Skip the fat and grease of frying, and the long oven bake times, and try Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan instead. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside and you can get it on the table in under 20 minutes.

What is Chicken Parmesan?

Sometimes called Chicken Parmigiana or Chicken Parm, Chicken Parmesan is chicken breasts coated in breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese, that are cooked until gold and crispy. Then they are topped with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella cheese before serving.

Typically the chicken is either skillet fried in butter or baked in the oven to achieve the crispy chicken coating. I prefer to use this air fryer method for a few reasons:

It eliminates the step of frying in oil or butter so the chicken is healthier for my family
Skipping the frying also keeps my kitchen a lot cleaner
It drastically speeds up the chicken cook time. Oven fried chicken can bake for 30 mins before done. This air fryer method is fully cooked in 12 mins.

What Ingredients Do You Need to Make Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan?

boneless skinless chicken breasts
melted butter
panko bread crumbs (like these)
grated parmesan cheese (like this one)
Italian seasoning
marinara sauce (find my easy homemade version here)
shredded mozzarella cheese

How Do you Make Air Fryer Chicken Parm?

Start by preheating your air fryer to 375 degrees. If your air fryer does not have a preheat function (mine doesn’t) then just let it run empty at 375 degrees for 4-5 minutes to heat it up.

In a medium bowl, melt 2T of butter. Set it aside.

In a shallow dish, combine 1c Panko breadcrumbs, 2t grated parmesan cheese and 1t Italian seasoning. Use a fork to stir until everything is combined. Set it aside.

Take 1lb of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and trim any fat. Cut them in half and place them in a freezer size ziplock baggie.

Next, use the flat side of a meat tenderizer like this one to pound the breasts to be thinner. This will help them cook quicker and more evenly.

pound chicken to flatten for air fryer chicken parm

Remove the flattened chicken breasts and set on a plate. One at a time, take each breast and place it in the bowl of butter. Make sure it gets completely covered on both sides.

Use a fork to transfer the buttered breast to the breadcrumb mixture. Use a spoon to help evenly coat the outside of the chicken in the breadcrumbs. Transfer back to plate.

I have a large air fryer so I am able to do all 4 pieces of chicken at a once. If you have a smaller one, just cook two pieces at a time so that you do not over crowd your basket.

Place the breaded chicken in the basket and cook at 375 degrees for 5 minutes,

large air fryers can accomodate 4 at once

Open the fryer drawer and use tongs to flip the chicken to the other side. Cook the chicken an additional 4 minutes.

flip the chicken over and continue cooking

Open the fryer again. Depending on the size of your chicken pieces, spoon 2-3 T of marinara sauce onto each piece of chicken. Sprinkle 1-2T of shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce.

Cook in air fryer another 2 mins to melt the cheese.

Transfer chicken to a plate to serve.

How Do You Reheat Chicken Parm in the Air Fryer?

Store leftover chicken in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To reheat the chicken, preheat your air fryer to 350. You want it to be a lower temperature than when you cooked it. Add the chicken to the basket and cook 5-7 minutes until chicken is warmed though and cheese is melted.

What Can You Serve With Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan?

Pasta and Marinara Sauce (try easy homemade marinara sauce)
side salad
green beans
steamed broccoli
spaghetti squash
mashed potatoes
roasted baby potatoes
garlic bread
breadsticks