Name: Air-Fryer Unstuffed Chicken Breasts with Dijon Aioli
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts , trimmed; Salt and pepper; 4 thick slices ham (4 ounces); 2 slices Swiss cheese (2 ounces); 2 tablespoons mayonnaise; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 1 teaspoon water; 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives

Why This Recipe Works

First we wrapped chicken breasts (pounded to even thickness) in slices of ham, overlapping the pieces slightly and securing them with toothpicks. We cooked these savory packages in the air fryer until the ham was crisp and the chicken cooked through, then layered on sliced Swiss cheese, which became a gooey topping after just another minute in the air fryer. Delicious as the result was, tasters felt the dish lacked some of the dinner party flair of the original version, so we combined mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and a little water to create a quick, velvety smooth sauce to drizzle over the chicken and finished it with a sprinkle of peppery chives.

Before You Begin

Thinly sliced ham is liable to tear, so for best results use slices that are about ⅛ inch thick. You will need four toothpicks for this recipe.

Instructions

Pound chicken to uniform thickness as needed Pat dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. For each chicken breast, shingle 2 slices of ham on counter, overlapping edges slightly, and lay chicken, skinned side down, in center. Fold ham around chicken and secure overlapping ends by threading toothpick through ham and chicken. Flip chicken and thread toothpick through ham and chicken on second side.

Lightly spray base of air-fryer basket with vegetable oil spray. Arrange breasts skinned side down in prepared basket, spaced evenly apart, alternating ends. Place basket in air fryer and set temperature to 400 degrees. Cook until edges of ham begin to brown and chicken registers 160 degrees, 12 to 16 minutes, flipping and rotating breasts halfway through cooking. Top each breast with 1 slice Swiss, folding cheese as needed. Return basket to air fryer and cook until cheese is melted, about 1 minute.

Transfer chicken to serving platter and discard toothpicks. Tent loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine mayonnaise, mustard, and water in small bowl. Drizzle chicken with 1 tablespoon sauce and sprinkle with chives. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.