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Healthy Air Fryer Chicken and Veggies

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December 23, 2025

If I had a dollar for every weeknight I’ve stared into my fridge, hoping the broccoli would just magically clean and chop itself—well, I’d probably have enough to buy a self-chopping vegetable gadget by now. But since kitchen fairy godmothers are in short supply (at least in my postcode), I’ve learned to whip up this Healthy Air Fryer Chicken and Veggies the old-fashioned way: by slightly winging it and occasionally dirtying more than one cutting board. Anyway, this dish reminds me of my mum’s old sheet pan meals, only now my air fryer does the heavy lifting. Speaking of lifting: I once dropped the whole basket full of roasted veg on the floor. My dog was thrilled. Me, less so.

Why I Keep Making This (Even on Days I’d Rather Order Pizza)

I make this when I’ve got a hodgepodge of random veggies and—let’s be honest—can’t face the mess that comes with pan frying. My family goes absolutely nuts for this, probably because the chicken gets all golden and juicy (no dry, weird bits here, thank you) and the veggies pick up a bit of that roast-y flavour.

(Oh, and confession: I used to think the air fryer was just a weird fad. Turns out, it’s my favourite gadget. Sorry to my once-favorite slow cooker.)

What You’ll Need (swap stuff, it’s fine)

2 chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized, slightly uneven chunks (who’s got time for perfect cubes?)
—Sometimes I use thighs. Honestly, they’re way juicier.
2-3 cups mixed veggies: bell peppers, zucchini, carrots, broccoli, whatever’s not growing science experiments in your fridge
—My grandmother swears by only using fresh carrots but frozen’s absolutely fine in a pinch.
1 red onion – I have used yellow before, works too
2 big garlic cloves, minced—if you’re feeling lazy, throw in garlic powder
2 tablespoons olive oil—avocado oil works as well (but I don’t always have it, so olive it is)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or, let’s be real, a dash of oregano and basil if that’s what you’ve got)
Salt and pepper—to taste, but I go heavy on the pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (sometimes I forget this and it’s still good)
Optional: chili flakes for a tiny bit of heat

How I Actually Do It (with a bit of improvising)

Prep the Ingredients: Chop the chicken and all those veggies. Don’t stress over uniform size, just try to keep the chicken bits sorta close to each other so they cook evenly. Sometimes I use kitchen scissors for speed. Is that weird?
Toss It All Together: In a big bowl, mix chicken, veggies, oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, pepper. I use my hands for this (don’t even bother with a spoon—just wash up after). This is also when I sneak a few rogue carrot bits for a taste.
Preheat the Air Fryer (if yours makes a fuss): About 200°C (400°F), or just hit the chicken preset if your air fryer has one. If not, don’t sweat it; mine is temperamental and sometimes I just ignore the preheat step altogether.
Into the Basket: Dump the mix into your air fryer. Try to spread things out so everything gets a chance at that toasty air fryer magic. Don’t overload—do two batches if you must (annoying, but necessary).
Cook: 15 minutes, give or take, shaking the basket halfway through. Check at the 12-minute mark—especially if you cut your chicken a bit small. If it’s not as golden as you like, go a bit longer (just keep an eye on it; I’ve burned more than one dinner this way).
Final Sprinkle: Sometimes I add a squeeze of lemon or a little extra salt at the end. Looks fancier, tastes brighter. Up to you.

Notes from My (Cluttered) Kitchen

If your veggies look a little wilted going in, they actually roast up even sweeter. Go figure.
I used to overcrowd the basket—honestly, it just steams everything. Now I do smaller batches, or at least mix midway through.
Oh, and don’t freak if the chicken looks odd mid-cook (pale and slightly weird) — a shake at the halfway point sorts it.

Experiment Results: What’s Worked and (Oh Well) What Hasn’t

Once tried adding eggplant—got too soggy. Not my best moment.
Brussels sprouts, though? Massive hit. Just halve them or they go flying around the basket.
If you want an Asian-ish spin, use a little soy sauce and swap the Italian herbs for five spice. Actually, I find it works better if you mix the sauce in right at the end.

About Equipment…and My Secret Shortcuts

I use a pretty basic air fryer. If you don’t have one, a convection oven at high heat will sort of do the same, but you won’t get the same crisp. Technically, you can use a toaster oven, but it takes ages. Oh, and kitchen scissors for the win—especially when the knives are in the dishwasher.

How to Store (If You Even Need To)

Keep leftovers in a lidded dish in the fridge, where they’ll probably be fine for up to three days (though honestly, in my house this never lasts a full 24 hours). You can reheat in the air fryer for a few minutes so stuff gets its crunch back. Or don’t refrigerate at all and just nibble it as a midnight snack—no judgment from me.

How I Like to Serve (and Sometimes Improvise)

I usually pile it onto rice (the kids are obsessed with jasmine, no clue why) or even stuff it into pita bread with a bit of yoghurt and fresh herbs. At BBQs, I serve it as a side with couscous. My cousin dips it in ranch, which is slightly blasphemous but actually kind of delicious.

Lessons Learned: My Top Air Fryer Missteps

Leaving the chicken too thick—doesn’t cook evenly. Take that extra minute to chop.
Not shaking the basket mid-cook. Once, the bottom bits got charred while the top were basically raw. Don’t be me.
Adding oil after cooking: tried it once, everything turned weirdly greasy and not in a good way.

Questions Real People Actually Asked Me

Can I use frozen chicken?: In a pinch, yes—but thaw it first. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a sad, watery mess (voice of experience).
Does this work with tofu?: Yup! Press it well and dice into cubes. Be gentle when tossing so it doesn’t fall apart. Actually, I might like it with tofu even more some days.
What if my air fryer doesn’t have temperature controls?: Just use the default setting, or check the Air Fryer World chart here. It’s saved my dinner more than once.
Why are my veggies a bit soggy?: Aha—probably too much oil or not enough space in the basket. Less is more with oil (never thought I’d say that).
Any sauce recommendations?: Oh, so many. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with green goddess dressing or just plain tahini/lemon. But honestly, use what you like. Hot sauce? Always. Actually, I forgot to mention: my partner puts Sriracha on everything.

P.S.: Now that I think about it, I once tried this with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Did not work. Stick with the basics unless you’re feeling particularly wild today.