This air fryer chicken parmesan is nice and crispy, and is ready in under 30 minutes! An easy and crowd-pleasing meal.
The air fryer is so great for cooking chicken; favorites include these juicy air fryer chicken thighs, as well as crispy breaded air fryer chicken breast. For those nights when you want to take things up a notch, you're going to love this air fryer chicken parmesan!
Because we rarely eat out at restaurants, sometimes one of us will remember a dish we really loved, then we cannot rest until we manage to recreate it at home. This chicken parmesan is one of those cases. I could not get the crunchy breading, juicy chicken, and flavorful toppings out of my head! After trying several different versions, this is my tried-and-true favorite. It is simple, but the breading never falls off, never gets soggy, and crisps up beautifully every single time. It's easy enough for a boring weeknight, but you'll be so impressed, you'll want to make it for date night, too!
I adapted my oven baked chicken parmesan for this recipe; it's a recipe that is loved by everyone in my household, including my picky kiddos. Serve it up with perfect fluffy rice and a classic kale salad for a simple yet delicious meal!
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Why You'll Love This Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan
- it's ready in under 30 minutes
- the breading is perfectly seasoned and gets so crispy in the air fryer
- the chicken breast ends up tender and juicy, and has a ton of flavor
What is Chicken Parmesan?
Chicken Parmesan is an amazing classic in Italian-American cuisine! Thin chicken breasts are generally breaded, fried, and then topped with marinara and melty cheese. It's often served with pasta, roasted veggies, a salad, and garlic bread.
Recipe video
Watch the video below to see how I make air fryer chicken parmesan! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan Recipe Ingredients
- chicken breast- to ensure they cook through evenly, we slice them into two thin halves. This makes them more even in thickness, and prevents certain parts from overcooking.
- Panko- seasoned Japanese breadcrumbs, these are larger in crumb than regular breadcrumbs and get very crunchy in the air fryer; you should be able to find them near the breadcrumbs in your grocery store.
- flour- helps the egg and breading stick to the chicken; you can try swapping for almond flour though I haven't personally tested.
- egg- helps the breading stick better to the chicken; another option is to skip the egg and flour and brush with oil, though your breading won't stick quite as well.
- basil- definitely search out fresh sweet basil for this recipe; dried simply does not compare to the flavor of fresh.
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Parm
1. Prepare chicken- Slice chicken in half horizontally to create two thin halves. Watch the video above if you are wondering how to do this.
2. Breading the chicken- Arrange three shallow bowls. In the first bowl, add the flour. In the second bowl, beat the eggs. In the third bowl, stir together the Panko, oregano, parmesan cheese and salt.
Working in batches, coat the chicken breast in flour (1), tapping so excess falls off. Next, dredge in the beaten eggs (2) until well coated. Allow excess egg to drip off. Finally, press both sides in the panko mixture (3), flipping until it is completely coated.
Transfer to a clean plate, and repeat with remaining chicken slices.
3. Cook- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for at least five minutes. Arrange breaded chicken in the air fryer, and cook for 10 minutes, flipping halfway.
Check to ensure your chicken has reached 165°F (or very close to it) using an instant read thermometer.
4. Adding the marinara- Once chicken has reached 165°F internally, spoon 2 tablespoons of marinara on the top of each chicken breast. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella, pressing into the marinara so it doesn't blow around in the air fryer.
Return to the air fryer for another 1- 2 minutes, until cheese has fully melted.
Air fryer models
This recipe was tested in both a basket and oven-style air fryer; cook times were remarkably similar in each:
- Cosori XL air fryer- took 10 minutes, flipping halfway
- Instant Pot Vortex air fryer oven- took 10 minutes cooked on the bottom rack (do not recommend using the top rack).
Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan Recipe Variations & Substitutions
- chicken- swap for boneless chicken thighs or white fish
- marinara- swap for pesto or brushetta (do not cook the bruschetta, just add it to serve)
- mozzarella- swap for monterey jack, havarti, gouda, or your favorite cheese
- basil- swap for thai basil or any other type of fresh basil; chervil is an alternative herb that might work in place
Serving Suggestions for Chicken Parmesan
This is best served hot and fresh while the cheese is still melty. Pair with pasta, zucchini noodles, or spaghetti squash. Serve your favorite salad with this Italian dressing for a fresh side.
How to Store and Reheat Chicken Parmesan
Chicken parmesan is best served fresh, as the breading loses it's crispy texture as it is stored. With that being said, it's safe to store and reheat:
- if you plan to reheat later, do not add marinara and mozzarella
- store in an air tight container for up to 4 days
- heat air fryer to 350°F
- add chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes, adding the marinara and mozzarella during the last 2 minutes of cook time
Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan FAQs
Yes, you can. You want to avoid wet batter that could potentially drip everywhere, but breading such as this recipe works just fine.
The key for crispy chicken parmesan in my experience is using panko breadcrumbs, the larger crumb helps them get extra crispy!
You can cook the chicken through, but I don't recommend adding the marinara and cheese if you plan to reheat later, as they will cause the chicken to become soggy.
I have never used frozen chicken and cannot speak to that. I would not expect this to work as the chicken would likely still be undercooked when the breading is ready to leave the oven. Moisture leaking from the frozen chicken would also likely cause the breading to slide off.
Yes, you can use gluten-free all-purpose flour (favorite brands: cup4cup and King Arthur) as well as gluten-free panko breadcrumbs. If you cannot find gluten-free panko, you can grind up pork rinds to make breadcrumbs instead.
More easy air fryer recipes
- Juicy Air Fryer Meatballs
- Lemon Pepper Air Fryer Chicken and Broccoli
- Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas
- Air Fryer Salmon Patties
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Parm
Video
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts roughly 1 lb
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour almond and GF flour may also work
- 1 egg beaten
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese freshly shredded
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup marinara sauce
- ¼ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
To serve
- fresh basil leaves torn
Instructions
- Prepare chicken- Slice chicken in half horizontally to create two thin halves. Watch the video above if you are wondering how to do this.
- Breading the chicken- Arrange three shallow bowls. In the first bowl, add the flour. In the second bowl, beat the eggs. In the third bowl, stir together the Panko, oregano, parmesan cheese and salt.Working in batches, coat the chicken breast in flour (1), tapping so excess falls off. Next, dredge in the beaten eggs (2) until well coated. Allow excess egg to drip off. Finally, press both sides in the panko mixture (3), flipping until it is completely coated.Transfer to a clean plate, and repeat with remaining chicken slices.
- Cook- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for at least five minutes. Arrange breaded chicken in the air fryer, and cook for 10 minutes, flipping halfway.Check to ensure your chicken has reached 165°F (or very close to it) using an instant read thermometer.
- Adding the marinara- Once chicken has reached 165°F internally, spoon 2 tablespoons of marinara on the top of each chicken breast. Sprinkled with shredded mozzarella, pressing into the marinara so it doesn't blow around in the air fryer.Return to the air fryer for another 1- 2 minutes, until cheese has fully melted.
- Serve- Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves, and enjoy.
Tips:
- if you plan to reheat later, do not add marinara and mozzarella
- store in an air tight container for up to 4 days
- heat air fryer to 350°F
- add chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes, adding the marinara and mozzarella during the last 2 minutes of cook time
Nutrition Information
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Hi, I'm Annie. With a Bachelor of Science degree, a minor in nutrition and nearly 20 year of both classical training, and self-taught experience, I've spent my career proving that home cooking can be practical, delicious and inspiring. What started in 2013 as one food blog has grown into a full-time business. Today, my husband Clayton and I run five food websites that connect with millions of home cooks every month.
When I'm not in the kitchen or behind the camera, I'm using fueling my love of travel, or chasing down new ideas that keep food fun and fresh.
Ellen Lane says
Delish
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Ellen, we're so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to leave a rating and review!