Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan

This Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan recipe has a garlic-lemon marinade that adds that little bit of ‘extra’ to this crispy yet cheesy meal. Guaranteed to become a family favorite!

Air Fryer Recipes are a great way to enjoy a lighter version of your favorite fried foods, such as Air Fryer Chicken Wings.

Coated with a panko mixture and parmesan cheese, it’s crispy on the outside as if it had been fried.

Yet the crispy coating doesn’t have the excess fat and calories of deep frying traditional chicken parmesan.

Inside is the most juicy chicken, so tender and moist. Yet the chicken pieces are so full of flavor thanks to a garlic-lemon marinade.

Finished with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese, this easy air fryer chicken recipe is a meal that’s sure to please the whole family.

This easy recipe is great for busy weeknights. Just leave to marinate during the day, and appreciate the cook time later, just 25 minutes!

This simple recipe is loaded with taste. It’s become one of my favorite Air Fryer Chicken Breast Recipes ever next to Air Fryer Chicken Tenders.

Ingredient Notes

Here are the simple ingredients needed to make air fryer parmesan crusted chicken, an easy dinner for special occasions to weekday meals.

As always, the full printable recipe card is at the end of the post.

• Chicken: For best results use boneless skinless chicken breasts. Cut in half and then pounded to about that is about ½ to ⅓ inch thick. You’ll want them even in size, so they cook evenly.
• Marinade: This recipe calls to marinade the chicken in garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. Marinading adds a depth to the resulting flavor that you’ll love. This step is worth doing.
• Crispy Coating: The chicken cutlets are first coated with all purpose flour. Then washed in a mixture of egg, paprika and garlic powder. Finally, breaded in panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.
• Marinara Sauce: I find marinara sauce to have so much flavor when compared to spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce. Yet, you can use your preferred jarred variety.
• Mozzarella Cheese: Use slices of fresh mozzarella or shredded mozzarella cheese.

How to Make Parmesan Chicken in an Air Fryer

Prepare the Chicken

Cut chicken breasts in half: Start at one end and holding knife parallel to breast carefully slice across the center to the other end.

Place cut pieces between two sheets of plastic wrap, using a meat tenderizer or the end of a wooden rolling pin, pound chicken to a thickness of ⅓. 

Marinade the Chicken

In a shallow baking dish, combine garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil.

Season chicken breasts with ½ teaspoon salt and add to baking dish ensuring the chicken is sufficiently coated with the marinade.

Let sit for 30 minutes, but no longer than 1 hour.

Bread the Chicken

Place flour in a shallow dish.

Mix eggs, paprika, along with granulated garlic and onion in a second shallow container

In a third shallow bowl mix panko bread crumbs with parmesan cheese.

Holding 1 piece of chicken breast vertically, lightly skim excess marinade off chicken and place into flour. Flip to coat both sides of the chicken evenly.

Next, dredge chicken into egg wash, making sure to coat evenly and allow excess egg to drip off.

Finally, press chicken breast in panko mixture and flip to coat both sides evenly.

Place coated chicken on a baking sheet and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to 7 hours.

Air Frying and Topping

Set your Air Fryer to 370°F and allow to preheat for 3 minutes.

Place chicken in a single layer in the basket of air fryer fitted with parchment paper or aluminum foil, to catch excess breadcrumbs. 

Bake for 6 minutes, turn crispy chicken over.

Spoon marinade over top, and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Bake for an additional 6 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.

Working in batches, keep cooked chicken pieces in a warm oven while air-frying remainder

How to Tell When Air Fryer Breaded Chicken is Done

Cook times vary so much with air fryer brands and their sizes. It’s best practice to use a meat thermometer. Chicken is considered done when it the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F. 

What to Serve with Easy Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan

Chicken breasts pair well with just about any side dishes. You can serve with pasta, salads or vegetables such as Parmesan Green Beans or Air Fryer Asparagus.

How to Store Leftover Chicken Parmesan

Leftover Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan Panko can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Just place in an airtight container or cover well with plastic wrap.

Can I Freeze Leftovers?

Yes! If you want to freeze leftovers, simply place each piece of chicken between a layer of parchment paper and stack them inside a resealable freezer bag.

You can keep these in the freezer for up to 4 months.

How to Reheat Chicken Parmesan in Air Fryer

To reheat chicken parmesan, it’s best to use the air fryer, to retain most of the crispiness.

To do so, cook in a 350 Fahrenheit air fryer for about 5-10 minutes. 

Tips for the Best Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan

Do not overcrowd the air fryer basket: Air frying works by circulating hot air, so it needs the room to do this. Cook your chicken in batches if necessary, or you’ll have chicken that isn;’t evenly cooked and will be soft rather than crispy.

Allow the food to rest: After air frying chicken parmesan, allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes, so the juices settle. This is important for getting moist chicken.

Preheat and grease the air fryer: Preheating allows it to start crisping up right away. If you don’t use parchment paper in your air fryer basket, make sure to spray the basket with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil spray to prevent sticking.