Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan

This Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan comes out crispy and perfect every single time, with a trick for adding the sauce and cheese you won't want to miss!

Mr. Hungry said this was the best chicken parmesan he's ever had in his life and now requests it weekly.  And he is the type of person who will consistently order chicken parm at a restaurant, so I feel like that was a big statement.  On the other hand, while I enjoy classic chicken parmesan, I never order it at restaurants because by the time it gets to you, it's often soggy (unless they deep fry it, of course).  I can't stand that. I'm an expert in avoiding soggy food, and Mr. Hungry is an expert in avoiding any food that could even remotely be considered dry, especially for chicken.  So you can be sure this recipe is not only dietitian-approved by using the air fryer instead of a deep fryer, but it also solves both of those potential issues and meets in the middle for crispy, yet juicy, and perfectly cheesy chicken parm.

How? Well, by making this delicious chicken dinner at home, you can air fry it until it's golden brown and then add the sauce and cheese (baked/melted separately) right before you eat it (thank you for that tip, TikTok).  Which means it stays perfectly crispy the whole time.  If it came like that at a restaurant, I would always order it!  But since I don't think that will happen often, I'll stick to making this air fryer chicken parmesan recipe at home on the regular!  Plus, the kids ate the chicken cut up without the sauce because it's basically a chicken nugget at that point.  So that was a double win! You definitely have to try this one!

How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan

*Note this is a visual how-to section; the printable recipe card is at the bottom of this post. 

What makes this recipe unique is that we're going to keep the chicken extra crispy by melting the cheese separately. 

Just like in classic chicken parmesan, you will start by prepping your chicken and dredging it in flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs.  Then, you'll place the chicken in the air fryer basket and air fry to golden brown perfection. You will want to make sure your chicken is not crowded and in a single layer to ensure even cooking. Work in batches if you are making a lot of chicken.  

I love my oven-style air fryer because I prep an extra baking tray with the cheese while the chicken is cooking.  Once the chicken is done, I remove the chicken from the air fryer basket and switch to bake to melt the cheese (see pictures above.)  

If you have a basket-style air fryer, you have two options.   The best option would be to use a sheet pan and simultaneously melt your mozzarella in the oven under the broiler (I would do this when I had five minutes left in the chicken). Or when your chicken is done, you can spoon marinara over the top of each chicken piece and top with cheese. Continue to air fry for 1-3 minutes until the cheese is melted, golden brown, and bubbly.  

**For more tips on how to freeze, meal prep, and store this air fryer chicken parmesan, check directly below the recipe card!

Swaps and Substitutions

This recipe is high protein and low carb.  It isn't gluten-free, as written, but if you need to make it gluten-free, the swaps are below.  

•  Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast/Cutlets - For this recipe, you'll want to use thin boneless skinless chicken breast or chicken cutlets.  If you don't have those, like I didn't have them on hand, you'll want to slice your chicken breast in half or tenderize it/pound it down to make it more uniform and cook evenly.  That's why my chicken breasts are all weird shapes. You could also use chicken tenders or chicken thighs if you want.  But, traditionally, this recipe is made using chicken breasts.  
• Panko breadcrumbs - Traditional recipes for chicken parm can be panko, or Italian breadcrumbs, or a mix.  I was out of regular breadcrumbs, so I went with panko.  I like my chicken parm extra crispy, so this worked!  Feel free to sub here with breadcrumbs (gluten-free versions work, too!) or half and half.  The crispiest chicken parm will come from panko, though.  I've also used crushed-up root vegetable chips before too! 
• Parmesan cheese - You can't have chicken parm without parmesan, do not omit it!
• Italian Seasoning - Technically optional, but highly recommended since we aren't using Italian breadcrumbs.  
• Flour - I used whole wheat flour, but you can use all-purpose or gluten-free all-purpose as well.  
• Eggs - If you are out of eggs or allergic, you can use heavy cream as a dredge.  
• Mozzarella - You can use shredded mozzarella, but if you can grab a mozzarella ball from the store, I highly recommend it!  It will be easier to melt separately.  
• Marinara - Make my spicy marinara or use your favorite. I love RAOS (not sponsored, but hit a girl up if you have a contact.) 
• Fresh Basil - optional for garnish, could also use Italian parsley.  

 

 

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Looking for more ways to use your air fryer for a chicken dinner?  Check out my go-to air fryer chicken tenders, air fryer chicken cutlets, air fryer chicken thigh bone-in, and air fryer chicken breast.  

Wondering what to serve with your air fryer chicken parm?  We love roasted broccoli or steamed broccoli in the microwave and high-protein pasta.  And I mean, you can't go wrong with a piece of homemade garlic bread (we don't do anything fancy, just French bread with butter, a sprinkle of garlic powder, and a sprinkle of dried parsley, toasted at 400°F for 8-10 minutes. 

How to Freeze and Store Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan 

Store:  Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, reheat to 165°F.  You can freeze the chicken separately and reheat it in the air fryer or crisp it in a pan.  Then, add the sauce.  Or refrigerate chicken, sauce, and cheese together and reheat in the microwave. It will be delicious but not crispy!

Freeze:  So you have a couple of options here for freezing.  One would be meal prep style by using fresh chicken (not previously frozen) and following the recipe card through step 2.  Dredge your chicken, then freeze it on wax paper on a sheet pan in the freezer, and then it can be transferred to a ziplock bag.  When you are ready, air fry your chicken from frozen at 400°F for 15-25 minutes, flipping halfway through (make sure to still spray the air fryer and the chicken as stated in step 3 of the recipe card.)   Then follow the recipe card to complete.  Or, if you want to freeze this entire recipe after it's made, you can do that too!  I would freeze in individual portions, defrost under refrigeration (the night before), and then reheat in the microwave.  It won't be crispy, but it will be delicious.