Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets

These Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets have a tender, juicy interior and are perfectly crispy and golden brown. Made in 15 minutes, this air fryer chicken cutlet recipe gives you all the crunch without any deep frying!

✔️ Easy Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets

When planning what to make for dinner, crispy chicken cutlets is one of those dishes the whole family can agree on.

Boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets are breaded with a simple homemade panko mixture made with Parmesan cheese, panko breadcrumbs, garlic powder and dried thyme.

The best part about this recipe (besides the amazing flavor and crispy coating), is that your air fryer pretty much do all the work for you! There’s no need to stand in front of the stove or worry about oil splatters. Just prep the breaded cutlets, place them in the air fryer basket and see the magic happen!

🔎 What is a chicken cutlet?

A cutlet is a boneless thinner cut of meat which is flatten or pounded to an even thickness. You can purchase a package of chicken cutlets or you can make your own from chicken breasts (tenderloins removed). Some of the benefits of a cutlet over other cuts of meat are:

• Seasonings penetrate thinner cuts of meat quickly.
• Cutlets cook more evenly than thicker cuts of meat such as whole regular chicken breast
• A cutlet cooks much quicker and also have a lower risk of drying out.

🔎 How to cut chicken breasts into cutlets?

To cut boneless skinless chicken breasts into cutlets, you will need a cutting board, a chef’s knife or boning knife and two pieces of plastic wrap or a resealable bag cut opened like a sheet.

1. Split the chicken breast in half: Place the raw chicken breast on a cutting board. Hold the breast down with the palm of one of your hands. Using a sharp knife, slice the breast in half lengthwise. You should have 2 pieces that are even in thickness (somewhat even is good enough!)

2. Protect the meat with plastic: Place a piece of chicken breast between the plastic sheets avoiding wrinkles which can leave imprints on the chicken.
3. Pound away: To flatten the chicken, using a meat mallet, the bottom of a skillet or a rolling pin, GENTLY pound the chicken until it’s about 1/4″ thick. Repeat until all the pieces are flatten. 

🔎 What you’ll need to make air fryer breaded chicken cutlets?

This is a partial list of ingredients and substitutions for this air fryer recipe. Be sure to check the printable recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and their exact quantities.

• Chicken: This recipe is made with boneless, skinless chicken breasts cutlets. You can buy cutlets at your local grocery store, sometimes labeled as “chicken breast thin sliced” or you can slice and flatten cutlets from whole chicken breast halves at home (see instructions above).
• Flour: The flour is used kind of like a primer that absorbs some of the chicken’s moisture while giving the egg something to stick to (so the breading doesn’t come right off). I use all-purpose flour. Gluten-free flour can be used however, I’m not a fan of gluten-free panko. The brands I’ve tried are too coarse in texture so the breading tends to come off no matter how much egg (glue) you use. Gluten-free breadcrumbs are a better option in that case.
• Panko bread crumbs: I prefer unseasoned panko breadcrumbs. If you are out of panko, you can use regular breadcrumbs.
• Grated Cheese: I use Parmesan cheese which is not only a great option but also one that I usually always have at home. Pecorino Romano and grana padano can also be used. For breading, I don’t mind using already grated cheese. I like the perfectly even texture it has when used for breading (all angry emails about this should be held in your draft folder).

🔎 How to cook chicken cutlets in the air fryer (step by step)

For detailed instructions and cooking times, check the printable recipe card below.

1. Prepare chicken: Slice the chicken breast into cutlets (see how above) or buy thinly sliced chicken cutlets from your grocery store. Season each cutlet with salt and pepper.
2. Preheat air fryer: Set the air fryer to 390º F Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
3. Set breading station: Set up three large shallow bowls in an assembly line. First bowl is for the flour. Second bowl is for the whisked eggs. Third shallow bowl is for the breadcrumb mixture (panko, parmesan, dried thyme, garlic powder, and black pepper)
4. Dredge chicken: Working with one cutlet at a time, dredge in flour, shaking off excess; dip in egg, allowing excess to drip off. Press cutlet into the panko mixture on all sides and transfer to a plate. Repeat with the rest of the pieces of chicken.
5. Place in air fry. Transfer chicken cutlets to the air fryer basket and place them in a single layer leaving some space between them. Work in batches if needed. Spray the top of the chicken pieces.
6. Air Fry: Cook the cutlets in the air fryer for 5 minutes and then flip them over. Add a bit more cooking spray and let them continue cooking. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of your cutlets.
7. Serve. Transfer cutlets to a plate and serve.

🔎 How do you get breading to stick to the chicken cutlets?

Panko and breadcrumbs sticks better to the chicken when you use flour as part of the breading process. Something else that helps keeping the breading on the chicken, is to refrigerate the breaded chicken, uncovered for 20 minutes before frying it.

🔎 What to serve with chicken cutlets?

You can serve breaded chicken cutlets with so many side dishes. Fries and corn on the cob is one of my favorite side dishes when having this recipe for dinner. Here are some other ideas:

• Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese
• Easy Garlic Butter Pasta
• The Best Sauteed Green Beans
• Easy Corn Pudding Recipe
• Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

🔎 How to store leftover chicken cutlets?

Store any leftover chicken cutlets in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

🔎 How to freeze breaded chicken cutlets?

You can freeze chicken cutlets before or after frying them. In both cases, place the breaded chicken on a sheet pan. Freeze for 2 hours then, transfer them to a freezer safe resealable bag and freeze for 2 months.

✔️ More Chicken Dinner Ideas

• Creamy Chicken with Mushroom Sauce
• Chicken Shawarma
• Chicken Piccata Recipe
• Baked Chicken Legs
• Chicken Parmesan Pasta

Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets

5 from 1 review

Kathy McDaniel

Perfectly golden in 10 minutes, these air fryer chicken cutlets have endless meal possibilities. Dried thyme and garlic powder give tons of flavor to the crispy exterior, which has a satisfying crunch when you bit into it.

Print Pin

Prep 5 minutes mins

Cook 10 minutes mins

Total 15 minutes mins

Makes 2 servings

Equipment

• Air fryer

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

For the Chicken

• ▢ 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ▢ Cooking spray
• ▢ Salt and pepper

For the Breading

• ▢ ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• ▢ ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• ▢ ½ tsp dried thyme
• ▢ ½ tsp garlic powder
• ▢ ¼ tsp ground black pepper

To Serve (Optional)

• ▢ Chopped parsley
• ▢ Lemon slices
• ▢ Shaved parmesan

Instructions 

1. Cut each chicken breast in half lengthwise and pound each piece to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Preheat the air fryer to 390°F. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
3. Set up three large shallow bowls in an assembly line. Put the flour in the first shallow bowl. In a second wide shallow bowl, whisk together the two eggs. In a third wide, shallow bowl, mix the Panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, dried thyme, garlic powder and ground black pepper.
4. Dredge the first chicken cutlet in the flour and shake off the excess until just a light flour coating remains. Next, dip the chicken into the egg mixture turning it to coat both sides. Let the excess egg drip off. Finally press the chicken firmly into the breadcrumb mixture, turning a few times to coat well. Set breaded chicken on a plate and repeat until all of the chicken cutlets are breaded.
5. Transfer chicken cutlets to the air fryer basket and place them in a single layer leaving some space between them. Work in batches if needed.
6. Spray the top of the chicken with cooking spray.
7. Cook for 5 minutes then flip the chicken and spray the top once again with cooking spray. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165º F. Time will vary depending on the size/thickness of the chicken.
8. Remove from the air fryer, if you still have more chicken to air fry, transfer the cooked to a wire rack and keep in a warm oven (about 275ºF) or transfer to serving plates. Serve.

To Serve (optional)

1. Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, lemon wedges, honey mustard

Notes

• Don’t overcrowd the basket. For crispy chicken, place cutlets in the air fryer basket in a single layer leaving some space between each piece for air circulation.
• Don’t overcook the chicken: Check the chicken’s internal temperature a few minutes early to prevent overcooking.
• Don’t skip the oil: Always spray your air fryer basket with cooking spray to prevent the food sticking to it.
• Seasonings: You can season the panko breadcrumbs with Italian seasoning, lemon pepper, cajun seasoning or your favorite seasoning.
• Breading Tip: When breading the cutlets, use one hand to dredge the chicken in the dry ingredients (flour and breadcrumbs), and one hand to dip the chicken in the wet ingredient (eggs).
• Store any leftover chicken cutlets in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 534 kcal, Carbohydrates: 47 g, Protein: 47 g, Fat: 16 g, Saturated Fat: 7 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g, Trans Fat: 0.04 g, Cholesterol: 275 mg, Sodium: 823 mg, Potassium: 617 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 2 g, Vitamin A: 510 IU, Vitamin C: 1 mg, Calcium: 396 mg, Iron: 5 mg

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