These Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets are juicy and crispy without any breading! You don't need any flour or breadcrumbs, just some herbs and spices and a little oil and cornstarch. This recipe is ready in just 20 minutes as the thinly sliced chicken breasts cook quickly in the air fryer and they require zero marinating.
For a light meal, pair this chicken with a crisp green salad or my favorite Italian bow tie pasta salad. If you're craving a more comforting, classic dinner, serve it alongside some fluffy mashed potatoes and roasted air fryer carrots.
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Quick Look: Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets
- ⏱ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 👩🏻🍳 Air Frying Time: 10 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 20 minutes
- 🍽 Servings: 4
- ⚡ Calories: 233 per serving
- 🌱 Diet: gluten-free, dairy-free
- 🔥 Flavor/texture: tender and juicy with a light and crisp coating, seasoned with smoky and savory herbs and spices.
- 👌 Difficulty: quick and easy dinner.
- ❤️ Why you'll love: crisp coating without the messy breading process.
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Quick and easy chicken recipe
Being a recipe creator and food photographer means a lot of my time is spent in the kitchen testing recipes. So, at the end of most days, I don't want to spend a lot of time preparing dinner. That's why this chicken recipe has been on repeat lately.
It's simple to prepare and you get a flavorful coating on the chicken without the breading process. You know the drill - dredging in flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumb coating. Don't get me wrong. Recipes like my air fryer chicken schnitzel are delicious, but sometimes you just don't want all the breading steps.
This recipe simply requires adding oil and seasonings to chicken cutlets and air frying for just 10 minutes. The key to getting the chicken crispy without any breading is to pat the chicken dry, use a little oil and cook on high heat. (I use this simple process to make my quick and easy air fryer pork medallions recipe too).
Table of Contents
Ingredient notes
- Chicken - You'll need 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts or about 1.5 pounds. You'll cut them in half and pound with a mallet to thin them out. You can buy chicken cutlets at the store so they're pre-sliced for you, but in my experience, it's cheaper to buy chicken breasts and cut and pound them yourself.
- Seasoning - It's just a simple mix of salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika and Italian seasoning. The smoked paprika adds a touch of spiciness to the chicken. If you're not a fan of spicy, just replace the smoked paprika with regular paprika.
- Cornstarch - Just a little is added to the seasoning mix to help create a thin, crisp coating on the chicken.
- Oil - The recipe doesn't call for a lot of oil, but 1 tablespoon is essential to help create that crispy coating.
How to get crispy chicken cutlets in the air fryer
Step 1: Using a sharp chef's knife, cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally. You may also need to use a mallet to pound them out a little thinner and ensure they are even thickness.
Step 2: Add the cornstarch and seasonings to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
Step 3: Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and brush with oil. Coat both sides of each piece of chicken with the seasoning mixture, making sure to press it into the flesh.
Step 4: Place the chicken in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry at 400F for 10-12 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
Expert tips
- You really don't want to overcook this chicken. Instead of tender and juicy, it will just be dry and rubbery. I like to use a instant read thermometer to check for doneness. So, when the chicken reaches 165F, pull it out of the air fryer.
- Be sure not to overcrowd the air fryer. To ensure the chicken cooks evenly and gets crispy around the edges, don't overlap the chicken cutlets. I have a 5.8 quart air fryer and the 4 pieces fit in my air fryer basket. If you have a smaller capacity air fryer, you will need to air fry the chicken in 2 batches or cut the recipe in half.
Air fryer chicken cutlets FAQs
The chicken cutlets won't turn out as crispy as if you were using a flour or panko breading but they should have a thin and light crispy coating. If you skipped the oil or cornstarch this could be the reason why it didn't end up crispy. Patting the chicken dry before you get started also helps remove excess moisture from the surface and enhances crispiness. If you want ultra crispy chicken, I highly recommend these air fryer boneless chicken wings, which have a double flour breading! These cornflake chicken tenders are also amazingly crispy!
I like to reheat the chicken in the air fryer at 350F for 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to reheat it for too long as the chicken will dry out. You can also reheat it in the microwave for 60-90 seconds but the coating will end up a little soggy.
Yes, once the chicken is cooked, let it cool in the fridge and then wrap the chicken individually in plastic wrap and place in a resealable freezer bag and freeze for up to a month. I have a vacuum sealer so I usually seal them this way and they last longer in the freezer. Defrost fully in the fridge before reheating in the air fryer.
I love this chicken paired with salads! Some options include my air fryer ranch potato salad, this bow tie pesto pasta salad or my air fryer chicken caesar salad (just replace the chicken bites with the cutlets).
More air fryer chicken recipes
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📖 Recipe
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets (No Breading!)
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 1.5 pounds total
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Using a sharp chef's knife, cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally. You may also need to use a mallet to pound them out a little thinner and ensure they are even thickness.
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and brush each side with oil.
- Add the cornstarch and seasonings to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Coat both sides of each piece of chicken with the seasoning mixture, making sure to press it into the flesh.
- Place the chicken in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Air fry at 400F for 6 minutes. Flip the chicken over and air fry for another 4-6 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
Notes
- To ensure the chicken cooks evenly, don't overlap the chicken cutlets or overcrowd the air fryer. I have a 5.8 quart air fryer and the 4 pieces fit in my air fryer basket. If you have a smaller capacity air fryer, you will need to air fry the chicken in 2 batches.
- For the juiciest results and to avoid dry, rubbery chicken, be careful not to overcook this chicken. I like to use a instant read thermometer to check for doneness. When the chicken reaches 165F, pull it out of the air fryer.
- The smoked paprika adds a touch of spiciness to the chicken. If you're not a fan of spicy, just replace the smoked paprika with regular paprika.
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Nutrition Facts per Serving
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is an estimate only and will vary depending on the substitutions made and the brands used.
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