Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets are crispy perfection and golden brown in every time I make them. Flavors from the spices and crunch from the breadcrumbs are exciting to the palate.
This is a super easy dish that requires very little meal prep time and needs just a few ingredients. In less than 20 minutes you will be able to serve this simple meal packed with flavor without the mess of deep frying.
Looking for an easy kid-friendly dish? Check out these air fryer chicken nuggets. Or for more easy dinners, try these air fryer gluten free pork chops, air fryer pizza bombs, air fryer taco bombs, air fryer frozen pizza, or these easy air fryer empanadas.
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WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE
You will love this dish because they can be made to enjoy as a fast snack or served with your favorite sides for a busy weeknight dinner. These air fryer juicy chicken cutlets are a flavorful recipe and loved by big and little kids.
Crispy chicken cutlets are a quick dinner to make during the week or on the weekend. Air frying this delicious dish gives you more time to spend with family and friends instead of in the kitchen.
You can find all of the ingredients, tips, and tricks in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. If you're not in a hurry, keep reading!
Ingredients
- chicken breast. boneless, skinless chicken breast.
- egg whites. Used for the dredging process to help breadcrumbs adhere to the chicken.
- Italian seasoned breadcrumbs. These Italian breadcrumbs help give a lot of flavor.
- Italian seasoning. Enhances the flavor of the chicken.
- ground black pepper. Adds just the right amount of spice.
- olive oil spray. Helps create that crispy, golden brown coating.
Optional Additional Flavors: Pinch of kosher salt, cumin, teaspoon garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, teaspoon paprika or cayenne pepper.
How to Make Chicken Cutlets in the Air Fryer
Step 1
Use shallow bowls to create a dredging station by adding egg whites into one shallow bowl and make breadcrumb mixture with Italian seasoning, and ground black pepper into the other shallow bowl. Set both bowls aside.
Step 2
Rinse chicken breasts with cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Place them on a cutting board or baking sheet.
Step 3
Cover the chicken with a piece plastic wrap and gently tap with a meat mallet or meat tenderizer so they are all uniform in size and an even thickness.Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture and then into the breading mixture until each piece is fully coated.
Step 4
Place the breaded chicken on a baking sheet until all cutlets have been breaded.
Step 5
Prepare the air fryer basket with cooking spray, then add the chicken pieces in a single layer to allow room for the air to circulate and chicken to evenly cook.
Step 6
Spray the tops of the pieces of breaded cutlets with olive oil spray.
Step 7
Place breaded chicken cutlets into the basket and air fry chicken cutlets at 400 degrees F for 13-15 minutes, flipping and spraying cutlets with cooking spray again halfway through the cooking process for maximum crispiness.
Step 8
Check the internal temperature of chicken with a meat thermometer. Temperature should be 165 degrees F.
Step 9
Remove the crispy chicken cutlets from the basket when they are cooked through and golden brown. Place them on a wire rack to remain crispy.
Serve with your favorite sides and dipping sauce.
NOTE: I make this recipe in my Cosori 5.8 qt. air fryer or 6.8 quart air fryer. Depending on your air fryer, size and wattages, cooking time may need to be adjusted 1-2 minutes.
Tips
- Evenness. It's important to make sure the chicken cutlets are all an even thickness. Having disproportioned cutlets can make it difficult to cook them evenly.
- Cooking. Thin sliced chicken will cook faster. The thinner pieces of chicken may get done faster than thicker slices, which is why evenness in the thickness is important.
- Set up a Station. Make the dredging station like an assembly line. One bowl for egg whites, one bowl for breadcrumbs and seasonings.
- Digital Thermometer. Use an instant read digital thermometer when checking the internal temperature of the chicken breast.
Servings
There are many options you can choose from when looking for something to serve with chicken cutlets. Some of my favorite air fryer sides to serve are:
Variations
- Optional Additional Dipping Sauce: Honey mustard sauce, barbecue sauce, blue cheese dressing, marinara sauce or ranch dressing.
- Optional Additional Toppings: Lemon wedges, freshly grated parmesan cheese or chopped chives or parsley.
- Cooking Tips: Wear gloves when breading the chicken to prevent cross contamination. If you want even crispier pieces of chicken use all-purpose flour in your dredging process.
- Substitutions: Panko breadcrumbs, regular bread crumbs, gluten-free breadcrumbs plain breadcrumbs with your own seasoning blend. Use avocado oil spray instead of olive oil spray. I make this recipe in my Cosori 5.8 qt. air fryer. Depending on your air fryer, size and wattages, cooking time may need to be adjusted 1-2 minutes.
Storage/Reheating
- Storing leftovers. Allow chicken to completely cool prior to storing. Place chicken in an airtight container or resealable storage bag in your refrigerator for up to 3- 4 days.
- Freezing leftovers. If freezing, place chicken in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 2 months.
- Reheating leftovers. Reheat leftover chicken cutlets at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 3-4 minutes, or until heated through and the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees F with a digital meat thermometer.
FAQ's
You can use a frying pan or anything flat and heavy to pound down the chicken breasts. You can also use a sharp knife to cut the chicken breasts in half.
It is important to check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer because undercooked chicken does not kill the bacteria and can make you really sick. A meat thermometer stuck into the thickest part of your chicken will give you the temperature. If you do not have a meat thermometer, I highly recommend purchasing one because it is an important and inexpensive kitchen tool to have.
Of course, you can! Make air fryer chicken ahead of time to pull out and make crispy chicken tacos, chicken parmesan or a spicy buffalo chicken casserole for weeknight meals. Chop the chicken into pieces and place on top of a loaded baked potato or a green salad with yummy toppings.
I hope you enjoy this crispy air fryer chicken cutlets recipe as much as we do. It's a delicious dinner recipe the whole family enjoys. If you're looking for more chicken recipes, check out some of our favorite dishes below.
MORE AIR FRYER CHICKEN RECIPES
Are you new to air fryers? If you are, we have a great article about What is an Air Fryer. It talks about what you can make, how to use it, and more.
Looking for the BEST accessories to use with your air fryer? We've put together this list of our favorite Air Fryer Accessories.
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breast about 6 pieces
- ¼ cup egg whites
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs Italian seasoned
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- olive oil spray
Instructions
- Use shallow bowls to create a dredging station by adding egg whites into one shallow bowl and make breadcrumb mixture with Italian seasoning, and ground black pepper into the other shallow bowl. Set both bowls aside.
- Rinse chicken breasts with cold water and pat dry with paper towels on a cutting board or baking sheet.
- Cover chicken with plastic wrap and gently tap with a meat mallet or meat tenderizer so they are all uniform in size.
- Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture and then into the breading mixture until each piece is fully coated.
- Place the breaded chicken on a baking sheet until all cutlets have been breaded.
- Prepare the air fryer basket with cooking spray, then add the chicken pieces in a single layer to allow room for the air to circulate and chicken to evenly cook.
- Spray the tops of the pieces of chicken with olive oil spray.
- Place chicken cutlets into the air fryer basket and air fry at 400 degrees F for 13-15 minutes, flipping and spraying cutlets with cooking spray again halfway through the cooking process for maximum crispiness.
- Check the internal temperature of chicken with a meat thermometer. Temperature should be 165 degrees F.
- Remove the crispy chicken cutlets from the basket when they are cooked through and golden brown. Place them on a wire rack to remain crispy.
- Serve with your favorite sides and dipping sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is a calculated guesstimate. Please note that this can change with different brands and modifications you may make to the recipe. For the most accurate information, use a nutritional calculator with the exact brands and measurements you're using with each recipe.
©AirFryingFoodie 2023
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