Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan

With fresh ingredients and full of authentic Italian flavor, this Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan recipe might be your new favorite method of cooking the classic dish.

 

Air fryers are quickly becoming one of the most popular kitchen appliances. They are great for making quick and delicious meals, and many people use them to replace traditional cooking methods like deep-frying or using a pan.

Air fryer recipes are different from other cooking methods in that they use hot air to cook food. Instead of deep frying which uses a lot of oil, this is a healthier way to make a lot of recipes, including this air fryer chicken parmesan.

What is Chicken Parmesan?

Chicken Parmesan is a classic Italian dish made with breaded chicken breasts and topped with marinara sauce and cheese. While everyone has their own idea of what makes good Italian cuisine, this chicken dinner is a classic that will please the whole family.

A juicy chicken breast, fried perfectly crispy and topped with cheese and marinara, this classic chicken parmesan is perfect for busy weeknights. It’s an easy dinner that’s ready in only 35 minutes with minimal ingredients.

Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan Ingredients

The main ingredients for this traditional chicken parmesan are quite simple. Anything you don’t already have on hand can easily be found at your local grocery store.

• Boneless chicken breasts – If you can find chicken cutlets, those are preferred. But you can just as easily buy large chicken breasts and cut then pound them into thin cutlets.
• Egg – We need to coat the chicken pieces in an egg wash to allow the panko mixture to stick to them. Always assume a recipe is calling for a large egg.
• Panko bread crumbs – You can make your own panko breadcrumbs, or just as easily buy some from the grocery store. Add some italian seasoning to the breadcrumb mixture to take it up a notch.
• Parmesan cheese – We add a bit of cheese to the bread crumbs for extra flavor. It also helps to achieve that golden brown color that we want on this delicious air fryer chicken.
• Seasonings – We don’t need much to season this air fryer parmesan crusted chicken. Some dried oregano, salt and black pepper all get added to the cheese and bread crumbs.
• Marinara sauce – Of course you can buy the jarred marinara sauce from the grocery store. But you can certainly make your own homemade sauce as well.
• Italian blend cheese – If you can’t find an Italian blend, you can always use a combination of mozzarella cheese and provolone cheese. Grating your own is always preferred.
• Fresh basil – This is optional, but I love added some chopped fresh basil to the top of this chicken parmesan recipe. It adds a bit of contrasting color and also a fresh flavor.

How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan

1. Prepare air fryer. Spray the air fryer basket with a little cooking spray.
2. Prepare bowls. Combine the panko bread crumbs, parmesan, oregano, salt, and pepper in the first bowl. In the second bowl, beat the egg.
3. Coat sides of the chicken. Dip the breasts in the beaten egg, then coat them with the Panko Parmesan mixture.
4. Add to air fryer. Place the chicken breast in the air-fryer basket in a single layer, and top with marinara sauce and the grated Italian blend cheese.
5. Cook. Cook until the inside of the breasts has lost its pink color. The internal temperature of the chicken for doneness.

Variations

• In the oven – Yes, you can make the chicken parmesan in the oven. To make this recipe in the oven, preheat the oven to 350 F. Follow steps 2 to 4 and place the chicken on a baking sheet. Top with sauce and cheese. Bake for 25 minutes.
• Sauce – Marinara is a classic tomato sauce. However, you can also substitute any other sauce of your choice. For example, you can use Alfredo sauce , pesto sauce, vodka sauce or fra diavolo sauce for a different variation.
• How to serve – Serve with a side dish of your favorite pasta. A side of garlic bread and a small green salad would also be a nice addition to this crispy chicken.

Storage, Freezing and Reheating

Storage: This chicken parmesan will last for four days when properly stored. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Freezing: You can easily freeze leftover chicken parmesan too. It will last up to three months in the freezer.

Reheating: When ready to reheat the chicken, just toss it in a skillet with a dash of olive oil and heat it on medium to medium-high heat. You can also reheat the chicken in the oven. Simply add the chicken to a baking dish—Bake in a 350 F oven for 10 minutes.

More Easy Chicken Recipes

• Jerk Chicken
• French Onion Chicken Casserole
• Baked Chicken Thighs
• Pretzel Crusted Chicken