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This Crispy Air-Fryer Breaded Chicken Breast is such an easy meal you can have ready in 15 minutes. Tender, protein-rich chicken breast coated in an incredibly flavorful parmesan breadcrumb mixture, then air-fried to crispy, juicy perfection with no oil at all. A healthy chicken recipe you must try!
Having an air-fryer has totally changed my life! It’s true! Air-fryers are amazing and they allow you to cook incredibly delicious food without using any oil like this super Crispy Air-Fryer Breaded Chicken Breast.
This chicken gets so crispy on the outside and crazy tender and juicy on the inside, it’s amazing. We make it at least once a week, maybe more since it is great for meal prep and goes well with so many other recipes like on top of this Mediterranean Couscous Salad or with this Easy Oven Roasted Broccoli.
Plus, the best part is that it only requires a few ingredients and takes 15 minutes to make it! So you can have this Air-Fryer Chicken Breast on the table in no time at all.
Why you should buy an air-fryer
Investing in an air-fryer is so worth the money. You can cook healthy crispy proteins and veggies in no time at all using little to no oil. It is also such a time-saver and most air-fryers are very easy to clean plus relatively inexpensive (around $40-$100).
It will help you cook food faster, use less calorie filled oils, and is a great way to easily cook veggies and protein in less time with less effort. Plus it results in insanely delicious and healthy food you can enjoy and still stay on track.
This is literally the perfect go-to recipe for when you are craving crispy fried chicken but you don’t want to consume all of the fat and calories. Trust me it is amazing!
Why you will love this recipe
- A healthy easy chicken recipe your whole family will love!
- It only requires a few simple ingredients
- Ready in 15 minutes, thank you air-fryer
- Simple, healthy recipe that anyone with an air-fryer can make!
- Perfect for meal prep!
- Super crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside.
Ingredients needed to make air-fryer breaded chicken breast
Other optional ingredients to add more flavor
- Olive oil cooking spray
- Parmesan cheese
- Parsley
- Salt and pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- Hot sauce
- Lemon
How to make breaded chicken breast in the air-fryer
- Prep the chicken. Dry the chicken by patting it dry with a clean paper towel then slice it in half lengthwise. This is easy to do with a sharp kitchen knife.
- Make the coating mixture. Crack the eggs into a medium shallow bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper and lightly whisk until the yolks are broken down and the mixture is nice and bright yellow. Pour the breadcrumbs into a separate shallow bowl and add more flavor by mixing in 1/4 cup of shredded parmesan cheese and some dried parsley, which is optional but will add more flavor to the chicken. You can also buy parmesan and herb breadcrumbs that are already seasoned.
- Coat the chicken breast. Dredge each piece of chicken in the egg mixture then in the breadcrumbs mixture, pressing the breadcrumbs into the chicken to get it all nice and coated. Place the breaded chicken breasts onto a clean plate.
- Preheat the air-fryer and cook. Preheat the air-fryer to 390 degrees F. Once it is ready, spray the basket with olive oil cooking spray. Generously spray each piece of chicken as well. Place two pieces of chicken at a time (or however many you can fit in your air fryer in a single layer.) into the air-fryer basket, close and cook for 11 minutes, turning the chicken over halfway through the cooking time. Continue until all of the chicken is cooked. Air-fryers may vary. See notes section for what brand I used for this recipe
- Slice and serve. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes after cooking then sprinkle it with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon for more flavor. Slice it on a bias and serve with your favorite salad or healthy side dish.
Combine coating and dredge chicken Place onto plate Place into air-fryer basket and spray Cook for 11 minutes, flip halfway Remove and let cool Season, slice and serve
So crazy good and no oil! Can you believe it? This air-fryer chicken breast is literally the perfect meal prep recipe and it tastes even better the next day!
How Long Should you cook chicken in the air-fryer?
For breaded chicken cutlets, they should be cooked through and crispy but still juicy after 11-15 minutes if cooked at 390 degrees F. Cooking times will vary based on the size of the chicken breast that you use.
I used 5 ounce pieces of boneless skinless chicken breast that I sliced in half before I breaded them. It took exactly 11 minutes to cook them, turning them over halfway through the cooking time and cooking them another 5 minutes.
To ensure the chicken breast is cooked through, you can insert a kitchen thermometer into the widest part of the chicken. Once it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F then it is done.
Do I need to use oil to air fry chicken?
This is up to you, but in my opinion if you are making this crispy air-fryer breaded chicken breast then oil is not necessary. Olive oil cooking spray that contains no additional calories works out just as well and results in crazy crispy and delicious chicken that tastes fried.
Now, if you are making non-breaded chicken breast in the air-fryer then you will want to use a little bit of olive oil so that the chicken doesn’t dry out and still gets a nice crispy outer layer.
You would just want to mix up your spices of choice with some oil, coat the chicken in the seasoning then cook it the same way I did in this recipe. Stayed tuned for my Juicy Air-Fryer Chicken Breast recipe, coming soon.
What to serve with this easy air-fryer breaded chicken breast
This recipe goes so well with a number of other recipes that will make it a complete meal. Here are a few of my faves.
- Easy Maple Glazed Butternut Squash
- Ranch Roasted Carrots
- Roasted Cauliflower Rice with Chickpeas
- Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash
- Crispy Chickpea Kale Caesar Salad
- Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad
Here are some other quick and easy dinner ideas you may also enjoy!
- Easy Veggie Chicken Pizza Bake
- Simple Chickpea Chicken Salad
- 10 Minute Curry Chicken Salad
- Healthy Eggplant Parmesan – Air-Fryer Recipe
- Simple Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Recipe Tips
- Select nice thick, plump chicken breast. You want to use a good thick chicken breast for this recipe since you will be slicing it in half, which will still result in crazy juicy amazing chicken.
- Use large eggs that are pasture-raised. For the healthiest version of this recipe, you want to select organic, pasture-raised eggs that are large in size.
- Any breadcrumbs will work in this recipe. You can use store-bought panko seasoned breadcrumbs, gluten free breadcrumbs, parmesan herb breadcrumbs, or even whole wheat breadcrumbs in this recipe.
- Dry the chicken breast well with a clean paper towel before you dredge it. This will help you get uber crispy chicken once it is breaded and cooked.
- Use a good quality, non-aerosol olive oil cooking spray. Such as Pompeian Olive Oil Cooking Spray.
- Cook the chicken at high-heat. Cooking this chicken at high heat will allow it to cook through and get super crispy on the outside while still keeping it super juicy on the inside. Flipping it halfway through the cooking time will also help it become evenly cooked on all sides. Note. Air fryers vary.
- To make your own breadcrumb mixture. Mix 2 cups plain breadcrumbs, with a 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons dried parsley and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- To store this air-fryer chicken breast. To easily store this chicken, let it cool completely, transfer it to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Easily reheat in the microwave or at 350 degrees in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes.
Did you make this recipe? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below. I would love to hear how yours turned out!
Print15 Minute Crispy Air-Fryer Breaded Chicken Breast
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 11
- Total Time: 16 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Low Calorie
Description
This Crispy Air-Fryer Chicken Breast is such an easy meal you can have ready in 15 minutes. Tender, protein-rich chicken breast coated in an incredibly flavorful parmesan breadcrumb mixture, then air-fried to crispy, juicy perfection with no oil at all. A healthy chicken recipe you must try!
Ingredients
- 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts (about 4–5 ounces each)
- 2 cups seasoned parmesan breadcrumbs – or make your own, see notes below
- 2 large eggs
- Salt and pepper
Optional additional seasoning
- Shredded parmesan cheese – for topping
- Lemon
- Parsely
- Red pepper flakes
- Hot sauce
Instructions
- Prep the chicken. Dry the chicken by patting it dry with a clean paper towel then slice it in half lengthwise. This is easy to do with a sharp kitchen knife.
- Make the coating mixture. Crack the eggs into a medium shallow bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper and lightly whisk until the yolks are broken down and the mixture is nice and bright yellow. Pour the breadcrumbs into a separate shallow bowl and add more flavor by mixing in 1/4 cup of shredded parmesan cheese and some dried parsley, which is optional but will add more flavor to the chicken. You can also buy parmesan and herb breadcrumbs that are already seasoned.
- Coat the chicken breast. Dredge each piece of chicken in the egg mixture then in the breadcrumbs mixture, pressing the breadcrumbs into the chicken to get it all nice and coated. Place the breaded chicken breasts onto a clean plate.
- Preheat the air-fryer and cook. Preheat the air-fryer to 390 degrees F. Once it is ready, spray the basket with olive oil cooking spray. Generously spray each piece of chicken as well. Place two pieces of chicken at a time (or however many you can fit in your air fryer in a single layer.) into the air-fryer basket, close and cook for 11 minutes, turning the chicken over halfway through the cooking time. Continue until all of the chicken is cooked. Air-fryers may vary. See notes section for what brand I used for this recipe
- Slice and serve. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes after cooking then sprinkle it with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon for more flavor. Slice it on a bias and serve with your favorite salad or healthy side dish.
Notes
- Select nice thick, plump chicken breast. You want to use a good thick chicken breast for this recipe since you will be slicing it in half, which will still result in crazy juicy amazing chicken.
- Use large eggs that are pasture-raised. For the healthiest version of this recipe, you want to select organic, pasture-raised eggs that are large in size.
- Any breadcrumbs will work in this recipe. You can use store-bought panko seasoned breadcrumbs, gluten free breadcrumbs, parmesan herb breadcrumbs, or even whole wheat breadcrumbs in this recipe.
- Dry the chicken breast well with a clean paper towel before you dredge it. This will help you get uber crispy chicken once it is breaded and cooked.
- Use a good quality, non-aerosol olive oil cooking spray. Such as Pompeian Olive Oil Cooking Spray.
- Cook the chicken at high-heat. Cooking this chicken at high heat will allow it to cook through and get super crispy on the outside while still keeping it super juicy on the inside. Flipping it halfway through the cooking time will also help it become evenly cooked on all sides. Note. Air fryers vary.
- To make your own breadcrumb mixture. Mix 2 cups plain breadcrumbs, with a 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons dried parsley and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- To store this air-fryer chicken breast. To easily store this chicken, let it cool completely, transfer it to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Easily reheat in the microwave or at 350 degrees in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes.
- Category: Healthy Dinner Ideas
- Method: Air-Fried
- Cuisine: American
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