Name: Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 8oz Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast, either 2 small or one large cut in half lengthwise; 3 tablespoons finely shredded Parmesan Cheese; 1/2 cup Italian Style Breadcrumbs; Salt and Pepper; 1 Egg; 1/2 cup Marinara Sauce; 1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese; Cooking Spray

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Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan is a healthier alternative to the comforting favorite! Still a moist piece of chicken with a crispy, golden coating. A super easy dinner for two made in your air fryer. Perfect for date night or make a double batch to serve the whole family!

Chicken parmesan on a plate with spaghetti

How to Make Chicken Parmesan

Making chicken parmesan is a simple process that just involves getting your hands a little dirty. Use chicken breasts (I like to pound them to an even thickness so they cook evenly) and dredge in beaten egg before coating in a breadcrumb and parmesan cheese mixture. Then you cook the chicken.

Traditional chicken parmesan is pan fried before finishing in the oven. But by making baked chicken parm in the oven or in an air fryer like in this recipe, it's a lighter and healthier dish. For another breaded air fryer chicken recipe, try this Air Fryer Parmesan Crusted Chicken that uses a higher ratio of Parmesan Cheese than breadcrumbs in the breading mixture.

Ingredients for the Chicken Parmesan:

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts - you'll pound them to an even thickness
Italian Style Breadcrumbs - if you only have regular breadcrumbs, you can just add your own Italian seasoning (a blend of oregano, parsley, and basil)
Parmesan Cheese - finely shredded
Salt and Pepper
Beaten Egg
Marinara Sauce - you only need ½ cup for the chicken itself, but you can use more if you're serving it with pasta.
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese - you could also use mozzarella slices
Cooking Spray

Plate of chicken parmesan and pasta with air fryer in the background

What is an Air Fryer?

An air fryer is essentially a compact countertop convection oven. A fan circulates the hot air at a quick speed which creates a crispy layer on foods without needing to fry in oil.

Is Air Fryer food healthier?

The air fryer lets you cook foods using very little oil - significantly less than what is needed for pan frying or deep frying. But you can still get foods nice and crispy and golden.

How long should you air fry chicken?

The chicken parmesan pieces take about 15 minutes in the air fryer - including the 3-4 minutes to melt the cheese on top.

Serving Ideas with Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan

The classic pairing for chicken parmesan is spaghetti with marinara. But I also love having it with a green salad or some roasted vegetables.

Plate of chicken parmesan with pasta and marinara

Leftovers, Storage, and Reheating

The chicken parmesan is best served (and at its crispiest) right after making.

Leftovers and Storage: Leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days.

Reheating: To help crisp up the leftover chicken again, I recommend reheating in the air fryer or the oven at 350 degrees F until warmed.

Air fryer chicken parmesan on a plate with pasta

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