How Long To Cook Chicken In Air Fryer At 350 | Timing

If you search how long to cook chicken in air fryer at 350, you usually want two things: juicy meat that is safe to eat and timings you can trust for real-world weeknight cooking. The good news is that 350°F works well for many chicken cuts in an air fryer, as long as you match time to size and always check the center with a thermometer.

Air fryers work like small convection ovens, so hot air moves around the chicken and browns the surface faster than a regular oven. That speed is handy, but it also means overcooking can happen quickly if you guess the timing. This guide walks you through clear ranges for breasts, thighs, drumsticks, wings, tenders, and a whole chicken at 350°F, plus simple ways to adjust for bone, breading, and frozen pieces.

Quick Time Chart For Chicken At 350°F In An Air Fryer

Use this chart as a starting point when you cook chicken at 350°F in an air fryer. Times assume a preheated unit, a single layer of chicken, and room for air to move around each piece.

Cut And Size	Time At 350°F	Notes
Boneless breast, 4–6 oz each	16–20 minutes	Flip halfway; thicker end should face basket edge
Boneless breast, 7–10 oz each	20–24 minutes	Check after 18 minutes; add time in 2–3 minute steps
Bone-in thighs, medium	22–26 minutes	Place skin side down first, then crisp skin at the end
Drumsticks, medium	22–28 minutes	Rotate once or twice so each side browns evenly
Wings or drumettes	18–24 minutes	Toss in a little oil, shake basket every 5–7 minutes
Chicken tenders, fresh	10–14 minutes	Smaller strips finish faster; check early
Whole chicken, 3–4 lb	55–65 minutes	Start breast side down, flip for the final part of the cook

These ranges always sit under one rule: every piece of chicken, fresh or leftover, needs to reach 165°F in the thickest part. The United States Department of Agriculture states that all poultry, whether whole or in parts, should hit a minimum internal temperature of 165°F measured with a food thermometer for safe eating (USDA safe temperature chart).

Why 350°F Works For Air Fryer Chicken

Many air fryer recipes use higher settings such as 375°F or 400°F. Running at 350°F gives you a gentler middle ground that suits a wide range of chicken cuts, especially when you want margin for error on busy nights.

At 350°F, the outer layer still browns and dries a little, which helps skin crisp, but the heat has more time to move toward the center before the outside dries out. With boneless breasts, this can mean the difference between tender slices and chalky meat. With dark meat and wings, 350°F gives connective tissue time to soften while the surface turns golden.

The main trade-off is time. You will wait a little longer than you would at a higher setting, especially for a whole bird. The payoff is steadier results and more control. Once you understand how your own air fryer behaves at 350°F, you can raise the heat in short bursts near the end of a cook for extra crisp skin without drying the meat underneath.

How Long To Cook Chicken In Air Fryer At 350 For Different Cuts

Even with a shared temperature, the answer to how long to cook chicken in air fryer at 350 changes with thickness, bones, and whether the chicken starts frozen or chilled. Time ranges in this section assume raw, thawed chicken placed in a preheated basket.

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

Boneless breast is the cut that dries out fastest, so 350°F helps a lot. For breasts around 4–6 ounces, plan on 16–20 minutes. Lay them in a single layer, smooth side down, so air hits the thicker side most. After about 9–10 minutes, flip each piece and swap positions if your air fryer has hot spots.

For larger breasts in the 7–10 ounce range, time usually stretches to 20–24 minutes. If one end is much thicker, you can pound it gently to even the thickness before seasoning. That small step brings the middle to 165°F sooner and avoids a thin, dry tail on one side and an undercooked center on the other.

When you check temperature, slide the probe into the thickest part from the side rather than from the top. Once it reads 165°F, let the breasts rest on a plate for 3–5 minutes. Carryover heat finishes the center, and juices settle back into the meat instead of running straight onto the cutting board.

Bone In Thighs And Drumsticks

Dark meat gives you more forgiveness, which makes thighs and drumsticks perfect for 350°F. Medium bone-in thighs usually reach 165°F in 22–26 minutes. Start with the skin side down so the underside cooks well, then flip for the last 8–10 minutes to render fat under the skin and crisp the surface.

Drumsticks often sit in the same time window, 22–28 minutes, but shape matters. Thicker drumsticks that touch each other slow everything down. Leave a little space between pieces and rotate them once or twice so each side spends time near the hottest part of the basket.

With both cuts, check near the bone, since that spot tends to lag. If you see 160–162°F there, another 2–3 minutes at 350°F plus a short rest usually brings the meat right into the safe zone without drying the outer layer.

Chicken Wings And Drumettes

Wings cook quickly at 350°F and respond well to air fryer heat. A typical batch of flats and drumettes reaches 165°F in about 18–24 minutes. Toss wings in a light coating of oil and seasoning, then spread them in a single, loose layer.

Shake the basket or turn the wings every 5–7 minutes so both sides crisp. If you want extra crunch, you can bump the heat to 375°F for the final 3–4 minutes once the meat already reads 165°F in a few test pieces.

Chicken Tenders And Nuggets

Small strips and nuggets are the fastest cut at 350°F. Fresh chicken tenders that weigh around 1–1.5 ounces per piece often finish in 10–14 minutes. Thin pieces can be ready in as little as 9–10 minutes, while thicker strips lean toward the higher end of that range.

If you are cooking breaded nuggets or tenders from raw, give the breading a light spritz of oil so it does not dry out before the inside cooks through. For fully cooked frozen nuggets, the goal is reheating rather than cooking from raw, so 8–12 minutes usually brings a hot, steamy center at 350°F. Always check a test piece and adjust by 2-minute steps.

Whole Chicken In An Air Fryer At 350°F

A small whole chicken can fit in many basket-style air fryers and turns out surprisingly juicy at 350°F. For a bird in the 3–4 pound range, plan on 55–65 minutes total. Many home cooks follow a pattern similar to popular recipes: start breast side down for about 30 minutes, then flip and finish breast side up for another 25–35 minutes until both breast and thigh reach at least 165°F in the thickest spots. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

Truss or tie the legs if they stick out close to the heating element, and make sure there is some space above the top of the bird so air can move freely. Check temperature in both the thickest part of the breast and the inner thigh near the body. If either reads under 165°F, return the chicken to the basket in 5-minute intervals and test again.

Once the bird hits the safe temperature, give it at least a 10-minute rest before carving. That pause keeps more juice inside the meat and makes slicing easier.

How Preheating And Basket Crowding Change Cook Time

Two factors can throw off any time chart: whether you preheat and how full the basket is. Starting with a hot air fryer shortens the first stage of the cook. If your unit does not have a preheat button, running it empty at 350°F for 3–5 minutes before adding chicken gives more predictable results.

Basket crowding works in the opposite direction. When pieces touch or sit in thick piles, steam gets trapped and hot air cannot reach every surface. That slows browning and can leave the middle underdone. In that case, you either need to split the batch or accept longer times. A good rule is to leave a finger’s width between pieces whenever possible.

Different brands also vary in power. A compact model with a small basket can brown chicken faster than a larger, lower wattage unit even at the same temperature. After you run a new recipe once, jot down your actual time and doneness result so you can adjust the next round instead of starting from scratch.

Checking Chicken Temperature The Right Way

Time is only a guide; temperature is the safety check. The USDA advises that all poultry reach an internal temperature of 165°F as measured with a food thermometer placed in the thickest part of the meat (USDA poultry temperature advice). :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

To use a digital probe in an air fryer, pause the cook, slide out the basket, and insert the probe into the center of the thickest piece. For bone-in cuts, avoid touching bone, since that can give a higher reading than the surrounding meat. Check more than one piece in a crowded basket, especially if some look thicker or sit near cooler corners.

If readings sit in the 155–162°F range, put the basket back, cook for another 2–3 minutes, and test again. Once the coldest spot hits 165°F, move the chicken to a plate. Carryover heat will raise the internal temperature a degree or two during the first minutes of resting.

Adjusting For Frozen Chicken And Breading

Sometimes chicken goes from freezer to air fryer with no time to thaw. When you cook raw frozen pieces at 350°F, expect to add about 5–10 extra minutes compared with thawed pieces of the same size. Separate pieces as much as you can so ice crystals do not keep them stuck in a block during the first part of the cook.

For frozen boneless breasts, check around 20 minutes, then continue in 3–4 minute steps until the center reaches 165°F. Frozen thighs and drumsticks can move into the 28–35 minute range depending on thickness. Wings often land near 22–26 minutes when cooked from frozen at 350°F with a couple of shakes along the way.

Breading also changes timing. A thick coating made from flour, eggs, and crumbs slows heat transfer, so chicken might need a few extra minutes. Spritz breaded pieces lightly with oil before they go into the basket. This encourages browning and helps the coating crisp before the interior overcooks.

Internal Temperature And Rest Time Table

Use this table as a quick check when you pull chicken from the air fryer. It gathers safe internal temperatures and handy rest times for common cuts.

Chicken Cut	Target Internal Temperature	Suggested Rest Time
Boneless breast	165°F in thickest part	3–5 minutes on a plate, loosely tented
Bone-in thighs	165–170°F near the bone	5–8 minutes before serving
Drumsticks	165–175°F near the bone	5–8 minutes; juices should run clear
Wings	165°F in the meaty section	3–5 minutes; skin stays crisp
Chicken tenders	165°F in the center	2–3 minutes before slicing
Whole chicken	165°F in breast and thigh	10–15 minutes before carving

Higher final temperatures for dark meat, such as 170–175°F, can still taste moist because thighs and drumsticks have more fat and connective tissue. Breasts, by contrast, turn dry quickly when cooked far past 165°F, so keep a closer eye on white meat.

Common Mistakes With Chicken At 350°F In An Air Fryer

Several small missteps can cause dry edges or pink centers even when you follow a time chart. The first is skipping the thermometer. Color alone is not a safe guide; cooked chicken can stay slightly pink near the bone even when it sits well above 165°F, and clear juices do not guarantee that the thickest part is hot enough.

The second mistake is crowding the basket. When pieces stack on top of one another, steam collects and lowers the effective cooking temperature near the surface. That can leave soggy skin and uneven browning. Two smaller batches at 350°F almost always beat one packed basket in both texture and flavor.

The third issue is forgetting about carryover heat. Pulling chicken far beyond 165°F because you fear undercooking leads to dry, fibrous meat. If you are nervous about doneness at first, aim for 165–168°F and let short rest times finish the job while you plate side dishes.

Simple Step By Step Method For Reliable Air Fryer Chicken At 350°F

When you want a repeatable method that works across many cuts, you can treat 350°F as your base setting and adjust only time. Here is a straightforward pattern that you can follow on busy nights.

Step 1: Prep The Chicken

Pat each piece dry with paper towels so surface moisture does not fight against browning. Trim any thick pockets of fat or loose skin that might burn near the heating element. Season with salt, pepper, and any dry spices you like. If you use a marinade, let excess drip off so the basket does not flood with liquid.

Step 2: Preheat And Load The Basket

Set the air fryer to 350°F and preheat for 3–5 minutes if your model does not preheat on its own. Arrange chicken in a single layer with a little gap between pieces. Place thicker pieces around the edges of the basket where heat often runs higher.

Step 3: Cook And Flip

Start with the lower end of the time range for your cut from the first table. Cook for half that time, then flip or shake the basket. This helps both sides brown and exposes different areas of each piece to the hottest airflow.

Step 4: Check Temperature Near The End

During the last 3–5 minutes of the planned cook time, check internal temperature in the thickest part of a couple of pieces. If the reading is still low, return the basket and cook in 2–3 minute steps until all pieces hit at least 165°F.

Step 5: Rest And Serve

Move the cooked chicken to a warm plate or cutting board and let it sit. Breasts and wings benefit from 3–5 minutes of rest, while thighs, drumsticks, and whole chicken need closer to 8–15 minutes. Use that window to toast buns, toss a salad, or warm sauce.

Once you get comfortable with how long to cook chicken in air fryer at 350, you can adjust spice blends and marinades freely while keeping the same timing backbone. That balance of steady temperature, clear time ranges, and thermometer checks gives you tender, safe chicken from your air fryer on a reliable schedule.