken breast recipe achieves plenty of browning with only olive oil and a seasoning blend.
Once the chicken breast is coated in oil, add a seasoning blend of your choosing before popping the chicken in an air fryer basket. In my experience, 16-18 minutes at 375ºF gets the chicken to an internal temperature of 160ºF to 165ºF every time using a Ninja air fryer pro.
Chicken breast requires a more watchful eye than chicken thighs. Using a food thermometer is highly recommended to avoid overcooking the chicken. Taking it beyond 165ºF internally will make the chicken rubbery and dry.
The seasoning blend I used for this recipe is a spin on one of my most popular recipes, pressure cooker bbq shredded chicken. It’s a mixture of smoked paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and ground cumin. There are great pre-made bbq rubs available these days, so feel free to experiment.
Pairings for BBQ Chicken
Admittedly, the sweet potatoes and chicken breast are the stars of the show here. If you’re not a fan of kale, it’s easily replaceable by other greens. The super athletes may even want to plug in some grains or other veggies like roasted brussels sprouts or sautéed green beans.
If you’ve never made sweet potato rounds, you’re in for a treat. I first featured these in a breakfast protein bowls recipe and am quickly trying to make up for the dearth of potato rounds on my blog. Baking them on the bottom rack of an oven gets the bottoms super crispy while the centers get nice and jammy. They kinda remind me of fried plantains.
While I’ve provided the sweet potatoes and kale salad in the recipe card below, the air fried chicken breast works great on its own or incorporated into other dishes. Chop it and make flatbreads, wraps, tacos, loaded mac and cheese, or whatever else you can dream up.
Let me know in the comments below or tag me on Instagram if you come up with an epic way to use this bbq chicken. Or just let me know how much the sweet potatoes have changed your life for the better.
Until then, stay sweet. – Mason
Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Breast
Ingredients
For the BBQ Chicken
- 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts 1 pound total
- 1 Tablespoon (16g) Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon (15g) Maple Syrup
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
For the Sweet Potatoes
- 2 pounds Sweet Potatoes cut into ½" rounds (long and skinny potatoes work best)
- 2 Tablespoons (32g) Olive Oil
- 1-2 pinches Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Roast the sweet potatoes. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper. Toss the sliced sweet potatoes and olive oil together then arrange the potatoes in an even layer on the pan. Sprinkle with salt and bake for 40-45 minutes on the bottom rack of a 450ºF oven.
- Air fry the chicken. Coat the chicken in the olive oil and maple syrup before add the mixed spices. Stir to evenly coat the chicken before air frying for 16-18 minutes at 375ºF until the chicken reaches a 165ºF internal temperature. Let the chicken rest at least 5 minutes before slicing.
- Make the kale salad. Mix the oil, vinegar, and dijon together in a large bowl before adding the chopped kale. Stir everything together then add the parmesan. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve. Add the kale salad to bowls and top with the roasted sweet potatoes and sliced chicken. Drizzle with bbq sauce, if desired.
Notes
- 6 cups (170g) Chopped Kale
- 3 Tablespoons (45g) Coarse Dijon Mustard
- 2 Tablespoons (32g) Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons (15g) Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/4 cup (28g) Grated Parmesan
