Chicken breast with a seasoned, crispy breading, topped with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella cheese. Air fryer chicken parmesan is a dish you have to try to believe!
With the magic of an air fryer, you can whip up a delicious Chicken Parmesan with ease. Say goodbye to greasy stovetop frying and hello to a healthier, hassle-free way to indulge in this classic comfort food favorite!
Why I Love This Recipe
Chicken Parmesan is an all-time favorite recipe of mine. The tender, juicy chicken; the crunchy breading, the sauce and cheese – it’s all so perfect! And making it it the air fryer is SO ideal! We get all the goodness of the recipe that we love, without the hassle of all the oil, splatter, mess, and cleanup.
Air fryer chicken parmesan… where have you been all my life!?
Ingredients & Equipment
Start with two chicken breasts (about 8-12oz each) which we’ll slice to create four thin cutlets.
Eggs and flour help bind the breading together. The flour is seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Panko breadcrumbs mixed with parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning will provide the crispy texture and great flavors we all love!
The chicken will then be topped off with your favorite marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.
The only special equipment you’ll need to make this recipe is your air fryer. Other than that, you’ll just need three shallow dishes to mix the ingredients, a cutting board, and a sharp knife to slice the chicken.
Preparation
We’re going to start by prepping the chicken. Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally to make two thin cutlets. It is crucial to use a sharp knife for this! Place one hand on top of the chicken breasts and use a steady sawing motion to work your way through. Try to cut as close to the center as possible to yield two pieces with the same thickness.
If the chicken breasts are extra large, you can pound them thin after you’ve sliced them. We’re looking for a uniform thickness of about ¼″.
Flavor Boost
While we’ve seasoned the flour, you can also add a pinch of salt and pepper directly to the chicken for extra flavor.
Now that the chicken is prepped, it’s time to bread it. Set up your breading station with three shallow dishes…
- In the first dish we’re going to make the flour mixture. Add the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and mix with a fork or whisk until evenly combined.
- In the second bowl, beat the two eggs with a fork until they are smooth.
- The third bowl will hold our breadcrumb mixture. Add the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning and mix until evenly distributed.
Dredge each chicken breast in the flour, then dip it into the beaten eggs, ensuring they’re well coated (we don’t want any dry spots of flour). Let any excess egg drip off, then finally coat the chicken evenly with the breadcrumbs, pressing gently to help them adhere.
And that’s it, you’re ready for the air fryer!
Cooking
Preheat your air fryer to 375℉ for 4-5 minutes. Then, spray the basket down with cooking spray and place the chicken on a single layer inside. Depending on the size of your chicken breasts, you may have to work in two batches.
Extra Golden and Crispy
You can also spray the top of the chicken breasts with a touch of cooking spray. This is optional, but will make the chicken breasts a little more crispy and golden!
Air fry the chicken at 375℉ for 5 minutes. Open the basket, flip the chicken over, and air fry on the other side at 375℉ for an additional 5 minutes. At this point, the outer breading should be crispy and have a golden color with some darker areas around the edges.
Lastly, you’re going to slather the crispy chicken with marinara sauce (about 2 tablespoons) and sprinkle on a generous helping of shredded mozzarella cheese. Air fry the chicken again with the toppings at 375℉ for 3 minutes. At the end of the 3 minutes, the cheese should be completely melted with some beautiful, golden spots. Add another minute or so if you want to brown the cheese further.
Serving
You can leave the chicken as is or garnish it with parsley for extra flavor and visual appeal. Air fryer chicken Parmesan is best served with spaghetti. Any long noodle will work here: fettuccine, papardelle, and linguini are all great options. I also like to have a Caesar salad or some roasted veggies on the side!
Make a Sandwich!
Your air fryer chicken parmesan makes a great sandwich! Use a fresh loaf of French or Italian bread from the supermarket and you’ve got the perfect sandwich for lunch tomorrow.
Storage & Reheating
Leftover Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat it, pop back in the air fryer or place it in the oven at 350℉ for 5-6 minutes, until heated through.
You can also reheat in the microwave, though you might lose some of the crunch. Microwave in 1-minute increments until heated through, usually just a couple of minutes.
Recipe
Best Damn Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan
- Total Time: 33 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Description
Tender, juicy chicken breast cutlets are breaded and air fried to perfection, then topped with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella cheese. It’s the best way you’ll ever make classic chicken parmesan!
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts (6-10 ounces each)
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
- ½ cup marinara sauce
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
- Spaghetti, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make 2 thin cutlets. Pat dry and set aside.
- In a shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. In a second shallow bowl, beat the eggs. In a third shallow bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese.
- Dredge a piece of chicken in the flour mixture, then dip it in the eggs. Let the excess egg drip drip off, then coat it in the breadcrumb mixture.
- Repeat this process with the remaining 3 pieces of chicken.
- Preheat your air fryer to 375℉ for 4 minutes. Once preheated, spray the basket with cooking spray and place the chicken breasts inside.
- Air fry the chicken at 375℉ for 5 minutes. Then flip each piece over and air fry on the other side at 375℉ for 5 minutes. At the end of the 10 minutes the chicken should be golden brown and crispy.
- Spoon 2 tablespoons of marinara sauce onto each piece of chicken then sprinkle on a generous amount of shredded mozzarella cheese. Air fry at 375℉ for an additional 3 minutes, until the cheese is melty and slightly browned at the top.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve over spaghetti.
Notes
For extra flavor, add a pinch of salt and pepper directly to the chicken breasts prior to the breading steps.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 13 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: Italian
Dawna says
Husband loved it! Very moist and tender.
Mark Shields says
I made this but I think the next time I’m going to use Italian style bread crumbs and sliced mozzarella