Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets

I LOVE chicken cutlets. I love their crunchiness, their simple flavor and their flexibility. I use chicken cutlets to make dishes like chicken parmesan and chicken katsu. I also love to just heat some up and serve them with a few wedges of lemon.

Before the air fryer, I would rarely make chicken cutlets because frying them is messy, and frankly, a pain in the butt. I had tried baking them in the oven, but they just never got crispy enough. The air fryer was a game changer. These chicken cutlets get golden brown and crisp in less than 10 minutes in the air fryer, but they are still juicy and moist. I like to make big batches of these chicken cutlets to have on hand in the fridge or freezer for quick lunches and dinner.

Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets

3/4 cup all purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

salt & pepper

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts

cooking spray

Cut the chicken breast in half crosswise. Set aside the tip end of the breast. Slice the fat end of the chicken breast in half lengthwise into two pieces. Once chicken breasts are cut into pieces, place the pieces one by one between parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound until the piece is approximately 1/4 inch thick.

Place flour in a shallow bowl. Beat eggs in a second shallow bowl. Combine panko, Parmesan, mustard powder and garlic powder in a third shallow bowl and season mixture with salt and pepper.

Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, shaking off any excess. Transfer to bowl with beaten egg and turn to coat. Lift from bowl, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Coat with panko mixture, pressing to adhere. Place breaded chicken cutlets on baking sheet and spray both sides of the cutlets with cooking spray

Preheat air fryer to 375 degrees. Spray air fryer pan with cooking spray. Add chicken cutlets to air fryer pan, making sure that pieces do not touch. Cook chicken in the air fryer for 5 minutes, flip chicken and then cook for 4-5 minutes more until chicken is golden brown. Remove chicken and place on cooling rack. Repeat with remaining chicken cutlet pieces. Serve immediately or allow chicken to cool completely before refrigerating or freezing.