Air Fryer Parmesan Chicken is an easy, quick-to-make, healthy air fryer chicken recipe. Here the chicken breasts are coated in Parmesan flavored with seasonings and then air fried to get a crispy on the outside, juicy chicken.
Chicken Parmigiana
Chicken Parmesan or Chicken Parmigiana is one of the most popular and ordered food in the world. It was regularly served as a main throughout Australia and hence became identified as an Australian dish. Usually served over a heaping plate of pasta, it is filling and extremely delicious, and indulgent.
But here is a healthy chicken parmesan recipe.
What's best about this Air Fryer Parmesan Chicken recipe?
Very minimal prep and no oil! Period.
I had an amazing February with hell lot of celebrations at home, starting with our wedding anniversary and ending on a high note with my birthday. Needless to say, the overindulgence of cakes and chocolates is now showing in the not so right places and I wanted to turn down the notch a little without compromising on the taste.
I promise this recipe doesn’t take more than 20-30 minutes, start to finish. And it is the kind of meal you crave to beat Monday blues or on a Friday when you have absolutely no plans of going out, thanks to the new normal.
Air fryer Parmesan Chicken is crispy, saucy, cheese-gooey and you'll go oooo…. yeaaah. Come on, say it!
There are different ways you can make the good ol' Chicken Parmesan. The original recipe calls for deep frying the breadcrumb-cheese crusted chicken breasts in oil, adding a dollop of marinara sauce and gooey mozzarella cheese to be cooked in a skillet again until the cheese melts.
Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan
These days I am obsessed with trying out different air fryer recipes and they are all coming out absolutely lip-smacking. I'm really happy with my Kenstar Aster Digi Oxy Fryer (affiliate not sponsored) as it is easy to use and no rocket science. It helps me dish out delicious dishes one after the other.
| How to Use an Air Fryer: Basics to Get You Started
Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan makes for a delicious weeknight dinner. With no oil, it cannot get anymore healthier while still enjoying the gooey cheese and juicy chicken.
I will share two healthier versions of Chicken Parmesan.
How to Make Parmesan Chicken in an Air Fryer
- To make Parmesan chicken, we need two chicken breasts. Slice into two halves lengthwise, to make four servings. You may also pound it for even cooking.
- For the breadcrumb coating, add seasonings like Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and shredded parmesan cheese. Can you use fresh breadcrumbs for this recipe? Find the FAQs below for more tips.
- Preheat the air fryer to 200 C or 390 F for 5 minutes. Place the crusted chicken on the basket on a single layer. Do not overcrowd. I could manage to place all four slices together.
- Cook for 10 minutes. After the 6 minute mark, remove the basket and flip the chicken pieces.
- Add a tablespoon of Marinara sauce to each of the pieces. Top it with grated mozzarella cheese.
- Cook for the remaining 4 minutes, until the cheese melts.
- Sprinkle red chili flakes or parsley and serve hot with zoodles or pasta.
Baked Chicken Parmesan
You may also choose to bake Chicken parmesan in an oven. This is healthier option when compared to deep frying. The coating remains the same as above.
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet and add the coated chicken. Fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side until the outside is golden brown.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Top it with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese and bake for a couple of minutes more until the cheese bubbles.
Low Carb Keto Chicken Parmesan
Did you know we can also make a low-carb version of this classic recipe? I used to follow the Ketogenic diet religiously a couple of months back but due to some emergencies at home, I couldn't continue with the diet. You can find a wide variety of Keto recipes on the blog if you are interested.
| Keto Recipes on Something's Cooking
For a Keto version of Parmesan chicken, we use almond flour for the coating and freshly grated parmesan cheese. The other ingredients remain the same because cheese is goooooood for Keto! You'd need about ½ cup of almond flour for a pound of chicken breasts.
Air Fryer Parmesan Chicken Recipe
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Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan
- Total Time: 20
Description
Air Fryer Parmesan Chicken is an easy, quick-to-make, healthy air fryer chicken recipe. Very minimal prep and no oil, it is as healthy as it can get!
Ingredients
1 pound Chicken breasts (2-3 breasts)
¾ cup Breadcrumbs (Panko, Italian-flavored or Fresh)
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Pepper, ground
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated
2 tbsp Italian seasoning (or ½ tsp each of dried Parsley, Oregano, Rosemary)
2 eggs
½ cup Marinara sauce
¾ cup Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
To make Parmesan chicken, we need two chicken breasts. Slice into two halves lengthwise, to make four servings. You may also pound it for even cooking.
For the breadcrumb coating, add seasonings like Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and shredded parmesan cheese.
Beat two eggs together.
Coat each breast piece with egg wash first and then the flavored breadcrumb.
Preheat the air fryer to 200 C or 390 F for 5 minutes. Place the crusted chicken on the basket on a single layer. Do not overcrowd. I could manage to place all four slices together.
Cook for 10 minutes. After the 6 minute mark, remove the basket and flip the chicken pieces.
Add a tablespoon of Marinara sauce to each of the pieces. Top it with grated mozzarella cheese.
Cook for the remaining 4 minutes, until the cheese melts.
Sprinkle red chili flakes or parsley and serve hot with zoodles or pasta.
Baked: Preheat the oven to 425 F. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet and add the coated chicken. Fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side until the outside is golden brown. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Top it with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese and bake for a couple of minutes more until the cheese bubbles.
Low Carb Keto: For a Keto version of Parmesan chicken, substitute breadcrumbs with ½ cup almond flour for the coating. The other ingredients remain the same. Check the storebought marinara sauce for it may contain processed sugar.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Main
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: Australian
Keywords: Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan
FAQs Air Fryer Parmesan Chicken:
- Can you use fresh breadcrumbs for this recipe? Actually, yes! There may be many purists who would disagree with me and rightly so. For best results, use panko breadcrumbs which are coarse, grainy, and dry. However, I have used freshly made breadcrumbs and the results were still amazing. I got a crunchy crust, thanks to the air fryer.
That said, I wouldn't suggest using freshly ground breadcrumbs if you are not cooking this Parmesan chicken in an air fryer and plans to deep fry the chicken breasts.
You may also use Italian breadcrumbs which are already flavored with Italian seasonings. In that case, avoid adding the seasoning again. - Can you use storebought Marinara sauce? Of course, yes! Using a storebought Marinara sauce makes the whole process easy and you can whip out this dish in about 15 minutes.
- What goes good with Chicken Parm? How can Chicken Parmesan be served? Chicken Parm can be served as a side to Spaghetti Pasta, Saffron rice, Garlic bread, Roasted potatoes, Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Brussel sprouts.
- Why does my breading always fall off? Air frying the chicken parmesan doesn't make the coating fall off. So, this isn't applicable to this recipe.
But if you are going for the classic chicken parmesan recipe, then there are many reasons your crumb coating keeps falling off the chicken parmesan. The main reason could be binding not being proper. Use paper towels to keep the chicken surface dry before adding it to the egg wash and breadcrumb coating. You may also lay the breaded chicken on a cookie sheet for some time before frying.
6. Why is my fried chicken not crispy? Again, Air frying results in crispy fried chicken. If for any reason, you are incorporating this recipe for the classic version, make sure to fry the chicken in medium-high heat. Your fried chicken will be soggy and not crispy if the heat is too low. If the heat is too high, it will burn the coating and the insides will not be cooked properly.
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