Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan (Gluten-Free)

Air fryer chicken parmesan! Can I get a heck yes?!

If you guys follow me on Instagram, it’s no secret we obsessed with our air fryer and it wouldn’t be too long until this recipe showed up as it was one of my favorite dishes growing up.

Traditional chicken parmesan is usually breaded and deep-fried or pan-fried. While there is nothing wrong with that on occasion, it can be pretty heavy, is a lot of oil, and can add a lot of fat. With the air fryer, you don’t need all the oil and it makes “frying” foods so easy. The circulation of hot air gives you the perfect crispiness that sometimes you can’t achieve in the oven and the cooking time is a lot faster!

This air fryer chicken parmesan is lightly breaded in a homemade flour and spice mixture. Then “fried” in the air fryer for a tender and juicy breaded chicken breast. To finish it off, top it with some marinara sauce and cheese and cook a little more until it is perfectly melted.

Ingredients

• chicken breasts or chicken cutlets
• egg
• almond flour
• shredded parmesan cheese
• tapioca flour
• Italian seasoning – adds a little more flavor to the breading
• marinara sauce
• mozzarella cheese
• salt and pepper
• cooking spray – I like olive oil or avocado oil spray

How to make air fryer chicken parmesan

1. If needed, prep your chicken. Using a meat tenderizer, pound chicken into 1/2-1 inch thick pieces. I place the chicken on a large piece of parchment paper and folded it over to cover the chicken before pounding to help reduce the mess. If you have thin chicken breasts, you don’t need to do this.
2. Whisk your breading mixture. In a medium shallow bowl or plate whisk together the almond flour, parmesan cheese, tapioca flour, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. In another small bowl, whisk the egg. Set up an assembly line with chicken, whisked egg, and flour mixture.
3. Bread the chicken. First, dip the chicken in the egg wash, making sure it is fully coated. Roll in the flour mixture, fully coating and shaking off any excess. Place on a plate and repeat with the remaining pieces.
4. Cook. Spray the bottom of your air fryer basket with a little oil. Place chicken in your air fryer basket, evenly spreading out and leaving room in between pieces so the air can easily flow through. Spray with a little more oil. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you might have to cook the chicken in two batches to make sure they are not overcrowded.* Close the drawer and set the air fryer on manual at 375°F for 10 minutes.
5. Top with sauce and cheese. Open the drawer and top the chicken with marinara sauce and then sprinkle with shredded cheese, dividing them evenly between chicken breasts. Cook for another 5 minutes. 
6. Enjoy! Top with some fresh basil and serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!

How long to cook chicken in the air fryer?

Chicken breasts take about 10-15 minutes in the air fryer, depending on their size. Placing a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken can help to tell when it is done. Chicken is done when the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees.

Storage and reheating

• storage – store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
• reheating – fried chicken is super easy to reheat in the air fryer. Simply place it in your air fryer basket and set it at 375 for 5-10 minutes until warmed through. The amount of time will depend on how thick and big your pieces of chicken are. For this chicken parmesan, I like to reheat it and then add just a little more cheese on top, and reheat for another couple minutes until melted

What to serve with chicken parmesan

You can eat this chicken parmesan as is or serve them with whatever you like. Here are some suggestions for serving:

• pasta – what’s chicken parmesan without some pasta?! My favorite is angel hair, but any kind of pasta will work, regular or gluten-free.
• spaghetti squash – a great option if you wanted to keep this recipe lower carb
• salad
• crusty bread
• roasted veggies – broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, or even asparagus would be great
• roasted potatoes

Tips for air fryer chicken parmesan recipe

• If needed, use a meat tenderizer to pound your chicken, especially if using large chicken breasts. This ensures that it evenly cooks and helps get the meat juicier. If your chicken is somewhat small, you can skip this step, but doing it will help make the chicken juicy. You can skip this step if using chicken cutlets.
• Spray with a little avocado oil to help get them crispy and brown on the outside.
• Leave enough room between the chicken. Place the breaded chicken in a single layer, giving a little room between each one for even airflow. If you don’t have a large air fryer, cook chicken in multiple batches.

More healthy air fryer recipes

• the best air fryer french fries
• air fryer pork chops
• roasted air fryer carrots
• air fryer buffalo wings
• crispy air fryer brussels sprouts

If you love quick and easy meals and want to learn how to build a balanced plate, check out our FREE How to Build a Balanced Plate Guide!