I make these air fryer chicken cutlets on busy and hectic days because they’re delicious, high in protein and so much healthier than fried chicken. Everyone in the family loves them and they pair well with any side dish or salad.
I shared my oven baked chicken cutlet recipe a couple years back, and it has continued to be a reader favorite. Since buying our air fryer over a year ago, I have cooked many foods with great success. Given how well everything has turned out, I figured I should try my hand at “frying” up some chicken. I was ecstatic with the results, and couldn’t wait to share them with you all.
This recipe is quick and simple and produces healthy “fried” chicken every time.
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Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets Ingredients
We want our breading to be as flavorful and crunchy as possible, so we’ll be dredging in a well seasoned flour and bread crumb coating, with an egg wash in between. So grab your ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts fileted to get 4 cutlets or butterflied for 2 large pieces, about 1-1.5 lbs in weight
- 1 egg plus a splash of water, about ½ tbsp
- 1 cup bread crumbs, we recommend Panko for the best crunchy texture
- ½ cup all purpose or gluten free flour
- Herb and spice blend: paprika, garlic and onion powder, pinch of cayenne, and of course salt & pepper
How to Make Chicken Cutlets in Air Fryer
Prepping Your Chicken
We definitely don’t want you using whole chicken breasts as is, since they are likely to cook unevenly and even dry out. So we recommend either fileting the breasts in half, as shown below, or butterflying them to produce 1 large breast piece that is much more thin and will result in even cooking results.
To create your own cutlets, start by inserting your knife halfway through the breast, and cutting in half, so you end up with 2 cutlets per breast. If it’s a large breast and some parts are thicker than others, gently tenderize with a meat mallet till somewhat even in thickness.
To butterfly the breasts, cut down the tenderloin part but not all the way through, and then insert your knife along the breast and cut it in half.
Coating and Cooking
Begin by mixing up your herb & spice blend, then dividing it in half and mixing each half in the flour and the panko bread crumbs. If I’m in a hurry I will often just add the entire spice blend to the flour. Either way works!
Dip each cutlet in the flour blend, then egg wash, then panko blend. Set on a baking sheet until ready to use, or directly on the air fryer tray.
Lightly spray just the top side of each cutlet before putting in the air fryer to cook.
Set in your air fryer and cook for 10-16 minutes (see important note about cooking times below), making sure to flip the cutlets and spray half way between cooking, especially if you are using an oven air fryer. I find it’s not often necessary to flip in a basket air fryer though.
The first couple of times cooking raw chicken, I also highly recommend having a quality thermometer on hand to check the temperature half way between cooking. When you first begin using your air fryer to cook raw meats, it can be a little tricky perfecting doneness. For example, when cooking these for the first time, I was surprised that halfway through the cooking time, they were almost to their desired temperature! So I flipped the cutlets over and adjusted my cooking time as to not get dried out.
Chicken Cutlets in Air Fryer Tips
The most important thing to consider when cooking chicken in the air fryer (or any meat for that matter), is what type of fryer you have. The first and most popular air fryers on the market were basket fryers. These 2 different types of ovens cook foods differently and at different rates.
I recommend referring to your model’s owners manual/recipe book for cooking times. Start with the lowest average answer you find online, increasing cooking time as needed. You can always add time but you can’t take time back, and there’s nothing worse than dried out over cooked chicken 😉
The cooking times I recommend here are for approximately ¼ pound cutlets in a Breville Smart Oven Air and Ninja basket air fryer (I’ve tested them in both devices numerous times). I cooked for 8 minutes on one side, flipped, and cooked for an additional 4 minutes, for a total of 12 minutes. If you are using a basket air fryer, which tend to cook a little quicker, your cooking time will likely be between 8-10 minutes.
A Note About first Brining Your chicken
I always aim to make my recipes as simple as possible, so I’m including these instructions as optional! If you have time to prepare, I really recommend you always first brine your chicken before frying, baking, or grilling. It makes a world of difference!
To brine, simply add 2 heaping tablespoon of kosher salt to 2.5 cups of water and heat till salt is dissolved. Allow to cool. Place chicken breasts/cutlets into a Ziploc bag or covered pot, and add briny water. Allow to sit in brine for anywhere from 1-8 hours. When ready to cook, simply remove chicken from water, give it a rinse and prepare as usual.
other cooking tips
- If you are cooking in a basket air fryer, make sure to avoid overcrowding, and place chicken in a single layer. This may mean you have to work in batches, but it will be worth it.
- Avoid using too much or too little oil. This is why a spray oil is ideal for delivering the perfect amount of to your chicken during cooking.
- If you’re doubling the recipe to feed a crowd, I recommend making 2 separate batches of breadcrumb coating. If you try to make one large batch and bread 8 cutlets, the coating will likely get goopy and won’t stick to the chicken cutlets correctly. Trust me, I’ve been there done that, so work in 2 batches.
What to Serve With Air Fried Chicken Cutlets
Storing Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets
Store air fryer chicken cutlets in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For best results, reheat in the air fryer at 350 degrees for 4-5 minutes, till heated through. Alternatively, you can also reheat in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.
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Did you make this recipe?
If you gave this recipe a try, I’d love your feedback! Any tips or recipe additions you’d like to share, I’d love to hear it! Let’s connect down in the comments below.
Air Fry Chicken Cutlets
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken breasts fileted into 4 cutlets
- 1 Egg whisked with a fork with a splash of water
- 1.5 cups Panko bread crumbs
- .5 cup all purpose flour
- salt and pepper
- cooking oil spray
Herb and Spice Mix
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
Instructions
- Optional but recommended first step is to brine the chicken. Combine 2 tablespoon of kosher salt with 2.5 cups of water, and warm till dissolved. Allow to cool, and pour brine over chicken placed in a Ziploc bag or pot with lid. Allow to sit for 1-8 hours. When ready to use, remove from brine and rinse with cool water.
- Filet chicken breasts in half to make cutlets, by inserting a knife half way through the breast, and cutting in half. Gently pound with a mallet to even out cutlet, if some parts are thicker. Generously season with salt and pepper on all sides.2 Chicken breasts, salt and pepper
- Combine ingredients for herb and spice mix in a small bowl.2 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
- Place flour and bread crumbs in 2 separate shallow bowls, and add the spice mixture to the flour and/or breadcrumbs. Mix well to combine.1.5 cups Panko bread crumbs, .5 cup all purpose flour
- In a 3rd shallow bowl, whisk the egg and a bit of water.1 Egg
- Begin the dredging process of each cutlet by dipping a cutlet in the flour, covering all surface area, then dipping in the egg wash, and finally, dipping in the bread crumbs, ensuring you cover the entire cutlet as best as you can. Place on a baking sheet until ready to cook.
- Heat your air fryer to 380 for a basket fryer, and 390 for an oven fryer. Place chicken cutlets in a single layer on the basket and lightly spray with olive oil or vegetable oil. Cook for 4 minutes for a basket fryer, and 8 minutes for an oven fryer.
- Remove chicken from the oven, flip the cutlets, and spray the other side. If you have a thermometer, now is a good time to check how well they are cooked. Return to the fryer and cook for an additional 4-6 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you are cooking in a basket air fryer, make sure to avoid overcrowding, and place chicken in a single layer. This may mean you have to work in batches, but it will be worth it.
- Avoid using too much or too little oil. This is why a spray oil is ideal for delivering the perfect amount of to your chicken during cooking.
Karri says
So delicious! I am normally not a breast fan, but these were perfect- moist on the inside and so crunchy outside!