Easy Air Fryer Dinner Idea: Paprika Chicken with Fries

Easy Paprika Chicken with Air Fried Fries Recipe Dinner

Are you looking for a quick and incredibly flavorful dinner recipe tonight? You need to try this amazing rosemary paprika chicken in the air fryer.

I’ve always loved paprika seasoning for its sweet peppery flavor. You can bet that this paprika and rosemary infused marinade tastes amazing with the juicy air fried chicken. Then, serve this one with my favorite way to enjoy potatoes, a side of fries and you have yourself delectable dish!

Keep reading to learn how to make rosemary paprika chicken in the air fryer is less than one hour!

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Rosemary Paprika Chicken in the Air Fryer

Paprika Chicken Marinade Ingredients

The rosemary paprika marinade really makes this recipe fantastic. It is a flavorsome combination of lemon, rosemary, mayonnaise, and paprika. Plus, the kick form the red-pepper flakes perfectly balances the fresh lemon flavor. To make the marinade, you will need:

• Mayo
• Lemon zest (zest from 1 Lemon)
• Garlic cloves (or about 1 tablespoon minced)
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Paprika or smoked paprika
• Chopped rosemary leaves (or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary)
• Red-pepper flakes
• Lemon juice

Other ingredients:

• Large chicken breast
• Frozen french fries

Seasonings of the garlic mayonnaise:

While you are trying to make this spicy sauce to marinate the chicken, you can always adjust the recipe to suit your personal preference. You can make this recipe for this sheet pan chicken dinner with as much spice as you want!

Other options to serve with paprika chicken:

If you want to try something other than cripsy potatoes with this crispy rosemary chicken dinner recipe, try serve them with other roasted vegetables like carrots, small red potatoes, or sweet potatoes and you will have a tasty meal.

How to Make Rosemary Paprika Chicken in the Air Fryer

The instructions for this recipe are so simple. And, the results are amazing!

Step 1: Make the marinade

This marinade is mayo based, so it is thicker than a wet marinade. To make it, you will want a liquid measuring cup or a different small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, lemon zest and garlic. Then, season with salt and pepper.

Step 2: Marinade the Chicken

Take the chicken breast and butterfly it (cut it in half lengthwise), especially if it is a thicker chicken breast. If yours is thinner, you could use two chicken breasts. My mayo mixture was able to completely cover two halves of one chicken breast.

Transfer half of the mayonnaise mixture (about ¼ cup) to a new shallow bowl or plate. Stir in the smoked paprika, rosemary, red-pepper flakes and ½ teaspoon black pepper into the sauce mixture in the shallow bowl.

Season the chicken with salt to taste. Add the chicken to the bowl of paprika-mayonnaise, and cover the chicken completely with the mixture.

Step 3: Cook in the Air Fryer

Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 400 degrees F or 204 degrees C. Place chicken breasts in a lightly sprayed air fryer basket (or on top of parchment paper).

Cook the chicken in the air fryer basket at 380 degrees Fahrenheit or 193 degrees Celsius for 8-10 minutes, flipping at the halfway point. Chicken is done when it registers at 165 degrees Fahrenheit or 74 degrees Celsius, can pull it out around 160F and tent it for several minutes to let it come to temp.

Step 4: Tent the Chicken

Once the chicken is done, keep it warm in covered foil. Then cook frozen French fries in the air fryer basket at 380 degrees Fahrenheit or 193 degrees Celsius for 8 to 10, or until they are crispy and hot to your liking. Remember to spray the fries with a little oil to help them get more crispy.

Step 5: Enjoy

Add about 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the other half of the mayo-paprika sauce. Enjoy the chicken and fries with the remaining sauce.

Chicken and Fries Dinner in the Air Fryer

Everyone that I have shared this recipe with raves about the mayo-paprika dipping sauce for the fries. I couldn’t agree more! It is a fun rendition of fry sauce and is packed with fresh flavors that just burst in your mouth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I air fry raw chicken and fries at the same time?

Yes, you can cook chicken and fries at the same time in the air fryer.

The cooking time for the fries and chicken are similar enough that it would save you time to cook them together. However, when I make this recipe I don’t always have room in my air fryer for the chicken and fries, so I personally like to cook the chicken then the fries. Or, I will pull out my second air fryer.

If you cook the chicken and fries together at the same time, I recommend keeping everything on a single layer to help it cook more evenly.

What oil do I use for my air fryer?

When I cook with oil in the air fryer I like to use avocado oil or olive oil because they are both high smoke point oils. High smoke point oils are great for the air fryer because it won’t burn your food as you cook it at high temperatures. I like to use avocado oil because it has a pretty neutral flavor profile. Olive oil is a great option too because it is generally cheaper.

However, this recipe is awesome because oil is optional. You can spray it onto the chicken and fries during the last couple of minutes of cooking to help it get more crispy, but this is totally optional!

I like to use avocado oil or olive oil and pour it into my reusable Mistifi oil sprayer.

If you don’t have an oil sprayer, a viewer shared this awesome tip with me. They like to keep leftover bread bags and place whatever food needs oil inside the bag. Then they add a little oil into the bag and move the contents around until everything is covered in oil.

Another way you can add oil is to brush it onto the food with baster brush.

How long to cook chicken in the air fryer?

Generally speaking, chicken in the air fryer takes anywhere from 8-16 minutes. This depends however on the size and thickness of your chicken. Chicken nuggets or chicken tenders usually take less time whereas chicken breasts and chicken thighs takes a little more time.

I usually like to cook my chicken at 380 degrees Fahrenheit or 193 degrees Celsius. I also like to take the chicken out when it reaches the internal temperature of 160-165 degrees Fahrenheit or 71-74 degrees Celsius and then wrap it in foil to let it finish cooking. This helps make the chicken perfectly juicy.

Learn more tips about cooking chicken in the air fryer in this step by step perfect air fryer chicken guide. 

How to zest a lemon without a lemon zester?

If you don’t have a zester to zest the lemon for this recipe, don’t omit the lemon zest! Here are a few options for perfect lemon zest without the zester.

Option 1: Use a cheese grater

Use the smallest part of a cheese grater to zest a lemon. It will work just as well as a zester. Of course, the zest won’t be as fine as if you used a zester, but it will get the job done. If you feel like the zest needs to be smaller, you can take a knife and cut it smaller.

Option 2: Use a knife.

Peel the lemon with a vegetable peeler or cut chunks of the rind off. Then, mince the peel with a knife until you have the amount of lemon zest you need.

Final Thoughts

Spoil the moms or dads in your life with this amazing bright lemon, sweet paprika, and fresh rosemary chicken recipe for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. This air fryer recipe is also the perfect flavor combination for a summer night meal. You could even try and enjoy this chicken on the grill or grill grate in the air fryer. Then, you can make the fries in the air fryer or oven.

Share with us in the comments below how you will be enjoying this recipe!

More tasty chicken air fryer recipes

• Sweet and Sour Air Fryer Chicken Recipe
• One Pan Teriyaki Chicken in the Air Fryer
• Air Fryer Chicken and Veggies with Balsamic Marinade
• Air Fryer Rosemary Ranch Chicken
• Air Fryer Hawaiian Chicken and Coconut Rice

Air Fryer Tips and Tricks

• Air Fryer 101
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• How to Clean Your Air Fryer
• How to Cook Any Recipe in the Air Fryer
• FREE Download → Air Fryer Tips & Temps
• Air Fryer Buying Guide
• Watch Fabulessly Frugal YouTube Channel for Air Fryer Recipes

Air Fryer Paprika Chicken with Fries

For an easy dinner enjoy a tasty, juicy, chicken dinner filled with fresh flavors like rosemary, paprika, lemon, and garlic!

4.84 / 5 ( 12 Reviews )

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Serves: 2

Adjust Servings: 2

US CustomaryMetric

Equipment

• Air Fryer

Ingredients

Sauce/Marinade

• ½ cup mayo
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest from 1 lemon
• 3 garlic cloves, minced about 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon paprika or smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon rosemary leaves, chopped or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Chicken

• 1 large chicken breast or two small chicken breasts

Fries

• frozen french fries however much you would like
• oil spray

Instructions

Make the sauce/marinade

• In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, lemon zest and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Transfer half of the mayonnaise mixture (about ¼ cup) to a new shallow bowl or plate. Stir in the smoked paprika, rosemary, red-pepper flakes and ½ teaspoon black pepper into the sauce mixture in the shallow bowl.
• Take the chicken breast and butterfly it (cut it in half lengthwise), especially if it is a thicker chicken breast. If yours is thinner, you could use two chicken breasts. My mayo mixture was able to completely cover two halves of one chicken breast.
• Season the chicken with salt, to taste. Add the chicken to the bowl of paprika-mayonnaise, and cover the chicken completely with the mixture.

Cook the chicken

• Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 400 °F.
• Place the chicken breasts in a lightly sprayed air fryer basket (or on top of parchment paper).
• Cook the chicken in the air fryer basket at 380 °F for 8-12 minutes, flipping at the halfway point. Chicken is done when it registers at 165 °F, can pull it out around 160 °F and tent it for several minutes to let it come to temp.

Cook the fries & fry sauce

• Once chicken is done, keep it warm in covered foil. Then cook frozen french fries in the air fryer basket at 380 °F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are crispy and hot to your liking. Spray oil on fries to help them get crispy.
• Add about 1 tbsp lemon juice to the other half of the mayo-paprika sauce. Enjoy the Chicken and fries with the remaining sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 531kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 45g | Sodium: 498mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g

Recipe Adapted From: New York Times Cooking