Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets with Parmesan Panko (No Flour)
Crispy Parmesan-panko chicken cutlets cook up golden on both sides with juicy, tender chicken inside. Pounding them to ¼-inch thick helps them cook evenly, while the simple no-flour breading keeps the prep easy and the coating crunchy.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 pound thin sliced chicken cutlets (3-4 pieces)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese finely grated
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Cooking spray like avocado oil spray
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
- Pound the chicken cutlets to an even ¼-inch thickness. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Whisk the eggs in a shallow bowl. In a second shallow bowl, mix together the panko, Parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, Italian seasoning, and black pepper.
- Dip each cutlet into the egg and let the excess drip off. Press into the Parmesan-panko mixture until evenly coated on both sides.
- Arrange the chicken in a single layer in the air fryer, working in batches if needed. Lightly spray the tops with cooking oil.
- Air fryer until golden and crisp, flipping halfway through and lightly spraying the second side. Cook until the thickest part of each cutlet reaches 165°F, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Notes
- Panko gives the crispest coating. Regular breadcrumbs can work, but the breading will be finer and less crunchy.
- Don't skip the pounding step. If you don't have a meat pounder tool, I recommend buying chicken cutlets that are already sliced thinner, and then you can use a heavy object like a heavy pan, a rolling pin, or even a potato masher to pound them. Make sure to do this step even if you buy thinly cut chicken.
- Air fryers vary. Start checking the chicken a little early the first time you make it, especially if your cutlets are very thin.
- For leftovers: Reheat in the air fryer at 350°F for about 3-5 minutes to bring back the crunch.
Nutrition
Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 856mg | Potassium: 513mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 502IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 189mg | Iron: 2mg
