Learn how to make perfectly crispy chicken cutlets at home in your Air Fryer!
If you’ve ever been in an Italian deli, you know they’re special places. In addition to the standard meats and cheeses, you can often find trays of prepared foods ready to heat and serve. One of my absolute favorite items are the breaded chicken cutlets. They’re pounded thin and fried until they’re crisp and golden brown, but somehow the chicken inside stays super juicy. They really can’t be beat.
Until now!
Perfect Chicken Cutlets At Home
That’s right – I’ve figured out how to make perfect chicken cutlets at home in your air fryer. You won’t believe how good these are!
Cooking these chicken cutlets in the air fryer gets the breading crisp and browned without the mess or added calories of deep-frying them. Since air fryers cook with indirect heat, the meat also stays a lot juicier and doesn’t dry out the way it can when cooked in a pan or in the oven.
How To Make Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets
To make air fried chicken cutlets, start by pounding the chicken out. Here’s a great step by step instructions for pounding chicken, but be aware that you’ll want to get the chicken even thinner. About ¼-inch is perfect for chicken cutlets.
Once your chicken cutlets are pounded to an even thinness, dust the chicken with flour. This will help dry the surface of the chicken so the breading sticks to it and doesn’t go sliding off. Next dip the chicken in beaten eggs. Then, press the cutlets into a shallow dish filled with panko bread crumbs. Panko breadcrumbs, sometimes called Japanese breadcrumbs, are coarser and harder than traditional bread crumbs so they’re the best for crispy chicken cutlets. I like to keep mine pretty simple, seasoning them with just a little fresh garlic, salt, and pepper.
Spray the chicken cutlets with cooking spray or brush them with a little oil. This will help the outside of the breading get that delicious fried flavor and texture.
Finally, cook the chicken at 400°F for about 8 minutes, or until its cooked through.
Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may only be able to cook one or two pieces of chicken at a time. If you need to work in batches, arrange the cooked chicken in a single layer on a cooling rack set on top of a baking sheet; keep warm in a 250°F oven.
Air fried chicken cutlets are great on their own with a squeeze of lemon, or you can use them as a base for Chicken Parmesan or turn them into a sandwich with your choice of toppings.
Podcast Episode On Air Frying Chicken Cutlets
Listen to learn how to make this recipe, along with some great tips from Christine:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
PrintAir Fryer Chicken Cutlets Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 18 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: Italian
DESCRIPTION
Learn how to make perfectly crispy chicken cutlets at home in your Air Fryer!
Ingredients
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2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
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1/2 cup flour
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2 eggs, beaten
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1 cup panko bread crumbs
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2 garlic cloves, minced
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
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Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Cut the chicken in half, width-wise. Cover the chicken with plastic, working with one piece of chicken at a time. Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken to an even 1/4-inch thickness.
- Add the flour to a shallow dish. Add the eggs to a second dish. In a third dish, combine the breadcrumbs, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Dredge the chicken in flour, coating it lightly. Next, dip the chicken into the egg, coating it well. Finally, press the chicken into the bread crumb mixture, covering it as thoroughly as you can. Spritz both sides of the chicken with cooking spray.
- Working in batches if necessary, arrange the chicken in a single layer in the basket of your air fryer. Cook at 400°F for 8 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the breading is crisp.
This post originally appeared in February 2020 and was revised and republished in April 2021.