Air Fryer Parmesan Crusted Chicken takes tender chicken cutlets that are coated in a crunchy, Parmesan Cheese crust. Simply dredge the chicken pieces then pop in the air fryer to cook. It's easy enough for a weeknight dinner and super versatile.
This Parmesan Crusted Chicken is moist and tender on the inside and coated in crunchy parmesan breading. It's an easy main dish that can be paired with favorite sides like potatoes (such as these fun hasselback potatoes or crispy roasted baby potatoes), garlic parmesan broccoli, or crispy quinoa patties. It's a great option on top of pasta (like baked boursin cheese pasta or French onion pasta) or a salad.
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⭐Why I Love It:
- Healthier - Making parmesan crusted chicken in the air fryer is a healthier alternative to pan frying but still gives a crunchy crust! Lately I've been using this Ninja Air Fryer and I love it!
- Parmesan Breading - I like to do a 50/50 ratio of parmesan and breadcrumbs to give the outside an extra crunch, but you can use a higher % of Parmesan Cheese as well and less (or none) breadcrumbs. Also try these Air Fryer Parmesan Potatoes!
- Versatile - Crunchy air fryer chicken is so versatile - serve on top of pasta, with sides like veggies or potatoes, or even on top of a salad.
🥘Ingredients
I love that this Air Fryer Parmesan Crusted Chicken recipe uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients!
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts or Tenders - I used chicken breasts that were cut in half lengthwise to form thinner pieces.
- All-Purpose Flour - This is used as the first dredging mix to help the coating stick to the chicken.
- Panko Breadcrumbs - This adds extra crunch to the parmesan coating!
- Shredded Parmesan Cheese - I used a cheese grater to shred a hunk of fresh parmesan cheese.
- Spices - Garlic Powder, Italian Seasoning, Salt, Pepper
- 2 Eggs - This helps the breading stick to the chicken pieces.
- Cooking Spray
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
📖Variations
- Oven instead of Air Fryer - Instead of air frying, you can also bake the chicken in the oven. This is a good option if you're making a double or triple batch to feed a crowd. Place the breaded chicken on a greased baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees F for around 30 minutes, until cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Turn into Chicken Parmesan - After air frying the chicken, you can spoon over some marinara sauce and add a slice of mozzarella cheese then pop back into the air fryer again at 350 degrees F for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is melted. You can also use this full recipe for Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan that uses a higher ratio of Italian style breadcrumbs..
🔪Step by Step instructions
Photo 1 - Start by slicing the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make 4 cutlets. Add the flour and spices to a shallow bowl or plate, beat the eggs in a second bowl, then mix together the Panko and Parmesan Cheese in a third.
Photo 2 - Dredge the chicken pieces by dipping first in the flour to coat on all sides, then in the egg on all sides, and finally in the parmesan mixture.
Photo 3 - Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray then add the breaded chicken pieces. Spritz the tops of the chicken with more cooking spray.
Photo 4 - Air fry the chicken at 400 degrees F for 12-14 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees F.
💭Recipe Tips
- Even Sized Chicken - It's best to use chicken pieces that are of a similar size and thickness so they cook in the same amount of time.
- Ratio of Breadcrumbs and Shredded Parmesan Cheese - I like to use a 50/50 ratio of breadcrumbs and parmesan instead of more or all parmesan for two main reasons 1) the breadcrumbs add crunch 2) it makes the recipe very affordable to make since breadcrumbs cost less than Parmesan Cheese. But, you can easily adjust the ratio to have more parmesan if you prefer.
- Use an Internal Thermometer - The best way to tell that chicken is cooked is by using a digital instant read thermometer to take the temp of the center of the thickest part of chicken. This is much more accurate than just going by the color of the middle of the chicken.
🍽Leftovers and Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days. For best results, I like to reheat in the air fryer at 350 degrees until warmed or in a 375 degree oven on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet.
👩🍳Recipe FAQs
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.
The key to getting breading to stick to chicken is properly dredging. Starting with flour helps dry the chicken so the breading doesn't slide off then the egg acts like the glue to get the breading to stick. I prefer to not flip the chicken halfway through in the air fryer as that can cause some of the breading to come off.
Some recipes call for flipping chicken halfway through cooking. I actually prefer to not flip chicken that has been breaded, like this parmesan crusted chicken, because flipping can disturb the breading and cause some of it to come off.
🍗Related Air Fryer Recipes...
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PrintRecipe
Air Fryer Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Air Fryer Parmesan Crusted Chicken takes tender chicken cutlets that are coated in a crunchy, Parmesan Cheese crust. Simply dredge the chicken pieces then pop in the air fryer to cook. It's easy enough for a weeknight dinner and super versatile.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or 4 chicken cutlets
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ¾ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- Cooking Spray
Instructions
- Prep Chicken - Start by slicing the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make 4 thinner cutlets.
- Prep the Three Dredging Bowls - Add the flour and spices to one shallow bowl or plate, beat the eggs in a second bowl, then mix together the Panko and Parmesan Cheese in a third.
- Coat the Chicken - Dredge the chicken pieces by dipping first in the seasoned flour to coat on all sides, then in the egg on all sides, and finally in the parmesan mixture. Press the parmesan mixture into the egg so the chicken is well coated.
- Air Fryer Chicken - Depending on the size of your air fryer and size of the chicken pieces, you may need to cook in two batches. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray then add the breaded chicken pieces. Spritz the tops of the chicken with more cooking spray. Air fry the chicken at 400 degrees F for 12-14 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees F.
Notes
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days. For best results, I like to reheat in the air fryer at 350 degrees until warmed or in a 375 degree oven on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ of recipe
- Calories: 311
- Sugar: 1.3 g
- Sodium: 573.8 mg
- Fat: 9.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 18.7 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 35.7 g
- Cholesterol: 161.5 mg
Katie says
I love how crunchy the parmesan crust gets in the air fryer and it's so fast to cook!