These Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets are the crispiest, most tender, juicy, and healthiest cutlets you'll ever have, therefore you must try this recipe ASAP. Only 6 ingredients are needed and cooks in 20 minutes. A perfect meal for a quick weeknight dinner!
Using an air fryer requires way less oil, which is always a benefit, and the food cooks evenly, which is the key to cooking a piece of chicken. The crispiness of the chicken is also the most insanely crispy piece of chicken I've ever eaten.
The only seasoning I used was ground black pepper, salt, and grated parmesan. I mixed that into my panko. I only make chicken cutlets with panko because it makes the cutlet extra crispy.
If you're looking for more air fryer recipes you need to try my Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs with Creamy Avocado Dip and my Easy Air Fryer Shrimp!
Table of contents
What is a chicken cutlet
If you've never heard of chicken cutlets they are what we New Jersians grew up with. A chicken cutlet is basically a flat, small, slice of chicken that is breaded in seasoned breadcrumbs and is usually fried in oil to give it a nice crispy crust.
The sliced chicken is also beaten with a meat mallet to really make it extra thin. They make the perfect family-friendly dinner. All of my children LOVE them! I've made them baked before, as well, but after air frying them that is my favorite way they turn out and it's the quickest!
Ingredients for this dish
- boneless skinless chicken breast - fat trimmed, I use a cutting board and sharp knife and sliced off all the white parts. The white part is all the fat that is left on the chicken. You want to make sure all of that is off because cooked chicken fat is gross and very chewy.
- panko bread crumbs - even though the air fryer makes the chicken super crispy the panko adds to the crispiness even more. Panko also absorbs oil so there is less of it to become soggy.
- parmesan cheese - grated, parmesan cheese adds just the right amount of flavor to this chicken.
- egg - whisked, the egg helps the panko stick to the chicken and coat it well. I don't use flour when breading my chicken, but if you like to use flour you surely can.
How to make crispy chicken cutlets
A step-by-step process to making easy chicken cutlets in the air fryer.
Step 1 - Trim your chicken to make sure all the fat is cut off. You don't want any white parts left on your chicken before cooking it. Then place your chicken between 2 pieces of saran wrap and pound it using a meat mallet. In a shallow bowl, whisk egg, salt, and pepper. In a separate shallow bowl add panko, parmesan, salt, and pepper.
Step 2 - Dip the chicken into the egg mixture first, then into the panko mix making sure to coat both sides. Continue this process until all your chicken is breaded.
Step 3 - Place your breaded chicken on a clean plate or a piece of parchment paper. Set your air fryer to 400 degrees and add your chicken to the air fryer in a single layer. Bake for 20 min.
Step 4 - Flip your chicken halfway through. Continue until all chicken has been cooked. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce!
Substitutions
The amount of ingredients I use for this dish is very minimal so the substitutions are small, but feel free to make these swaps.
Panko Bread Crumbs - as I stated above I use panko for all my breading because of the added crispiness and I like that panko absorbs oil, but you can definitely swap out panko for regular bread crumbs.
Egg - If you wish to not add an egg into your cooking instead you can use heavy cream to hold the breading into place.
Parmesan Cheese - Some people don't care for the taste of parmesan cheese. If you're one of them then omit this ingredient altogether.
What to serve with your chicken cutlets
The possibilities are pretty endless here. I love the taste of chicken cutlets so much that I don't always need side dishes, but a side dish does complete a meal of course. Here are some suggestions on what to serve with your crispy air fryer cutlets.
- Homemade Applesauce - want to keep your dish light and easy to make. Pair these cutlets with my super easy homemade applesauce.
- Oven Baked Zucchini Chips - these super crispy zucchini chips make the best side dish to any chicken meal.
- Crispy Sweet Potato Fries - what goes better with some crispy chicken than a crispy pile of sweet potato fries?
- Grilled Veggie Kabobs - one of my favorite sides for chicken are some wholesome veggies.
What is an air fryer
An air fryer is an airtight, electrical appliance that quickly cooks food by convection currents circulated rapidly by a fan. In other words, it circulates hot air around the food to cook it. It makes your food extra crispy without using all that oil you usually need to crisp up your food on the stove.
How can the kids help
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I LOVE cooking with my kids. When you cook with your kids it really does inspire them to try the dish. Here are some ways to include your kids in this chicken dish.
- Have your kids help you learn how to bread the chicken. Teach them to dip chicken into the egg and then into the breading. Kids love to get dirty! Just make sure they wash their hands after handling raw chicken.
- A fun math lesson would be to teach your children the cooking measurements. This is also a life-long lesson
Tips and FAQ's
If you've never heard of chicken cutlets they are what we New Jersians grew up with. A chicken cutlet is basically a flat, small, slice of chicken that is breaded in seasoned breadcrumbs and is usually fried in oil to give it a nice crispy crust.
An air fryer is like a convection oven on your counter. The appliance mimics the results of deep frying your food with little to no oil and hot air. In my eyes, the end result tastes sooo much better than fried foods and it's healthier for you too.
First, place your boneless, skinless chicken breast on a cutting board.
Next, hold your chicken lengthwise and slice it down the middle trying to make the two halves even.
Then, place your chicken under a piece of saran wrap and hit it with a meat mallet until it's about ¼ inch thick.
Last, follow the steps until all chicken is cut the same.
You can either store your cutlets in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 to 7 days or stick them in a freezer bag and freeze them for up to 3 months.
If you don't own an air fryer yet, then you can use the convection feature on your oven and use the same time and temperature as I've suggested in my recipe below.
Other chicken dishes to try
If you give this recipe a try don't forget to rate the recipe below! I always love hearing what you all think. You can also Stay in touch with me through social media on @Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my healthy recipes!
Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets
Equipment
- air fryer
- mallet
- cutting board
- chefs knife
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless, chicken breast fat trimmed
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ⅛ tsp kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 large egg whisked
- cooking spray
Instructions
- In a small shallow bowl, whisk one egg and set it aside. In another shallow bowl combine the panko, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Slice your chicken so that it's about ½ inch thick and all the fat is trimmed off.
- Place your chicken under a piece of plastic wrap on a cutting board and beat with a meat tenderizer. This will ensure all your chicken is the same in thickness.
- Now bread your chicken by dipping it in the egg mix then panko mix. Once breaded lay your chicken on a piece of parchment paper or a plate. Continue until all your chicken is breaded.
- Spray the cooking spray on the bottom of your air fryer and lay your chicken in a single layer. Then spray the tops of your chicken with more cooking spray.
- Set your air fryer at 400° and cook for 20 minutes. Flip your chicken halfway through and spray the tops with more cooking spray. Continue until all your chicken is cooked.
Notes
Next, hold your chicken lengthwise and slice it down the middle trying to make the two halves even.
Then, place your chicken under a piece of saran wrap and hit it with a meat mallet until it's about ¼ inch thick.
Last, follow steps until all chicken is cut the same. How can the kids help?
- Have your kids help you learn how to bread chicken. Teach them to dip chicken into egg and then into the breading. Kids love to get dirty! Just make sure they wash their hands after handling raw chicken.
- A fun math lesson would be to teach your children the cooking measurements. This is also a life-long lesson
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