Air Fried Chicken Cutlets

I am not sure if this is an East Coast thing, but this is what we call thin sliced chicken breast that is breaded in seasoned breadcrumbs and fried in oil. They are the base for dishes like chicken parmigiana, and also make a delicious addition to salads or sandwiches. I, like most Long Islanders, grew up eating chicken cutlets weekly. Everyone’s mom on Long Island makes the best chicken cutlets, and mine is no exception. Typically, a weeknight dinner in our house was mom’s chicken cutlets, mashed potatoes and corn. I would usually dip my chicken cutlets in BBQ sauce, just because.

When I moved out on my own, I continued making chicken cutlets for Emilio and me. And then for my kids. It’s just the perfect family-friendly food. The kids like to chop them up and dip them in ketchup, and the adults love them because of their nostalgia. When I started eating healthier, I still wanted to incorporate my favorite foods into my life. To lighten up this recipe, it didn’t take much. The only change I made was from pan frying them in oil, to air frying them. Everything else stayed the same!

Air Fried Chicken Cutlets

Breaded chicken cutlets are a staple in an Italian-American home, but they are usually fried in oil until golden brown. While they are delicious, I was determined to recreate this recipe using no oil, and in my air fryer. This is a base recipe for air fried chicken cutlets. You can use these in salads, on sandwiches, or to make dishes like chicken parmigiana, without the mess of traditional frying.

Course: Main Course Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 6 Calories: 192kcal

Equipment:

air fryer
2 shallow bowls

Ingredients

1.5 lb chicken breast sliced thin, 6 pieces
¼ cup liquid egg whites
3/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
olive oil spray

Instructions

Create a breading station by pouring your egg whites into one shallow bowl, and the breadcrumbs into another shallow bowl.
Lay a piece of wax paper or a plate to the side to put your breaded chicken on.
Dip each piece of chicken into the egg white, and then into the breadcrumbs to coat thoroughly.
Spray the bottom of your air fryer with olive oil spray, then add half of the chicken pieces (depending on the size of your air fryer). I do 3 at a time.
Spray the tops of the chicken with olive oil spray.
Air fry at 400 for 15 minutes. At the 7 minute mark, flip the chicken and spray the tops with more olive oil spray.
Remove the cooked chicken and set aside on a plate, and repeat the process for the remaining pieces.