The BEST Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets Recipe (Gluten-Free)
Published Apr 03, 2024
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Easy, air fryer chicken cutlets recipe that yields thin, tender chicken breasts coated in Greek yogurt, spices, and a crispy panko-parmesan crust. A 20-minute gluten-free weeknight dinner packed with protein and absolutely delicious!
Table of Contents
What Makes This Recipe Great
What I love about my Grandma Sue Sue’s recipes is that she uses simple ingredients in ways I never would have thought to use them, but without any extra time! Super quick and super easy meals made so darn delicious– she was a genius!
Enter, these Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets. Now, Sue Sue didn’t have an air fryer, so I adapted this recipe to fit any way you’d like to cook them– the quickest being the air fryer. But you could also pan fry, or oven-bake, depending on your time and preferences. These no-egg, breaded chicken cutlets are thin chicken breasts dipped in Greek yogurt (or mayo for Sue’s Sue’s original method), then coated in a gluten-free seasoned parmesan cheese panko bread crumb mixture.
The resulting chicken is perfectly crispy, full of flavor, and takes less than 20 minutes to make! A simple meal the whole family will enjoy.
Ingredient Notes
- Boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets
- Plain Greek yogurt: You can use Greek yogurt or mayonnaise. Using mayo will make the chicken more crispy due to the oil!
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Panko bread crumbs: Use regular or gluten-free breadcrumbs. You can find both at your local grocery store or specialty market.
- Garlic powder
- Italian seasoning
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Avocado oil or olive oil spray
Step-by-Step Instructions
Air Fryer Method
- Set up your dredging station: In a shallow bowl, mix the Panko breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- In another shallow dish, spread out the chicken and coat with Greek yogurt on both sides.
- Dredge the coated chicken in the breadcrumb mixture, making sure that both sides are covered.
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Place the coated chicken breasts in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook in batches if there’s a risk of overcrowding.
- Air fry for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Use a meat thermometer if needed.
Oven Method
- Follow steps 1-3 from above.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place the coated chicken breasts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spray a bit of olive oil over the top of each chicken breast.
- Bake in the preheated 400F oven for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown. Be patient and don’t move the chicken around while it’s cooking. This will result in soggy chicken.
Mac’s Pro TipS
Expert Tips
- If you only have large chicken breasts that are too thick, butterfly them (slice down the center with a sharp knife to make thinner breasts) and pound them on a wooden cutting board with a meat mallet or rolling pin to thin them out. This will also help them get super crispy.
- If preferred, use mayonnaise instead of Greek yogurt. That’s the original recipe Sue Sue used, however I lightened up my version with Greek yogurt instead.
- Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook in batches so as not to overcrowd the air fryer basket.
Serving Tips
Serve your crispy chicken cutlets with a side salad like the one I pictured here, or with roasted veggies or other favorite sides. You could even serve them over a bed of noodles with marinara for an easy chicken parmesan!
You can also serve these air fryer chicken cutlets by themselves with dips like marinara, ranch, or another preferred dipping sauce.
Storage Tips
Store your leftover chicken cutlets in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the air fry, oven, or stovetop until crispy and warmed through.
To freeze, let your cooked chicken cool completely. Then wrap each cutlet in plastic wrap and store them in a freezer bag or container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and air fry or bake to restore crispiness.
Recipe FAQs
Sometimes the breading is made with all-purpose flour, but in this case, we are just using a panko breadcrumb, parmesan cheese, and spice mixture.
The chicken cutlets are cooked through when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C) when tested with a meat thermometer. Additionally, the coating should be golden brown and crispy.
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The BEST Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets Recipe
Ingredients
- 3-4 boneless skinless chicken cutlets
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs reg or gluten free
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Avocado oil for skillet cooking
Instructions
Oven
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- In a shallow dish, mix the Panko breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- In another shallow dish, spread out the chicken and coat with Greek yogurt on both sides.
- Dredge the coated chicken in the breadcrumb Parmesan mixture, making sure that both sides are covered.
- Place the coated chicken breasts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spray a bit of olive oil over the top of each chicken breast. Bake in the preheated 400F oven for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown. Be patient and don’t move the chicken around while it’s cooking. This will result in soggy chicken.
Air Fryer
- Follow steps 2-4 from above.
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F. Place the coated chicken breasts in the air fryer basket in a single layer.- Cook for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through 165F.
Pan Fried
- Follow steps 2-4 from above.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and 3-4 tbsp of avocado oil. Once the skillet oil is hot, add the coated chicken breasts.- Cook for about 5-6 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked through and crispy on the outside and 165F internal temp.
Notes
Expert Tips
-
- If you only have large chicken breasts that are too thick, butterfly them (slice down the center with a sharp knife to make thinner breasts) and pound them on a wooden cutting board with a meat mallet or rolling pin to thin them out. This will also help them get super crispy.
-
- If preferred, use mayonnaise instead of Greek yogurt. That’s the original recipe Sue Sue used, however I lightened up my version with Greek yogurt instead.
-
- Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook in batches so as not to overcrowd the air fryer basket.
Serving Tips
Serve your cutlets with a side salad like the one I pictured here, or with roasted veggies or other favorite sides. You could even serve them over a bed of noodles with marinara for an easy chicken parmesan! You can also serve these by themselves with dips like marinara, ranch, or another preferred dipping sauce.Storage Tips
Store your leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the air fry, oven, or stovetop until crispy and warmed through. To freeze, let your cooked chicken cool completely. Then wrap each cutlet in plastic wrap and store them in a freezer bag or container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and air fry or bake to restore crispiness.Equipment
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
