In your Ninja Foodi, Chicken Breast is super simple to make! These Ninja foodi chicken breasts are tender, juicy, and simply seasoned to create the perfect tasty meal.
“So good! I love the lemon flavor of this chicken, it's perfect for adding to my lunches for the week with a salad.”
Recipe Overview
This recipe for Ninja Foodi Chicken Breast has no breading and is a healthy, low-carb, simple to make dinner that the whole family will enjoy. Once you learn how to make chicken in the ninja foodi, you’ll wonder why you ever made it any other way!
We’re seasoning the ninja foodi chicken breast with lemon juice, garlic and basil. The flavor is bright, but not overpowering, making this a great option for meal prep or adding to salads like this Greek Cucumber Salad.
If you’re cooking with an air fryer that isn’t a Ninja Foodi, see this Air Fryer Chicken recipe instead. The instructions are slightly different.
Ingredients
Chicken Breasts – Choose boneless, skinless chicken breast to cook in the Ninja Foodi with this recipe.
Lemon Juice – You want to use juice that is freshly squeezed from a lemon. No need to measure, just use as much juice as you get from one medium to large lemon.
Lemon Zest – Prior to squeezing the lemon, remove the zest from the outside with a microplane.
Sea Salt – I like to use sea salt rather than regular table salt. It’s flaky and more flavorful.
Black Pepper – Freshly ground if you can.
Garlic Powder – I put this on everything! It’s particularly delicious on chicken and adds tons of flavor.
Dried Basil – I love the herbal flavor this gives. Swap it out for your favorite dried herb if you prefer something different.
Garnishes – While not required, a nice garnish always makes a plate look better. Use fresh basil and lemon slices.
Steps to Make
- Gather the ingredients, and allow the Ninja Foodi air fryer to preheat at 390°F for 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried basil.
- Slowly pour lemon juice over the chicken breasts to cover them. Alternately, place the chicken breasts in a bowl with the lemon juice and allow them to marinate for up to an hour.
- Sprinkle the spice mixture over the top of each chicken breast.
- Cook two chicken breasts at a time for 20 minutes at 390 degrees, using the air fryer setting on the Ninja Foodi. When the first two breasts are done, repeat cooking the other two.
- Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving with lemon slices and fresh basil.
Tips and Tricks
Only Cook Two at a Time – Four chicken breasts won’t fit in the Ninja basket in a single layer. Cook only two at a time so that you get proper air circulation.
Let Them Rest – Allowing chicken to rest after cooking allows the juices which have moved to the outside of the meat to return to the center. If you don’t allow it to rest, the chicken breast will lose that moisture when you cut into it, and be dry.
Marinating is Optional – If you allow the chicken breast to marinate in lemon juice you will get a zestier, lemon flavor. If you don’t have time to do that, it will still taste amazing.
Take a Shortcut – Lemon Pepper seasoning can be used in place of the seasonings called for her. Use two tablespoons of pre-made lemon pepper seasoning to season this recipe.
Frequent Pairings
This versatile chicken breast is great for meal prep. Slice and place in containers with some of this Mediterranean Chickpea Salad for a healthy lunch.
Pair lemony Ninja Foodi chicken breast with your favorite pasta, or some flavorful Risotto.
Go for a classic dinner that everyone will love and serve this with Air Fryer Green Beans and some delicious Air Fryer Potatoes.
More Air Fryer Recipes
Make a Whole Chicken in the Ninja Foodi! It’s way easier than you might think.
Thighs are also delicious and the skin gets so crispy when you make Air Fryer Chicken Thighs.
Use your Ninja Foodi cooked chicken breast to make a Curried Chicken Salad topped with slivered almonds.
Ninja Foodi Bacon is a must-have recipe! Make sure to save it for breakfast this weekend.
Skip the chicken and go vegetarian with Air Fryer Tofu Manchurian.
Reader Notes and Tips 📝
“Perfect for adding to my lunches for the week with a salad.”
~Kiera
FAQs
You can turn these ninja foodi chicken breasts into shredded chicken for recipes like soups, salads and more. Just let them cool a bit after they are done cooking, then use two forks to shred them up.
Use shredded air fryer chicken to make a tasty buffalo chicken pasta bake. Yum!
The lemon juice in this Foodi chicken recipe creates a really juicy, tender chicken breast, so I would make sure not to leave that out. You could substitute with lime juice instead though. For the other seasonings, feel free to use any that appeal to you. Chicken breast is delicious with all sorts of flavors.
We have a recipe that will teach you exactly how to air fry frozen chicken breast in a Ninja Foodi. Check it out, it’s a total gem – especially when you forget to thaw the meat for dinner!
Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze this chicken, sliced or shredded, in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Don’t forget to visit our index of Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Recipes for more meal inspiration!
Ninja Foodi Chicken Breast
Equipment
- Ninja Foodi
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken Breasts boneless and skinless
- 1 Lemon juiced
- Lemon Zest from one lemon
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp. Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp. Dried Basil
- Fresh Basil and Lemon Slices to garnish
Instructions
- Gather the ingredients and preheat your air fryer to 390°F/199°C for 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried basil.
- Slowly pour lemon juice over the chicken breast to cover them. Alternately, place the chicken breasts in a bowl with the lemon juice and allow them to marinate for up to an hour.
- Sprinkle the spice mixture over the top of each chicken breast.
- Cook two chicken breasts at a time for 20 minutes at 390 degrees on the air fryer setting.
- Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving, garnish with lemon slices and fresh basil, and enjoy!
Notes
- Only Cook Two at a Time. Four chicken breasts won’t fit in the Ninja basket in a single layer. Cook only two at a time so that you get proper air circulation.
- Let Them Rest. Allowing chicken to rest after cooking allows the juices which have moved to the outside of the meat to return to the center. If you don’t allow it to rest, the chicken breast will lose that moisture when you cut into it, and be dry.
- Marinating is Optional. If you allow the chicken breast to marinate in lemon juice you will get a zestier lemon flavor. If you don’t have time to do that, it will still taste amazing.
- Take a Shortcut. Lemon Pepper seasoning can be used in place of the seasonings called for her. Use two tablespoons of pre-made lemon pepper seasoning to season this recipe.
- Pro Tip: This recipe can be made in the air fryer unit with a basket or the air fryer oven. If you are using the air fryer oven, use the middle rack and select the “Air Fry” function.
- Pro Tip: Check your food as it cooks. Each air fryer runs a bit differently. Sometimes airfrying is a trial and error process. Check your food as it cooks to learn your air fryer better! When cooking a new recipe or food items be sure to check your food often to help avoid over/under cooking.
Nutrition Information
So good! I love the lemon flavor of this chicken, it’s perfect for adding to my lunches for the week with a salad.
How do you keep the first 2 breasts hot while waiting for the second 2 to cook?
For the Ninja foodi and with other air fryers you are limited on the size. When I have to cook in batches, I usually throw the cooked ones into the oven and put it on the “warm” function to help keep it warm and then my family can eat all togther.
How salty is this recipe? With the soy sauce and salt I was afraid to add the soy sauce and cut the salt in about half.
Thank you for your question! If you’re sensitive to salt, it’s a good idea to adjust the recipe to your taste. It can be a bit salty. Omitting the salt and using only soy sauce is a great approach. However, if you’re considering alternatives like Bragg’s Aminos or Coconut Aminos instead of soy sauce, they are generally less salty, so you can keep the salt in the recipe. It’s always best to adjust seasonings to your personal preference and dietary needs.