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These super flavorful Air Fryer Chicken Breasts with Mustard Sauce are quick, easy, and perfect for weeknights.
Table of Contents
- A Weeknight Dinner That’s Poppin’ With Flavor!
- Now About Those Poppin’ Ingredients.
- How Long to Cook Chicken Breasts in an Air Fryer.
- Here’s How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Breasts With Mustard Sauce.
- Useful Tools for This Recipe:
- Recipe Tips + Tricks.
- Have You Made This Recipe?
- Other Air Fryer Recipes You Need to Try:
- Air Fryer Chicken Breasts with Mustard Sauce Recipe
A Weeknight Dinner That’s Poppin’ With Flavor!
Tangy and bright is the theme with these easy, tender, and juicy air fryer chicken breasts. Between the punchy mustard and the tart lemon, every bite is full of big bold flavors! And the kicker? It’s cooked in under 10 minutes when cooked in the air fryer. Fancy enough for weekend entertaining; unfussy enough for a weeknight family dinner. That’s my jam.
Now About Those Poppin’ Ingredients.
If you’re on the fence about whole grain mustard, I think this recipe could sway you into obsession. It did for me, anyway. Not only do those mustard seeds add to the presentation of the chicken breasts, but they add a little tender crunch to your bite. Old style mustard has extra intensity as well, which is a huge reason for the big flavors in this recipe. Here’s a list of what you’ll need:
- Chicken breasts
- Old style whole grain mustard
- Fresh dill
- Garlic cloves
- Sea salt
- Ground black pepper
- Lemon, zest and juice
- Extra virgin olive oil
How Long to Cook Chicken Breasts in an Air Fryer.
This will depend on the thickness of the breasts. For this recipe, I purchased two very plump pieces of meat, butterflied them, then separated them to create four thinner cutlets. Of course, tenderizing the meat thins them out even more. In this recipe, you’re looking at about 9 minutes total. You’ll cook the fillets for five minutes on one side, flip them, and cook them for another four, or until the internal temperature reaches 165º F. Having a meat thermometer is always essential in getting your poultry to be tender and juicy without the worry of it being undercooked.
Here’s How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Breasts With Mustard Sauce.
After a quick bath in the mustard sauce, these chicken breasts take less than 10 minutes to cook. I’m not one to marinade chicken often—not since America’s Test Kitchen busted the myth and told the world that marinating poultry doesn’t do anything. (Don’t worry, brining poultry does work.) But I do like to let these tenderized breasts sit in the mustard sauce for at least an hour prior to cooking. Since the breasts are flattened with a tenderizing, I find that letting them sit in the sauce flavors the exterior a little extra. Here’s what you’ll do:
- Place the mustard, fresh dill, smashed garlic cloves, salt, pepper, and the lemon zest and juice into a large mixing bowl, and give it a good whisk with a fork.
- Cut the chicken breasts into cutlets.
- Place the chicken cutlets, two at a time, into a gallon freezer bag. Seal the bag, pushing any extra air out, and set the bag onto a hard flat surface like a cutting board.
- Using a meat tenderizer, give the chicken a few good whacks. They’ll flatten out to create cutlets.
- Place the chicken cutlets into the mustard sauce one by one, dredging each one to coat, then pop the bowl into the fridge for about an hour.
- After an hour, remove the chicken from the fridge and, with tongs, place them into the air fryer basket, spooning some of the mustard sauce over them; set the bowl with remaining sauce aside.
- Cook the chicken at 360º F for five minutes. Then open the air fryer, carefully flip the cutlets over with tongs, and spoon the remainder the the sauce over the cutlets. Cook for another four minutes, or until the internal temperature registers at 160-165º F.
- Remove the chicken from the air fryer and place them onto a serving platter to rest for about five minutes.
- Garnish with a bit of extra fresh dill and serve with lemon wedges.
Useful Tools for This Recipe:
- Air Fryer
- Sharp knife
- Cutting Board
- Meat tenderizer
- Gallon freezer bags
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Microplane
- Juice reamer
- Meat thermometer
- Tongs
Recipe Tips + Tricks.
- If you prefer to make this recipe with plump chicken breasts and don’t want to butterfly them, you can! You will however need to cook your chicken in the air fryer for longer. With full chicken breasts, you’re looking at anywhere between 12-16 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- If you don’t have that extra hour to marinate the chicken breasts in the mustard sauce prior to cooking, simply toss them in the sauce and get cooking. I wouldn’t suggest marinating the chicken in advance any longer than 2 hours due to the lemon juice. The acidity can ruin the texture and overall quality of the meat.
- To ensure the best cook, check the internal temperature of the chicken breasts with a meat thermometer before flipping them over. If the internal temperature is climbing quickly, you may want to knock a minute or two off of the second round of cook time. You’re looking for an internal temperature of 160-165º F.
- Use a rolling pin to whack the cutlets if you don’t have an actual meat tenderizer.
Have You Made This Recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a STAR rating & commenting below with feedback!
You can also show off your creations on Instagram by tagging @killing__thyme
Other Air Fryer Recipes You Need to Try:
- Thai Sweet Chili Air Fryer Salmon Bites
- Crispy Air Fryer Fish Sticks
- Easy Air Fryer Pizza
- Best Crispy Air Fryer Buffalo Wings
- Easy Air Fryer Broccoli
Air Fryer Chicken Breasts with Mustard Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 2 TBSP old style whole grain mustard
- 2 TBSP chopped fresh dill, plus extra for garnish
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 lemon, zested and juice
- 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Put the mustard, fresh dill, smashed garlic cloves, salt, pepper, and the lemon zest and juice into a large mixing bowl. Whisk everything well with a fork.
- Butterfly the chicken breasts down the middle and separate them so have four thin chicken breasts. Then place the chicken breasts into a gallon freezer bag two at a time. Seal the bag, releasing any air, and set the bag onto a hard flat surface like a cutting board.
- Hit the chicken repeatedly with a meat tenderizer to tenderize and flatten, creating cutlets.
- Transfer the chicken breasts into the mustard sauce, dredging each one to coat, then place the bowl into the fridge for about an hour.
- After an hour, take the chicken breasts out from the fridge and use tongs to place them into the air fryer basket. Spoon some of the mustard sauce over them; set the bowl with remaining sauce aside.
- Cook the chicken breasts at 360º F for five minutes. Open the air fryer, flip the chicken breasts with tongs, and spoon the remainder the the sauce over them. Cook for another four minutes, or until the internal temperature registers at 160-165º F.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the air fryer and place them onto a serving platter to rest for about five minutes.
- Garnish with a bit of extra fresh dill and serve with lemon wedges.
LOVE LOVE this chicken in the air fryer! Why cook it any other way?! Such a quick and healthy weeknight meal!
Right? I can’t remember the last time I baked my chicken in the oven, haha.
Very nice tangy flavors and everyone loved this style chicken would make again for sure
I’m happy to hear that!
This chicken is pretty enough to serve to company, love it!
I think so, too! Those mustard grains make for a beauty presentation.
The mustard sauce on this looks incredible. It was such a great way to use chicken breasts too.
Thanks, Danii!
I was looking for chicken recipes when I came upon your blog. I must mention that I love your recipe for air-fried chicken breast because it uses less oil and is very healthy. Thank you for sharing
I’m so glad! Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback :)
Love the dill and mustard combo. And came out perfect in my air fryer!ย
Awesome to hear!
This chicken tastes marvelous. I never thought of mustard and dill together. It really works.
Thank you!
I love using my air fryer as much as I can, and these chicken breasts look perfect! I can’t wait to make them for dinner tonight!
Awesome! Let me know how it goes.
Just a few ingredients and wow, what a lovely meal we just had! Amazing recipe, would highly recommend it!
Aw, thank you!
This was so easy and had SO much flavor! The mustard sauce with the dill was absolutely amazing! Will be making this again for sure.
I’m so glad!