Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets
These Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets are crispy, crunchy, and cooked to perfection. You only need a few simple ingredients, and your air fryer or Ninja Foodi does all the work!
Can chicken cutlets be made in the air fryer? Yes, the air fryer is the best way to make chicken cutlets because the dry circulating heat cooks them quickly and evenly. Plus, air fryer chicken cutlets come out ultra crispy!
Chicken cutlets are thin slices of chicken that are breaded and then fried. They can be served as a main course or used in salads, pasta dishes, sandwiches, and more! This recipe uses the air fryer to create the same delicious flavor and crunch without all the mess of traditional frying.
🥚Ingredients and Tools
- Thinly Sliced Chicken Breast – You can purchase thin chicken breast in the store, or take one whole chicken breast, filet in half and pound it down with a meat tenderizer to get a thin cut.
- Breadcrumbs – This gives the chicken breast its crispy crunch. You can use plain breadcrumbs and season them, or use Italian breadcrumbs.
- Eggs – The chicken gets dredged in egg to help the breadcrumbs stick. It also helps the chicken breast become nice and brown in color.
- Seasonings – Use salt, pepper, garlic powder, or Italian seasoning if your breadcrumb mixture does not already become pre-seasoned.
- Cooking Oil – Use an avocado oil or olive oil spray to lightly coat the chicken as it cooks to make crispy crust and to keep the chicken from sticking.
- Air Fryer or Ninja Foodi – Any air fryer will work for this recipe. be sure to cook in batches to make sure they are in a single even layer.
- Heat-Safe Tongs – The chicken will need to be flipped halfway, so make sure you have heat-safe tongs to keep your hands from burning.
📖How To Make Breaded Chicken Cutlets In Air Fryer
1️⃣Preheat the air fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (175°C) for 3-5 minutes.
2️⃣Create a dredging station: In one shallow bowl, add the eggs and beat them. In a second shallow bowl, add the breadcrumbs and seasonings, and mix with a fork until combined.
3️⃣Dredge the chicken: Take one piece of chicken at a time – dip it in the egg mixture first, then dredge both sides of the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture. Gently press on the breadcrumb mixture to make sure the chicken is nicely coated.
4️⃣Spray oil on the air fryer basket: Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil.
5️⃣Air fry chicken cutlets: Place in the air fryer basket in a single layer – do not overcrowd. Lightly spray the tops of the chicken with oil. Cook for 10 minutes at 350°F (175°C), flipping halfway through the cooking time. Once fully cooked, remove with tongs and serve.
👩🍳Air Fryer Cooking Tips
- The best oil for the air fryer is avocado oil or olive oil, as they both have a high smoke point.
- To prevent the air fryer chicken cutlets from sticking, make sure to lightly spray oil on the air fryer basket as well as on top of the chicken before cooking.
- If you are air frying multiple pieces at once, make sure they fit in a single layer and not on top of each other.
- The air fryer chicken cutlets will be cooked through after 10 minutes of air frying, but if you prefer your chicken to be extra crispy and golden brown, air fry for an additional 3-4 minutes.
- The safe internal temperature of chicken breast is 165°F (74°C). If your chicken is thick, use a meat thermometer to check that the chicken is fully cooked.
- The best way to make thin chicken breast is to cut a whole chicken breast in half and pound it thinly with a meat tenderizer until it reaches a thickness of 1/4 inch (6mm).
- How long to cook chicken cutlets in the air fryer depends on the wattage and size of your air fryer and how thick the chicken is. Generally, they will be fully cooked in 10 minutes at 350F. You can experiment with higher cooking temperatures and longer times.
❔Variations and Substitutions
- You can use different types of breadcrumbs, such as panko or almond flour to make it keto or low-carb.
- If you don’t have eggs, you can use Greek yogurt or mayonnaise to help the breadcrumbs stick instead.
- Add different spices and seasonings to the breadcrumbs, like paprika, cumin, chili powder, or garlic powder.
- To make air fryer chicken cutlets with no breading, skip the dredging. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, add your favorite seasonings, and air fry for 10 minutes at 350F.
🍗More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breast
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Cutlets
- Air Fryer Chicken Burger
- Air Fryer Chicken Meatloaf
Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets
Equipment
- air fryer or Ninja Foodi
Ingredients
- 16 oz Thin Chicken Breast cut into 4 filets
- 1 cup Breadcrumbs or Italian breadcrumbs
- 2 Eggs beaten
- 1 tsp Avocado Oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning optional
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (175°C) for 3-5 minutes.
- In one shallow bowl, add the eggs and beat them. In a second shallow bowl, add the breadcrumbs and seasonings, and mix with a fork until combined.
- Take one piece of chicken at a time – dip it in the egg mixture first, then dredge both sides of the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture. Gently press on the breadcrumb mixture to make sure the chicken is nicely coated.
- Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil.
- Place in air fryer basket in a single layer – do not overcrowd. Lightly spray the tops of the chicken with oil. Cook for 10 minutes at 350°F (175°C), flipping halfway through the cooking time. Once fully cooked, remove with tongs and serve.
