Looking for a delicious and easy weeknight dinner option? Look no further than this Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan recipe. With perfectly crispy chicken breasts, tangy marinara sauce, and gooey melted cheese, it’s a classic Italian American favorite that’s made even easier with the magic of your air fryer.
This air fryer chicken parmesan delivers all the classic flavors of your favorite Italian dish but elevates it using our fool proof air fryer method that’ll have the whole family grabbing for seconds. Serve it atop your favorite pasta and marinara sauce for a complete meal. Even my picky toddler loves this recipe 😀
What You Need for Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan
- Chicken breast: We used boneless skinless chicken breasts that we cut in half for even cooking.
- All-purpose flour: Flour helps the breading get nice and crispy in the air fryer.
- Salt & pepper: Salt and pepper are necessary ingredients to get that flavor popping!
- Panko bread crumbs: We love how chicken parm tastes with panko, but feel free to use Italian breadcrumbs or make your own!
- Parmesan: Parmesan cheese adds a wonderful crunch factor to the breaded chicken.
- Eggs: You’ll need 3 large eggs to help the breadcrumb mixture adhere to the chicken.
- Olive oil: Olive oil provides the perfect flavor.
- Marinara: We recommend using a quality marinara for this recipe or a homemade marinara!
- Mozzarella: The perfect melty cheese for chicken parmesan!
Tips for Air Fryer Chicken Parm
- It is important to bread the chicken on a separate plate so the egg mixture doesn’t cause the bread mixture to clump.
- The process of breading the chicken is crucial to this recipe. Be patient and try to cover as much of the chicken as possible. It will make for an extra crispy texture 😀
- Make sure to preheat your air fryer before adding the chicken. This helps ensure an evenly cooked and crispy result.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket with too many chicken breasts at once. The key is to make sure the chicken breasts aren’t touching. This can lead to uneven cooking and soggy chicken!
Favorite
Air Fryer
On the hunt for the best air fryer? Our favorite is the Ninja Kitchen Air Fryer It’s reliable and moderately priced.
Storage
Place your leftover chicken Parmesan in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To reheat, place your chicken in the oven, toaster oven, or air fryer at 350°F. You can also microwave your chicken until heated through; just keep in mind that your breading will lose its crunch.
try it!
Stovetop Chicken Parmesan
Looking to make this recipe on the stovetop instead? Try our easy chicken parmesan recipe.
Serving Suggestions for Chicken Parmesan
Chicken parmesan tastes fantastic over a plate of pasta. Here are some of our favorite pairings:
…Or if you want to turn this recipe into a sandwich, why not place your chicken inside a hoagie roll? Yum!
Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs. chicken breast ~4 breasts
- ½ cup all-purpose flour divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup Italian panko bread crumbs
- 2 oz. grated parm ~⅓ cup
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 oz. marinara ~1.5 cups
- 4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese ~1 cup
Instructions
- Place the chicken on a cutting board and half them lengthwise. Using a meat tenderizer, pound until the chicken flattens out and is roughly the same thickness all around, about ¼ inch thick. Set aside.
- To make the breading, place ¼ cup of flour on one plate and set aside. On a different plate, add the remaining flour, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Using a fork, mix them together and set them aside.
- Add 3 eggs to a bowl or plate with high sides and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- To prepare the chicken, dredge each breast in flour. Using a fork or tongs, place the chicken into the eggs and be sure that the egg is sticking to all sides. Then, firmly press each piece into the panko breading. Lay the chicken on a cutting board to set aside. Continue this process until all the chicken is coated.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400℉. Drizzle each chicken breast with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil. Place 3-4 pieces into the air fryer and cook for 4 minutes, flip and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Continue until you have cooked all of the chicken.
- Spread 2 tablespoons of marinara sauce over each chicken breast. Then, sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella on top of the sauce. Air fry for another 1-2 minutes.
- Serve with pasta or on a hoagie roll.
Tips & Notes
- We used Rao’s marinara sauce, but your favorite will do just fine.
