Name: Air-Fryer Barbecue Chicken Breasts with Creamy Coleslaw
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 3 cups (8 ounces) shredded coleslaw mix; Salt and pepper; 2 (12-ounce) bone-in split chicken breasts , trimmed; 1 teaspoon vegetable oil; 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce , plus extra for serving; 2 tablespoons mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons sour cream; 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar , plus extra for seasoning; ¼ teaspoon sugar

Why This Recipe Works

We used two bone-in chicken breasts and started cooking them skin side down to avoid drying them out. For plenty of barbecue flavor, we flipped the chicken and brushed the skin with a generous amount of barbecue sauce, finishing the cooking skin side up so the sauce could caramelize a bit in the air fryer's circulated heat. For a convenient slaw that held its own, we started with bagged coleslaw mix. Salting the cabbage mixture for 30 minutes drew out excess moisture, avoiding a watery slaw, and softened the vegetables. For a dressing, we cut the standard mayonnaise with an equal amount of sour cream, which improved the texture and added richness and tang. White vinegar and a small amount of sugar gave the dressing balance.

Instructions

Toss coleslaw mix and ¼ teaspoon salt in colander set over bowl. Let sit until wilted slightly, about 30 minutes. Rinse, drain, and dry well with dish towel.

Meanwhile, pat chicken dry with paper towels, rub with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Arrange breasts skin side down in air-fryer basket, spaced evenly apart, alternating ends. Place basket in air fryer, set temperature to 350 degrees, and cook for 10 minutes. Flip and rotate breasts, then brush skin side with barbecue sauce. Return basket to air fryer and cook until well browned and chicken registers 160 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes.

Transfer chicken to serving platter, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. While chicken rests, whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, sugar, and pinch pepper together in large bowl. Stir in coleslaw mix and season with salt, pepper, and additional vinegar to taste. Serve chicken with coleslaw, passing extra barbecue sauce separately.