Air Fryer Chicken And Vegetables

When it comes to making an easy, low carb meal you can’t beat this Air Fryer Chicken & Vegetables recipe. Chunks of chicken breasts and vegetables tossed with Cajun and Italian seasonings and cooked to perfection.

Best of all it is ready to eat in under 20 minutes! Therefore it is a great recipe to make on a busy weeknight to keep your diet on track.

And if you do a little meal planning ahead of time it can be ready to eat in under 15 minutes! You can’t beat having a healthy meal that is low-fat, high in protein and vitamins and contains just a few carbohydrates per serving on the table that quick.

Recipe Tips For Air Fryer Chicken & Vegetables

However, there are a few recipe tips that will help you perfect this recipe in your own air fryer. And it all starts with the brand of air fryer that you own.

1. All Air Fryers Are Unique

There are dozens, if not hundreds of different brands of air fryers on the market. And each variety and model cooks a little differently than all the others.

Therefore, when you first make this recipe it is best to do so with great attention to detail. You will need to learn how your air fryer reacts to the specific recipe instructions below.

For example, my Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker/Air Fryer Combo cooks at a faster rate than my Power 360 oven style air fryer. Therefore, when I make this in the Ninja Foodi, I adjust the recipe to either cook it at a slightly lower temperature or decrease the amount of cook time required.

After you make this air fryer and chicken recipe, be sure to make notes about the time that it takes for the chicken to cook through. As a guideline, begin checking the chicken after 8 minutes of cook time.

2. Size & Temperature Matters

Although different air fryers will cook the chicken at different rates, the size of the chicken pieces also matter in regards to how long it takes for the chicken to cook.

Therefore it is important that the chicken breast is cut in uniform pieces. I recommend cutting the pieces into 3/4 inch cubes based on the cook time given below.

However, after testing the recipe you may want to decrease the size of the chicken pieces so that they requires less cook time in the air fryer. Although as much as size matters, it is just as important to be consistent on the temperature of the chicken before it goes into the basket.

Room temperature chicken pieces will cook faster than chicken that has been pulled directly out the refrigerator. It is okay to do either method, however just know that there will be a slight cook time difference between the two methods.

3. Vegetables

Although this recipe requires onion, broccoli, zucchini and red bell pepper you can adapt the list to whatever vegetables that you would like.

The key here is to use vegetables that can cook in an air fryer at the same rate as the chicken. However, if the vegetables require less cook time such as fresh green beans or asparagus, you can add them when you toss the chicken half way through the cook time.

Again, it is important to experiment with the ingredients that you prefer.

4. Seasonings

Just like you can make vegetable substitutions, you can keep this recipe fresh by switching up the seasonings that you use as well. Cajun and Italian seasonings are two of my favorite to use.

However, feel free to experiment with your favorite spices and seasonings. You might want to consider Lemon Pepper, Garlic Herb, or Blackened seasonings.

As you can see, this recipe is very versatile. However it is a staple, low carb recipe that we keep on hand for whenever we need a quick and easy meal.

Although I most often serve this dish as is, sometimes I will serve it over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles. And when I have scrapped the diet, I will serve it with rice, mashed potatoes or with pasta.

The choice is up to you!

Air Fryer Chicken And Vegetables Recipe

*Specific measurements and complete recipe instructions are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to continue to read the tips and tricks to making this recipe below.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound chicken breasts
• 1 onion
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 small zucchini
• 1 cup red bell pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• 2 teaspoons dry Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
• fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Start by preheating the air fryer to 400ºF (200ºC). Even if your brand of air fryer doesn’t have a preheat setting, manually preheat it for 5 minutes.

Do this by adjusting the temperature to 400°F. Then let the air fryer run for 5 minutes. However, if your air fryer has a preheat setting, let it run until it is preheated.

While the air fryer is heating up, chop the vegetables and chicken into small bite size pieces. Then transfer them to a large bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl add the minced garlic and oil. Stir to combine and then drizzle the chicken and vegetables with oil mixture.

In another small bowl mix together the Cajun seasoning, dry Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken and veggies and toss to combine.

Place seasoned chicken and veggies to the basket of the preheated air fryer. Cook at 400°F for 10 minutes, shaking and flipping the ingredients half way through the cook time.

Once the thickest chicken piece has an internal temperature of 160°F, remove the chicken and vegetables from the basket and place in a serving bowl.

Season with additional salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Serve warm.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I use boneless chicken thighs?

You can use boneless chicken thighs in place of the chicken breasts. However, the time required to cook will decrease, depending on the size of the pieces.

As always it is best to use an instant read digital thermometer to check for doneness.

2. Can I use a green pepper instead of red bell pepper?

If you are strict on counting carbohydrates in your diet, it would be better to use a green bell pepper instead of a sweet bell pepper.

As mentioned above, you can switch up the vegetables to meet your dietary needs. However, the air fryer chicken and vegetables cook time may need to be adjusted accordingly.

3. Can I make this ahead of time?

One of the best advantages of making this meal is that you can make it ahead of time and reheat it later. It is a great way to limit the temptation of going out to eat at lunch time with your coworkers when you already have a healthy meal ready to heat!

4. How do I cook a whole chicken breast in the air fryer?

Making whole chicken breasts in an air fryer is a great way to do meal prep for the week. Here is the recipe: Air Fryer Chicken Breasts.

However be sure to view all of my Air Fryer Recipes located under the Recipe Tab at the top of this page.

Enjoy! Mary

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