Air Fryer Breaded Chicken

This air fryer breaded chicken is a delicious and easy dinner option. Chicken fillets are coated in breading and air fried to crispy perfection.

Jump to:

• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 Instructions
• 🐓 Chicken
• 🧂 Seasoning
• 💭 Top tips for air frying
• 🥗 How to serve air fryer breaded chicken
• 🍲 Leftovers
• 🍴 You might also like these recipes..
• 📋 Frequently asked questions
• Recipe

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I am a huge advocate for air fryers. It's a handy appliance that allows you to cook crispy, crunchy fried food without using any oil at all. The result is perfect fried food, only a lot healthier than if you were to deep fry it.

This air fryer breaded chicken is absolutely perfect, with crispy golden panko breadcrumbs on the surface, and tender chicken on the inside. My family loves breaded chicken, and I am so glad that I can use this method to make a healthy homemade version of the dish.

🥘 Ingredients

To make air fryer breaded chicken, you will need chicken breast fillets or chicken tenders, panko breadcrumbs, egg and all purpose flour.

You can also add any seasoning you like. The flavors can be adjusted based on your personal preferences, and which side dishes you want to serve with the meal. See the seasoning section for ideas on which flavor combinations I like to add.

🔪 Instructions

Use a meat tenderizer to beat the chicken breast fillets until it's thin and tender. Alternatively, slice the chicken into chicken tender-sized pieces, or use chicken tenders.

Add the flour to a bowl, the breadcrumbs to another bowl, and the egg to a third bowl. Whisk the egg together to a smooth egg mixture.

Preheat the air fryer to 200°C / 395°F.

One by one, dip the chicken pieces first into the flour to coat it completely, then in the egg mixture and coat it again, and then into the breadcrumbs. Make sure that the chicken pieces are completely coated with breadcrumbs.

Add the chicken pieces to the air fryer, making sure to leave some space between each piece. Air fry for 5-6 minutes, then flip and fry on the other side.

The required cooking time might vary depending on how thick the chicken pieces are, but the total time is typically about 10 minutes. The chicken is done when the breading is golden and crispy, and the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 75°C / 165°F.

🐓 Chicken

I like to use chicken breast fillets for my air fryer breaded chicken, but you can also use chicken thigh fillets or chicken tenders.

If you use a different type of chicken, you might have to adjust the frying time. Make sure that the chicken has reached the required internal temperature before serving it.

🧂 Seasoning

You can add absolutely any seasoning to breaded chicken. Simple pick your favorite spices, herbs or seasoning blends, and add 1-2 teaspoons to the flour before you coat the chicken fillets.

Here are some of my favorite seasoning profiles to use with air fried chicken:

• Lemon pepper + thyme
• Salt and pepper
• Onion powder + smoked paprika
• BBQ spice rubs
• Fajita or taco seasoning
• Celery salt + cayenne pepper

💭 Top tips for air frying

Here's my best tips to get a perfect result when air frying chicken:

• Preheat the air fryer before you add the chicken. This makes it easier to control the cooking time, and will result in a more evenly fried chicken.
• Check every couple minutes until the breading is exactly as crispy and golden as you want it. You can adjust the suggested cooking time to suit your personal preferences.
• Approximately halfway through air frying the chicken, flip them over and continue cooking on the other side. This helps the breading crisp up evenly.
• Use a meat thermometer to ensure that the chicken has cooked through. Serving undercooked chicken is dangerous, and overcooked chicken is tough and dry.

🥗 How to serve air fryer breaded chicken

Breaded chicken is often served as an entree along with your favorite side dishes and a dipping sauce. Try serving it with ranch or BBQ sauce, and sides such as chili lime rice, roasted carrots and green beans, garlic parmesan wedges, sweet potato fries, Air Fryer Garlic Bread or tomato and cucumber salad.

You can also slice breaded chicken and add chicken pieces to a salad, or serve chicken fillets in a burger bun or sandwich.

🍲 Leftovers

Leftover breaded chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep in mind that the breading might soften over time. If you want the chicken to be coated in crispy and crunchy breading, you should serve it immediately after air frying it.

🍴 You might also like these recipes..

If you love to cook with your air fryer, you should try any of these recipes:

📋 Frequently asked questions

Is air fryer chicken healthy? - Breaded chicken is usually not particularly healthy, but this recipe is much healthier than other versions of crispy fried chicken as it contains no oil or sugar.

Is this recipe allergy friendly? - Always consult the nutrition labels of the ingredients you use. This recipe is generally dairy free, nut free and soy free.

Can I air fry the chicken with any sides? - Absolutely! If your air fryer is larger, you can air fry the entree and side at the same time. Try making these along with air fryer radishes.

Recipe