If you’re someone who loves chicken and loads of cheese, this is the recipe to try. This Air Fryer Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Cutlet delivers it all, juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and packed with cheesy goodness.
Best Air Fryer Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Cutlet
Course: MainCuisine: Italian, AmericanDifficulty: Easy2
servings15
minutes14
minutes1
hour10
minutesIngredients
- Chicken Cutlet
2 pieces Chicken Cutlet
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspon Pepper
1 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- Breading
1/2 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tablespoon Chopped Thyme
Directions
- Chicken preparation
- Make cutlets: Cut the brined chicken breast in half lengthwise to turn it into cutlets.
- Pound the chicken cutlet: Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound the chicken cutlet to ½ inch thick. Be sure to flatten it, as this will help coat the chicken with breadcrumbs easily and ensure even cooking.
- Mayonnaise coating: In a bowl, mix mayonnaise with garlic powder, salt, and pepper thoroughly. Using a spoon, spatula, butter knife, or even your hands, spread the mayonnaise across the entire surface of the chicken cutlet.
- Breadcrumbs: In a separate bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and chopped thyme. Instead of thyme, you can also use Italian seasoning, chopped oregano, or parsley.
- Dip it in: Coat the mayo-covered chicken cutlet by dipping it into the breadcrumb mixture. Press each cutlet firmly to ensure the crumbs stick well. Both sides should be fully covered with no bare patches. Flip the chicken several times to achieve an even coating.
- Pat and Shake: Shake your cutlet to remove excess breadcrumbs.
- Air Fry
- Preheat: Preheat your air fryer to 380°F (190°C).
- Place chicken into the basket: Take out the basket and carefully place the cutlets inside. Be sure to leave a small space between each cutlet, and do not overcrowd the basket. Close the basket once every cutlet is settled.
- Let it cook: Start the air fryer and cook the cutlets for 6 to 7 minutes, or until the exterior begins to turn golden. Carefully flip each cutlet and continue cooking for another 7 minutes. Cooking times may vary depending on your air fryer, so if the crust isn’t browning enough, feel free to add a few more minutes.
- Add mozzarella: When there are only five minutes left on the timer, open the air fryer basket and generously sprinkle freshly grated mozzarella over the chicken cutlets. The amount of cheese is up to how cheesy you’d like it. Just be sure to cover each cutlet evenly to ensure it melts and cooks uniformly
- Serve and Enjoy: Remove the air fryer basket, transfer the Parmesan-crusted chicken cutlets to a plate, garnish with parsley, and serve!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
There’s so much to love about this Air Fryer Cheesy Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Breast.
Cheesy and full of flavors: Between Parmesan and mozzarella, this recipe has it all. The saltiness also blends perfectly with the flavors from the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.
Versatile: Air Fryer Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Breast works well whether you’re looking for a snack, a meal, or something for a special occasion. It also pairs with any dip or drink you like!
Healthy: Air frying this dish means you don’t have to use oil to achieve that crunchy, crispy bite. Hot air from this godsend appliance does the job perfectly without sacrificing quality. The chicken absorbs less oil, which means less fat and fewer calories. If you’re looking for some guilt-free pleasure, here you go!
Easy to make: Air fryer meals like this are easy to prepare. Just coat the chicken with mayo and breadcrumbs, pop it into the basket, and wait for it to cook. No need to deal with the mess.
How to prepare your chicken breast
Besides seasoning, the results often hinge on how the chicken breast is prepared. For this recipe, I combined brining with coating the chicken in mayonnaise, the best of both worlds.
Brining Your Boneless Chicken Breast
Wash the chicken, remove the skin, and trim off the tenders. In a baking dish, pour 4 cups of water and ¼ cup of salt. I personally prefer just salt and water, but you could also bring some citrus juice like lemon, along with garlic cloves and peppercorns, into the mix.
Next, place your chicken in the dish. Make sure it’s submerged enough to cover the entire breast. Cover it and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to an hour. You definitely don’t want to over-brine the chicken, as it may turn out too salty, learned that the hard way!
Remove the chicken from the brine and use paper towels to pat it dry.
Pound chicken
Slice your chicken breast into cutlets and place them in ziplock bags or between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin or meat mallet, gently pound the meat until the thickness is uniform. About ½ inch should be enough as you don’t want the cutlet to become too thin. Just flatten it enough to ensure even cooking.
Mayonnaise coating
Spread mayonnaise on both sides of your chicken cutlet. In addition to brining, coating the chicken with mayonnaise is the secret to making it tender and juicy. It also helps the seasonings and breadcrumbs stick better. Sometimes, I add a bit of Dijon mustard, but that’s totally optional.
If you’re not a fan of mayonnaise, egg whites or Greek yogurt are great alternatives.
Air Fryer Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Ingredients
You can find all of the ingredients here, and what to look for in each of them.
- Parmesan and Breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs are preferable for chicken cutlets, as they’re lighter and often create a crispier exterior. Mix them with chopped fresh thyme, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Parmesan. As for the Parmesan, I recommend purchasing a block and grating it yourself rather than using pre-shredded cheese.
- Mayonnaise: Mayonnaise serves a double purpose in this dish. When combined with seasonings, it coats the chicken and helps prevent it from drying out.
- Chicken Breast: Skinless, boneless chicken breasts are ideal for making cutlets.
- Mozzarella: Much like in Chicken Parmesan, don’t be shy with the Mozzarella, pile it on for those cheesy bites!
How to store leftover Parmesan-CrustedChicken Ingredients
You can store your leftovers in the refrigerator. Let them rest and cool first on a plate or wire rack before placing them in an airtight container and into the refrigerator. This will help them last for up to a week. If you want to prepare meals in advance, you can store them in the freezer, which will keep them for up to a month.
How to reheat Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Ingredients
When reheating your Parmesan cutlet, you can use a microwave, air fryer, or oven. However, based on experience, I recommend using an air fryer or oven. Reheating it in the microwave tends to make the dish a bit mushy and soggy, while the air fryer or oven helps crisp up the exterior.
Reheating Instructions:
- Air Fryer: Preheat to 350°F (175°C) and cook for 6 minutes, flipping halfway through. If frozen, add 4 more minutes.
- Oven: Preheat to 375°F (190°C). Place the cutlet on a rack or baking tray and bake for 10 minutes, or 15 minutes if frozen.
Note that if the chicken is frozen, there’s no need to thaw it before reheating.
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