Tender chicken with a crispy casing is topped with melted cheese and crunchy bacon in this fan favorite air fryer million dollar chicken. With only 5 minutes of prep time, this chicken is cooked to perfection in the air fryer making it the perfect weeknight meal.
Skip the over-used grilled chicken for dinner and instead whip up this rich and flavorful million dollar chicken!
This easy dinner requires only 5 minutes of prep time making it quick to whip up and perfect for busy nights.
The million dollar chicken is a tried-and-true chicken that’s smothered with a thick cream cheese and bacon spread with more melted on top.
It’s loaded with flavor and pairs well with any side.
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❍ Before You Begin:
To make this million dollar chicken recipe come together as quickly as possible, you’ll want to make sure you have cooked bacon on hand.
Likewise, the spread will come together more easily if your cream cheese is at room temperature.
⭐ Why You’ll Love this Recipe ⭐
Easy to make – just five minutes of prep time and the chicken itself is cooked in the air fryer for maximal ease.
Simple ingredients – you only need six ingredients for the air fryer million dollar chicken and most of them you probably already have in your fridge.
Rich and creamy – the chicken is topped with a cream cheese and bacon mixture that brings with it a comforting, bold flavor.
Versatile – this chicken works well as the main course but it’s also delicious on top of things like a broccoli parmesan macaroni recipe.
🧾 Ingredients Needed
I’ve made notes below on some of the ingredients needed. Look them over as I offer substitutions where possible.
Chicken breasts: make sure to thinly cut and trim your chicken breasts as you want them to cook quickly in the air fryer.
Cream cheese: full-fat cream cheese will bring the best flavor with it. Make sure to have it at room temperature beforehand.
Mayonnaise: any that you have in the fridge should pair well.
Crispy bacon – you need about eight slices and the more well done it is the better as this way it’ll crumble so that you get crunchy flavor in each bite.
Green onions: chop them finely so that they distribute well.
Colby jack cheese: though you can sub in another cheese, Colby jack works best in terms of melting and flavor.
📌 Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with quantities and step-by-step instructions!
🔁 Variations
Make it spicy: if you enjoy a bit of heat in your recipes try adding some red chili flakes to the cream cheese mixture along with a splash of Tabasco sauce.
Cheesy ranch: add in a bit of ranch dressing or powdered ranch seasoning to the cream cheese mixture.
Fajita chicken: spice up the chicken bake and enjoy a creamy, fajita chicken flavor by mixing in half a pack of fajita mix with the cream cheese.
🥣 How to Make
Step 1: Mix the cream cheese, mayo, bacon, onions, and just half of the shredded cheese.
Step 2: Line your air fryer basket with foil or parchment paper and place chicken inside.
Step 3: Top the chicken with the cream cheese mixture and then distribute the remaining shredded cheese on top.
Step 4: Cook at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Then garnish with toppings to serve.
⭐ Pro Tips ⭐
- Bring the cream cheese to room temperature before adding to other ingredients so it is easier to blend well.
- You want the chicken to cook quickly in the air fryer. So, either use very thin breasts or thinly cut them in a butterfly before air frying.
- You can season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper if you like before covering them in the sauce.
- You may need to cook the chicken in two batches depending on the size of the breasts. It’s okay if the breasts are touching but you don’t want them on top of each other.
- Store leftover chicken in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. To reheat it you’ll want to pop it back into the air fryer.
📝 Recipe FAQs
You want the chicken to come to 160F before serving. Cooking chicken any longer than this and it’s at risk to become tough and chewy.
Because the chicken is smothered in a cream cheese sauce and results in a crispy, melted cheese topping, it shouldn’t be frozen.
To make this chicken recipe egg-free, either use a vegan mayonnaise or opt for sour cream in place of mayonnaise.
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes To Try
If you tried this Million Dollar Chicken recipe or any other recipe on my site, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing about your results and thoughts!
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Million Dollar Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts thinly sliced
- 6 oz Cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Crispy bacon crumbled about 8 slices
- 1/2 cup Green onions chopped about 4 onions
- 1.5 cups Colby jack cheese shredded 2 portions – see steps 1 and 4
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together your cream cheese, Mayo, bacon, onions, and half of your shredded cheese.
- Line your Air Fryer with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Place your chicken inside your basket (season with salt and pepper if desired). It’s ok if they are touching and crowded, but make sure it’s an even layer. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you make need to complete this in 2 (or more) batches.
- Top the chicken with your cream cheese mixture and remaining shredded cheese.
- Cook at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 160 degrees.
- Garnish with more bacon and/or green onions!
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