Easy Breaded Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets
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This air fryer chicken recipe gives you juicy chicken breast with a crispy outside, using no cooking oil. This means lower-fat “fried” chicken with the same incredible flavor.
Use one hand to dip the raw chicken into the egg wash and the other clean hand to coat the breadcrumbs. This keeps everything clean. Be sure to coat the breadcrumbs into the egg wash really well; this is what makes the chicken nice and crispy so we want to be sure they don’t drip off.
Serve it as is with a side of air fryer butternut squash and Greek yogurt mashed potatoes or chop into chicken pieces and add to instant pot alfredo pasta. For a healthy salad, cut your chicken into pieces and place on top of mixed greens and your favorite dressing or add to my faro summer salad.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- 48g of protein per serving.
- No deep frying needed, same crispy texture.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
These are the main ingredients and substitutions for these air fryer chicken cutlets. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients list and instructions.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast: cut your own chicken cutlets or buy pre cut cutlets.
- Breadcrumbs: use plain or pre-seasoned Italian.
- Fresh Parmesan Cheese: grate your own for the freshest taste.
- Large Eggs: this is for your egg wash and allows the coating to stick to the chicken.
- Fresh Parsley
Variations
- Coat in low calorie sugar free BBQ sauce or buffalo sauce after cooking for a fun twist.
- Try air fryer chicken nuggets for a nugget version.
- Try this recipe with these chicken cutlet sandwiches.
Dietary Modifications
- For dairy-free, omit the parmesan cheese.
- For gluten-free, use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
How to make crispy air fryer chicken cutlets (a visual step-by-step guide):
Step 1: preheat air fryer
Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2: prep breadcrumb mixture
In a shallow bowl, mix breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried basil, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper (image 1). This will be your coating mixture.
Step 3: butterfly chicken
Butterfly each piece of chicken breast to create thinner cutlets (image 2). You can also then cut these in half ti give you 2 cutlets.
Use a meat tenderizer to gently pound them to an even thickness (image 3).
Step 4: coat chicken in egg mixture and dip into breadcrumb mixture
Dip each chicken cutlet into the beaten egg mixture, ensuring both sides are coated (image 4).
Press each side of the chicken cutlet into the breadcrumb mixture, making sure the coating adheres well (image 5).
Step 5: place in air fryer
Place the breaded chicken cutlets in a single layer in the air fryer basket, making sure they are not touching (image 6). You may need to cook in batches if there is not enough room.
Step 6: air fry the cutlets
Lightly spray the top of the chicken cutlets with olive oil or avocado oil spray to help them crisp up. Air fry the chicken cutlets for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until they are golden brown and cooked through (image 7).
Using a meat thermometer, check the internal temperature, which should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit for safety. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your air fryer. They should have a golden crust.
Step 7: remove and let rest
Remove the breaded cutlets from the air fryer and let them rest for a couple of minutes before serving. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and serve.
Expert Tip!
Use one hand for the egg wash and the other hand for dipping into the breadcrumbs. This ensures everything stays clean and helps the breadcrumbs stick to the egg wash.
Recipe FAQs
Just spray with cooking spray and pop back into the air fryer until the chicken has warmed through.
Store leftover cutlets in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days. Cutlets can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to one month.
Serve with a side of vegetables and instant pot fettuccini alfredo. Make it into crispy chicken burgers or chop and serve over a salad.
Check out our other easy air fryer recipes!
If you make this recipe, please leave a rating and/or comment! Tag me on Instagram @ohsnapmacros, I love hearing from you!
Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets
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Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast or precut cutlets
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 large eggs beaten
- olive oil spray
- fresh parsley (optional) chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a shallow bowl, mix breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried basil, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. This will be your coating mixture.
- Butterfly each chicken breast and cut in half to create thinner cutlets. You can also use a meat mallet to gently pound them to an even thickness.
- Dip each chicken cutlet into the beaten eggs, ensuring both sides are coated.
- Press each side of the chicken cutlet into the breadcrumb mixture, making sure the coating adheres well.
- Place the breaded chicken cutlets in a single layer in the air fryer basket, making sure they are not touching. You may need to cook in batches if there is not enough room.
- Lightly spray the top of the chicken cutlets with olive oil or avocado oil spray to help them crisp up. Air fry the chicken cutlets for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until they are golden brown and cooked through.
- Check the internal temperature, which should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit for safety. Cook time will vary depending on the size of your chicken breast.
- Remove the chicken cutlets from the air fryer and let them rest for a couple of minutes before serving. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
- Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary with substitutions.
- Each serving is approximately 4.75 oz. each, cooked. As always, it is best to weigh your final and divide by the total servings to get the true serving size.
- Turn into 6 servings if desired, approximately 3.25 oz cooked.
- If your air fryer is lacking space, you can cook these in batches. Just keep the first batch covered and while the second batch is resting. Pop back in the air fryer for 2 minutes to get it hot and crispy again.
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You can also make a larger batch of these and before cooking, place them in an airtight container or freezer bag and store in the freezer. Then just spray with cooking spray and air fry for 14-17 minutes. Check the internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit, adjusting time as necessary.
This was amazing! Such a big hit. I’m curious if the macros for protein are calculated for raw or cooked chicken? Thanks!
Glad you liked it! Macros are for cooked chicken.
I just made this. It was the first time I used my air fryer for raw meat and wow! These turned out delicious, better than expected. I used panko bread crumbs in place of regular for an extra crunch.
Isn’t the air fryer the greatest? I like switching it up to Panko sometimes, too!
This was so incredibly delicious! The cutlets came out super crispy and we loved the flavor of the breading. Such a great recipe, I’ll definitely be making this again ❤️
I had just the right amount of an asiago, pecorino, parm, provolone mix left to use, otherwise followed the recipe exactly. It was so very good and so easy to
make. Thanks!
So happy you loved it!!
I anxiously awaited for this recipe to come out and boy it did not disappoint! Another winner from Danielle!! Both of my daughters gobbled this up with one of them having seconds. My youngest is very picky and she gave it her stamp of approval! Delicious!!!
Yay!! Isn’t it so great and easy? Thank you!