Air-Fryer Chicken Parmesan

The ever-useful air fryer gives you perfectly crispy chicken Parmesan without the hassle and mess of deep-frying!

Few things satisfy a craving for Italian food more than a classic chicken Parmesan. It was the most popular item on the menu during my long stint as a server at an Italian restaurant, and it was notably one dish we never received complaints about. It’s fairly easy to put together: a pounded, battered, and deep-fried chicken breast, topped with Italian cheeses and a red gravy or marinara, then baked until the cheese is all gooey and melty. You cannot have a bad day if you eat chicken Parmesan for lunch.

Unfortunately, there aren’t a ton of great choices for Italian restaurants where I live now. What’s a gal to do with an Italian food craving when there’s no hole-in-the-wall Italian place nearby playing The Godfather soundtrack on repeat? Well, you put that soundtrack on at home and start pounding out chicken breasts, sister. And if you have an air fryer at home, you can make it a little bit easier on yourself!

This easy air-fryer chicken Parmesan recipe lets you cut out the deep-frying step, which is great on two levels: less oil ends up in your meal, and deep-frying is a messy headache anyway. With this recipe, you’re free to make your chicken Parmesan whenever you like, and you can put as much sauce and cheese on it as you want without having to ask anyone to bring it to you! See, there are perks to making this stuff at home.

Is Air-Fryer Chicken Parmesan Healthy? 

This recipe is absolutely healthier than a chicken Parmesan you’d order at a restaurant, since it’s typically deep-fried before it’s baked. One thing you’ll notice about this recipe is that it doesn’t have any added oil, which is pretty remarkable. You’ll still get a deliciously crispy chicken breast in the air fryer. Chicken breast is healthy in general, as it’s loaded with protein and is low in fat. Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese provide some protein, too. Marinara sauce is generally healthy, as it’s typically made of mostly veggies and doesn’t usually contain lots of fat or calories.

That being said, the breading does add quite a few calories and some sodium, and the cheeses add saturated fat. This isn’t a low-calorie meal, but it is high in protein and can absolutely be worth eating every now and then as part of a healthy diet! If you’re concerned about the sodium content in this recipe, note that most of the sodium comes from the breading and cheese, but you can simply decrease the amount of added salt to lower the sodium a bit. You can also make this gluten-free by using gluten-free flour and panko!

How To Flatten Chicken Breast

If you’ve never pounded out a piece of chicken, worry not! It’s easy and you don’t necessarily need a meat mallet to do it (but you’re welcome to use one). And if you’re considering skipping this step, let me tell you why you shouldn’t. Chicken breasts come in different sizes, even within the same package, and pounding them all to the same thickness means they’ll cook more evenly. Pounding out the chicken also tenderizes the meat, so you’ll be able to easily cut through the finished chicken Parmesan without any trouble! Anyway, here’s a short primer on how to pound out a chicken breast.

1. Prepare the pounding area: On a cutting board, place one chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap, parchment paper, or even inside a large ziplock bag.
2. Pound the chicken: Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, hit the chicken breast with even force, starting at the center of the breast and moving outward toward each edge. If you see the breast meat start to tear or get too thin, you’re hitting it too hard!
3. Continue until the whole breast is an even thickness: For this recipe, aim for a thickness of about half an inch.

Serving Suggestions

This air-fryer chicken Parmesan is flavorful and delicious all on its own, but lots of people (and restaurants) serve it on a bed of pasta. I’m a big fan of that pairing! If you’re skipping pasta, I recommend serving this on top of some Instant-Pot Spaghetti Squash or this recipe for Zucchini Noodles With Raw Tomato Sauce. Personally, I require garlic bread with any Italian marinara or red sauce dish, so I whip up some of this Garlic Toast to serve on the side. Some delicious veggies would also make great sides, such as Easy Sautéed Fresh Green Beans With Crispy Prosciutto or some simple Air-Fryer Zucchini.

Recipe