These Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets are so easy to make! Coated in a mix of Italian bread crumbs and simple seasonings, they cook in the air fryer with just a small amount of oil and are ready in under 20 minutes.
Ready for some crispy chicken?
These air fryer chicken cutlets are made Italian-style, using Italian seasoned bread crumbs, but you can also make Japanese-style chicken cutlets called air fryer chicken Katsu if you’re looking for a different flavor.
I love cooking chicken cutlets in the air fryer! Thinly sliced chicken breast cutlets cook up quickly, and they are so tender and juicy, coated in crispy bread crumbs.
List of ingredients
- Chicken Cutlets – Feel free to buy chicken cutlets already cut from the butcher. To be extra frugal, buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts, and slice them into cutlets yourself! Use a meat mallet to pound out the chicken cutlets to ensure that they are all the same thickness.
- Breadcrumbs – Italian seasoned breadcrumbs add extra flavor to your crispy chicken cutlets. You can also use unseasoned breadcrumbs if you prefer.
- Seasonings – A little bit of salt and pepper is all that I add to the chicken cutlets, but you can add any of your favorites too.
- Eggs and Flour – To make sure the breadcrumbs stick to the chicken, we’re using a three-part breading that starts with all-purpose flour and beaten eggs.
- Spray Oil – We aren’t frying these chicken cutlets, but we will need a little bit of oil to get the breading extra crispy in the air fryer. I like to use olive oil or avocado oil spray. You can also use an oil mister filled with your favorite cooking oil.
No Cutlets? Make them!
Place a chicken breast down on a cutting board, and hold it there with your hand. Using a sharp knife, slice the breast in half horizontally, holding the knife between your hand and the board.
You can slice 2 or three cutlets from one chicken breast, depending on how thick the breast is. To make each cutlet the same thickness, use a meat mallet to pound the cutlets out.
Let’s get cookin’
- Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper.
- Set up a breading station using 3 shallow bowls or dishes. The first should have flour, the second will have two beaten eggs, and the third is the seasoned breadcrumbs.
- First, dredge each chicken cutlet through the flour to coat it, and shake off any excess.
- Then, dip the flour-covered chicken in the beaten eggs, and let any extra drip off.
- Lastly, place each cutlet in the breadcrumbs, and press gently to be sure that the chicken is fully coated.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil, then place the chicken cutlets in the basket in a single layer, working in batches if needed. Spray the tops of the cutlets with oil too.
- Air Fry at 350°F/180°C for 18 minutes. Flip the chicken over halfway through the cooking time, and spray it again with oil to be sure that it gets extra crispy.
Tips for perfection like this 👇
- Don’t Overcrowd the Air Fryer Basket: Cook the cutlets in two batches, and keep the first batch warm in a low oven while the second batch is cooking. If you’re using an oven-style air fryer, you can probably cook all four cutlets at once!
- Be Sure to Flip the Chicken: The cutlets will cook all the way through if you don’t flip them, but they won’t get crispy on both sides.
- Use an Instant-Read Thermometer to be sure that the temperature of the cutlets is at least 165°F/74°C.
- To Make this Recipe Gluten-Free, use gluten-free all-purpose flour and gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Adjust the Seasonings: Try making cutlets with unseasoned breadcrumbs, and adding cajun seasoning or lemon pepper seasoning. You can also replace some of the breadcrumbs with grated parmesan cheese!
How to serve this crispy chicken!
These crispy chicken cutlets are a simple main dish that will go with any of your favorite air fryer side dishes!
For a healthy and easy dinner, I like to serve cutlets with steamed veggies (I usually make them in the microwave) and either Air Fryer Baked Potatoes or Air Fryer Potato Wedges.
Crispy chicken cutlets are also a delicious addition to a salad like a tasty kale apple slaw or caesar salad.
Take your dinner a step further, and turn chicken cutlets into an Italian feast. Add sauce and a slice of mozzarella cheese to the cutlets after they’ve cooked, and air fry for another minute to make air fryer chicken parmesan! We do a similar thing with eggplant parmesan, and it’s so yummy.
FAQs
Chicken is fully cooked and safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F/74°C.
Yes, you can! Season chicken cutlets however you like, and place them in the air fryer. Cook as directed in the recipe here. You may need to reduce the cooking time a little bit so that the chicken doesn’t overcook.
Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets
Equipment
- 3 shallow bowls
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts sliced lengthwise into 4 cutlets
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
- spray cooking oil
- 1 tbsp parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper on both sides. Place on a plate.
- Place the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow bowls.
- Dredge the chicken first in the flour, covering all sides, and shaking off any excess.
- Then dip the flour covered chicken in the beaten eggs, letting any excess drip off.
- Finally, place the chicken in the breadcrumbs, making sure that the chicken is fully covered. Press the breadcrumbs into the chicken if need be.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil. Place the chicken in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook in batches if need be. Spray the top of the chicken with additional cooking oil.
- Air fry at 350°F for 18 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F, flipping and spraying the top of the chicken with more cooking oil halfway through. Top with parsley.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- You can buy chicken cutlets already sliced from the store, or buy chicken breasts and slice them yourself.
- If needed, pound the cutlets with a meat mallet so that they are the same thickness. This will ensure that they cook at the same rate.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free all-purpose flour and gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Adjust the seasonings if you like. Try making cutlets with unseasoned breadcrumbs, and adding cajun seasoning or lemon pepper seasoning.
- Pro Tip: This recipe can be made in the air fryer unit with a basket or the air fryer oven. If you are using the air fryer oven, use the middle rack and select the “Air Fry” function.
- Pro Tip: Check your food as it cooks. Each air fryer runs a bit differently.
- Do you have Recipes you typically cook in the oven that you’d like to make in the air fryer instead? Use our Air Fryer Calculator to help you estimate cooking times and temps! Calculator here: https://airfryereats.com/air-fryer-conversion-air-fryer-calculator/
Nutrition
Two words…simply amazing!
Honestly, I loved this recipe so much. The chicken is juicy and the breading is perfect. Thanks!
You’re so welcome Heidi! Glad you enjoyed the air fryer chicken cutlets 🙂