This healthier and lighter chicken parmesan is the perfect go-to easy meal! It comes out wonderfully crispy, golden, and juicy every time and it only takes minutes to make it, thanks to the air fryer!
Ingredients
- 2 (6 oz) chicken breasts – cut into cutlets (see recipe tips in the post on how to cut them) or you can use store-bought cutlets.
- 2 cups seasoned panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2–3 large eggs
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Chopped basil and parsley for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees F.
- Set up a dredging station – in a shallow bowl combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Then crack and whisk the eggs with some salt and pepper in a separate shallow bowl.
- Coat the chicken – dry the chicken with a clean paper towel. Dip each piece of chicken into the egg, shaking off any excess, then coat it in the breadcrumbs mixture, pressing the breading into the chicken as you coat it. Place the coated chicken onto a clean plate. Continue until you have coated all of the chicken.
- Cook the chicken – spray the air fryer basket with olive oil spray. Lay the chicken cutlets into the air fryer in a single layer so that none of them are touching. Spray the chicken with olive oil spray and cook it for 5 minutes. Then flip each piece of chicken over and spray with more cooking spray and cook for 5 more minutes. Note: make sure to use non-aerosol cooking spray.
- Add the sauce and cheese – open the air fryer and carefully spread some of the sauce over the top of each piece of chicken and top each with some shredded mozzarella cheese and a sprinkle of parmesan. Cook the chicken for 2 more minutes to allow the cheese to get nice and melty.
- Serve – remove the chicken parmesan from the air fryer and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then serve it with a spinach salad or your favorite pasta.
