This simple and crispy air fryer chicken parmesan recipe is the perfect meal for busy weeknights! It’s made with boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are cut in half and then coated in panko breadcrumbs and grated parmesan cheese. They’re air fried until golden brown and crispy and topped with marinara and melted mozzarella cheese. You can serve them with pasta, a salad or even stuff them in a sandwich!
This parmesan chicken recipe is a must try! It’s quick and easy to prepare, uses less oil than pan frying and cooks in less time than oven baked versions. I’ve included my best tips for ingredient substitutions and preparation, including how to avoid soggy chicken parmesan!
Table of contents
If I had to pick one category of food that I love to cook in my air fryer, it’s anything covered in panko crumbs! You can avoid the grease of pan frying but still get ultra crispy results without using a lot of oil. It’s one of the reasons why this air fryer chicken schnitzel recipe is a family favorite!
Ingredients and substitutions
Below is a brief overview of some of the ingredients and recommended substitutions. The recipe card at the end of this post includes the exact ingredients and quantities used.
Chicken – You’ll need boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are cut in half lengthwise. (You’re essentially butterflying them, but cutting them all the way through). You can also pound the chicken with a mallet to thin it out and tenderize it, or you can buy pre-packaged chicken cutlets. The key is to use thinner slices of chicken breast so they cook quickly.
Panko crumbs – For the crispiest results, opt for panko breadcrumbs as their coarse texture already makes them a little crispy. Regular breadcrumbs will not crisp up as much and will absorb more of the marinara sauce. I did test this recipe with Italian breadcrumbs. While the fine texture stuck to the chicken well and they crisped up a little, it just wasn’t as crispy as the panko crumb coating.
Marinara – If it’s tomato season, I usually use my homemade marinara sauce with fresh tomatoes and basil. You can also use your favorite store-bought marinara sauce, tomato sauce or pasta sauce. Just make sure it’s a thick sauce and not watery (which could make the breading soggy).
Cheese – You’ll need both full fat mozzarella and parmesan for this recipe. I prefer to buy blocks of both and shred them myself. The packages of pre-shredded cheese just don’t melt as well. For the mozzarella, I actually like to buy the mozzarella ball and cut the cheese into thick slices. This is my preference as shredded cheese sometimes blows around in the air fryer so the thick slices will stay put on top of the chicken. You can also substitute with provolone cheese if you prefer.
How to make chicken parmesan in the air fryer
Below is a brief overview of the steps to make this recipe along with photos. For further details, please see the recipe card at the end of this post.
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate: This chicken parmesan is best enjoyed immediately. If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheat: As the breading will soften in the fridge, you’ll want to reheat the chicken in the air fryer or oven to crisp it up again. Reheating it in the microwave will only result in soggy breading. To reheat it in the air fryer, just place the chicken in the air fryer basket and air fry at 350F for 5-7 minutes. Be careful not to reheat it for too long as the chicken will dry out.
Key recipe tips
- Air fryer capacity. If you have a large capacity air fryer, you can air fry all 4 chicken cutlets at the same time. If your air fryer is smaller (mine is 5.8 quart), you’ll want to air fry them two at a time or half the recipe. I could actually squeeze all 4 pieces in my air fryer basket, but you want to ensure there is enough space around the chicken so the air can circulate and evenly cook and crisp up the chicken.
- Breading process. To keep your fingers from getting clumped up with breading ingredients, use one hand for the wet egg mixture and the other hand for the dry flour and panko mixture. You can also use tongs to move the chicken pieces from the flour to the egg to the panko crumbs.
- Don’t omit the oil. I don’t recommend leaving out the oil. It’s just a light coating on each side of the chicken and it will ensure that the breading gets golden brown and crispy.
Recipe FAQs
The breadcrumbs underneath the marinara sauce will soften a bit, but it shouldn’t be soggy. There could be a few reasons for this. If you used regular breadcrumbs instead of panko crumbs, the coating on the chicken will not crisp up as well. The softer breadcrumbs will absorb more of the marinara sauce, causing the breading to get soggy. If your marinara or tomato sauce is watery, this could also make the breading soggy. Lastly, before you add the sauce and cheese, make sure the chicken is almost cooked through and that you’ve flipped it over to crisp it evenly on both sides.
We love it with spaghetti (but any noodles will work) along with extra marinara sauce, grated parmesan and chopped fresh parsley or basil. I’ve also enjoyed it with a green salad for a lighter meal, or you can serve it on toasted rolls or buns and enjoy it as a sandwich.
More air fryer chicken recipes
- Crispy Air Fryer Cornflake Chicken Strips
- Crispy Breaded Air Fryer Chicken Bites
- Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs without Breadcrumbs
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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Print
Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 4 pieces
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Air Fry
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Description
This air fryer chicken parmesan recipe is quick and easy to make with a crispy breaded coating and a topping of marinara and melty cheese!
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 cup marinara sauce
- 4 slices mozzarella cheese (see note)
- Spray oil
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper.
- Prepare your breading stations. Add the flour to a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. In a third bowl, mix together the panko crumbs, parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, garlic powder and onion powder.
- Coat the chicken in flour and shake off any excess.
- Dip each piece of floured chicken in the egg mixture. Let any excess drip off.
- Coat each piece in the panko crumb mixture, pressing the crumbs into the chicken to ensure it sticks to the egg mixture.
- Spray both sides of the chicken with oil and place in your air fryer basket in a single layer. (Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to air fry two at a time).
- Air fry on 400F for 5 minutes. Flip over and air fry for another 3-4 minutes.
- Spread 2 tablespoons of marinara on each piece of chicken and top with a slice of mozzarella.
- Air fry for another 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the internal temperature of the chicken is 165F.
Notes
- You can use grated or sliced mozzarella cheese. I like to buy the mozzarella ball and cut it into thick slices. Grated cheese can sometimes blow around in the air fryer, while the slices will usually stay put.
- If you have a large capacity air fryer, you can air fry all 4 chicken cutlets at the same time. If your air fryer is smaller (mine is 5.8 quart), you’ll want to air fry them two at a time or half the recipe. Cooking time listed is for a single batch.
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