Whoever first realized that chicken could make a very delicious meal did most folks a huge favor. Not only is chicken versatile and tasty, but it’s also extremely healthy, now a staple on health-conscious plates across the world.
However, how you cook the chicken also plays a huge role in defining how tasty and healthy it is. Though deep-fried chicken is undeniably delicious, it’s definitely nowhere close to being healthy!
A foolproof way to cook healthy chicken? Using the Ninja Foodi.
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Cooking Chicken In The Ninja Foodi
This handy pressure-cooker-cum-slow-cooker-cum-air-fryer-cum-grill lets you steam, pressure cook, slow cook, air fry, grill, and sauté a wide range of foods, and you can make them as healthy or as indulgent as you’d like.
Not only is cooking easy and straightforward, but it’s also fast with a Ninja Foodi in your arsenal!
If you’re planning to use chicken breasts in your next meal, here’s a guide to getting perfectly cooked chicken breasts with a Ninja Foodi.
As mentioned above, cooking chicken is a piece of cake with the Ninja Foodi. You can cook any part of the chicken, including the whole chicken itself, in the Foodi, with skinless, boneless thighs and skinless chicken breast being popular choices among those looking for a healthy meal.
Additionally, you can cook not only fresh chicken but frozen chicken as well with the Foodi.
Lastly, a Ninja Foodi affords many methods of cooking chicken, all in one device. You can grill, pressure cook, and air fry chicken with the Foodi, and still get a perfectly moist, juicy, and tender result each time.
In this article, we look at all three cooking methods.
Pressure-Cooking Chicken In The Ninja Foodi
Equipment
- The Foodi trivet
- Paper towels or a towel
- A marinade brush, if you’re using a marinade
- Tongs to remove the breasts from the Foodi
Ingredients
- 100 grams Boneless defrosted, and skinless chicken breasts, (how many ever you want, but note that it’s best to only cook two at a time in the Foodi)
- A marinade of your choice, this could be barbecue sauceteriyaki, or even just plain lime and salt
- Seasonings of your choice, such as pepper, garlic powder, chilli flakes, etc.
- Salt
Method
- Make sure your chicken is completely defrosted. If you’ve washed the breasts, make sure you pat them completely dry with a towel.
- If you’re using a marinade, mix half the sauce with water and pour it into the Foodi.
- Brush the remaining marinade/sauce over the top of the chicken, place it on a trivet, and put it into the Foodi. Using a trivet will ensure that your chicken doesn’t get stuck to the bottom of the pot and burn or cook unevenly.
- Spraying the trivet with a non-stick spray will also prevent the meat from sticking and make it easier to remove once cooked.
- Seal the Foodi with the pressure cooker lid (the unattached lid) and turn the valve to seal the lid securely.
- Set the cooking time to six minutes in the “High” setting, with a natural release time of three minutes. Once the chicken is cooked, the inbuilt timer should go off and start anew; the second timing is for the natural pressure release.
- It’s important to note that the first timer will only go off once sufficient pressure has built up inside the Foodi. It may take around 10 to 15 minutes for the pressure to build.
- Avoid quick release of steam as this will result in improperly cooked meat that’s not very tender.
- If you’d like, you can finish off the chicken in the air fryer. For this, pour the chicken and the liquid into the air fryer basket and place the basket in the pot. If required, brush more sauce onto the chicken.
- Once inside, set the Foodi to around 204℃ or 400℉ and cook for four to six minutes, or till the top is sufficiently crispy.
Air-Frying Chicken In The Ninja Foodi
What You’ll Need
You’ll need pretty much the same ingredients and equipment as the previous cooking method, with the addition of the Foodi’s inner pot and a cup of broth (around 240 millilitres).
Cooking The Chicken
- Prep your chicken the same way as discussed in the previous method, by patting dry and seasoning it well on both sides (pressing the chicken lightly will help the seasoning stick).
To maximize the flavour, you can also refrigerate the chicken for a minimum of 30 minutes (or overnight, if your schedule allows), allowing the seasoning’s flavours to fully permeate the chicken.
- Pour the broth into the Foodi’s inner bowl and put the chicken in the air fryer basket.
- Preheat the Foodi to around 190℃/375℉ and set it to the “Steam Crisp” mode.
- Cook the chicken for around 20 minutes or until the chicken’s internal temperature reaches 74℃/165℉.
- Let the chicken rest for a couple of minutes after you remove it from the Foodi, before digging in!
Grilling Chicken In The Ninja Foodi
What You’ll Need
You’ll need the same equipment and ingredients mentioned in the first cooking method.
The key to a good grill is a good marinade. This not only makes your chicken a flavour bomb but also keeps it moist and tender throughout the cooking period.
Marinate your chicken well, allowing it to soak in the marinade for at least 30 minutes, if not longer, or overnight. Creating holes in the chicken with a fork will help the marinade seep in better.
If the chicken breasts are too thick or uneven, you can wrap them in plastic wrap and flatten them by beating them with a rolling pin. Alternatively, you could “butterfly” the chicken breasts by slicing them in half, length wise.
Flattening the chicken is a good idea since thick breasts may not cook evenly.
Cooking The Chicken
- Once you’ve marinated your chicken sufficiently, put it in the Foodi’s removable cooking pot and insert the grill grate in the pot.
- Choose the grill mode by pressing the grill button. Set the cooking time to 25 minutes and the temperature to “Medium”.
- The “Add Food” option should flash on the Foodi. Once it does, lay the chicken breasts on the grill and cover them with the lid in place.
- Once the Foodi hits the eight or ten-minute mark, flip the chicken and close the grill again.
- Let the chicken cook for five more minutes before you open the lid and use more marinade to baste the chicken.
- Once basted, cover with the lid once again and cook for five more minutes. If you have any doubts about the chicken under or overcooking, use a food thermometer to check the chicken’s internal temperature.
As mentioned above, 74℃/165℉ indicates that the chicken is perfectly cooked. - Let the chicken rest for five minutes before you serve it.
Cooking Frozen Chicken Breasts In The Ninja Foodi
If you’ve got frozen chicken breasts, the Ninja Foodi still has you covered!
Cook your frozen chicken breast in the air fryer with a little olive oil and your preferred seasoning. You can use the following steps:
- Preheat the air fryer to 82℃/180℉.
- Use an oil spray or non-stick spray to spray the air fryer basket.
- Place the chicken on the air fryer basket and cook for 15-20 minutes at 182℃/360℉, flipping it at the midway mark. If the meat isn’t too thick, 12 minutes may do the trick.
How To Cook Chicken Breast In A Ninja Foodi: Wrapping Up
As you can see, there are many ways to cook chicken in the Foodi, affording you with more options. You can use any marinade and seasoning to cook your chicken as you wish, using these methods.
With the Ninja Foodi, you’ll be cooking and dishing out chicken breasts like a professional chef in no time!
