Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan Recipe

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Italian

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 30

Servings: people

Calories: 562kcal

Making chicken parmesan in the Air Fryer is so quick and easy.

Set up a breading station by gathering 3 shallow dishes.
In the first dish, combine the flour and a ⅛ teaspoon salt.
½ cup all-purpose flour, 1⅛ teaspoons kosher salt
In the second dish, whisk the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and remaining salt together.
1½ cups Panko breadcrumbs, ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Crack the eggs in the third dish, and beat with a fork.
2 large eggs
Ensure the chicken breasts are thin. If needed, slice the chicken breasts in half to create thinner pieces, or place the breasts between parchment paper or plastic wrap, and pound them to even thinness. Season the chicken with a sprinkle of salt.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour, then coat in the eggs, and then dip in the breadcrumbs, fully coating each breast.
Place each chicken breast in a single layer in the basket of the air fryer. You may need to do this in 2 batches.
Drizzle olive oil over each breast.
¼ cup olive oil
Cook at 370°F for 7 minutes. Flip the chicken breasts over and cook for another 7-8 minutes.
Top each chicken breast with an equal amount of marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.
1 cup marinara sauce, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Cook for another 3-4 minutes in the air fryer until the sauce is heated and cheese has melted.
Serve atop your favorite pasta with additional marinara sauce and cheese if desired.

For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free 1:1 baking flour and gluten-free breadcrumbs.
You can also use regular or Italian breadcrumbs instead of Panko.
Feel free to omit the Parmesan cheese or use a different hard cheese, such as Pecorino Romano, Grana Padano, or Asiago.
If you don't have Italian seasoning on hand, you can make your own!
Feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts.
You can use any neutral oil in place of olive oil, such as avocado oil or vegetable oil.
Use store-bought or homemade marinara sauce.
If you don't have mozzarella cheese, try provolone, Swiss, or cheddar instead!
Choose equal-sized portions of chicken. If your breasts are thick, pound them to an even thinness before breading.
Pat the chicken dry before dredging. This will help the breading to adhere better.
Preheat your air fryer for 5-10 minutes for the most even cooking.
Do not crowd the air fryer. Cook in batches if necessary. Otherwise, you will end up with soggy, undercooked chicken.
Chicken is fully cooked when it registers 165°F in the thickest part on an instant-read thermometer.
If planning to have leftovers, store the chicken, sauce, and cheese separately and assemble before reheating. This will prevent soggy breading.

Storage: Store air fryer chicken parmesan in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.