21
My air fryer chicken was always dry until my sister laughed at me
I been making chicken breast in my air fryer for like 6 months and it always came out dry and tough. My sister came over last week and saw me just throwing them in there for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. She almost choked laughing and told me I gotta flip them halfway through and check temp with a meat thermometer. Turns out I was just cooking them way too long because I never flipped or checked. Now I do 12 minutes at 375 flipping at 6 minutes and hit 165 every time. Anyone else find out they were doing something dumb way later than they should have?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
vera_johnson927d ago
@david_jones38 pretty much nailed it, but I gotta gently push back on that 165 temp. In my experience, cooking chicken breast to exactly 165 often leaves it a little dry, since the carryover heat can push it higher after you pull it. Your mileage may vary, but I pull mine at 155-160 and let it rest for a few minutes. The texture comes out way juicier that way, and don't worry, the USDA updated their guidelines a while back to allow for that time at temperature rule.
6
the_claire27d ago
The whole "time at temperature" thing is a game changer, honestly. I was scared to pull chicken at 155 for the longest time because I thought it'd be raw, but then I got a good instant read thermometer and tried it, resting it for like 5 minutes under foil. It came out so much juicier, and the texture was way better than the dry, stringy stuff you get at 165. I've even done breasts at 150 and held them for a couple minutes, and that works too, as long as you trust your thermometer. That post you made about carryover heat is spot on too, it's easy to overshoot if you're not careful.
4