Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets (Gluten Free)
These crispy, golden Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets are a classic comfort food that never fails to satisfy. An air-fryer version gives you that same crunchy goodness with just a fraction of the oil and mess. They’re golden brown on the outside, tender on the inside, and absolutely delicious.
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In This Article
What Makes This Recipe So Good?
Chicken is an excellent source of nutrients providing a complete protein source in addition to plenty of B vitamins, and vitamin E along with minerals like zinc, magnesium, iron and manganese. This combination of nutrients plays a crucial role in DNA synthesis, neurotransmitter function, supporting nerve function and immune health, antioxidant defence and maintaining health overall. Adding to this, air frying significantly reduces the formation of acrylamide compared to deep frying, a compound with links to several chronic health concerns.
And of course, using almond meal to ‘bread’ these chicken breast cutlets means they can be enjoyed by those with a gluten intolerance or allergy while further increasing nutrient intake. If you have a nut allergy no fear though! Check the substitutions and variations section below for an alternative.
Ingredients – What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe
This is the perfect meal for busy weeknights, as it’s quick to make and just as quick to cook. The ingredients used are simple, and swaps if needed are offered in the substitutions and variations section below.
- Skinless Chicken Breasts – Provide a lean source of protein and serve as the base for the dish.
- Almond Flour – Adds a nutty flavor, while helping to create a crispy coating for the chicken. It’s also adding nutrients like healthy fats and fiber.
- Parmesan Cheese – This adds a richness to the final taste of the cutlets. It’s also one of the ingredients that helps create a golden-brown crust during air-frying.
- Egg – Serves as a binding agent that help the almond flour and parmesan mix stick to the chicken. It also contributes moisture and adds to the crispy coating.
- Lemon Zest – Provides a bright, fresh, citrusy taste and lots of extra flavor that complements the savory notes of the chicken and Parmesan cheese.
- Spice Mix – I’ve used garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and sea salt. A combination that adds depth of flavor to the overall taste of the dish.
For a dairy-free version simply omit the parmesan cheese or replace with nutritional yeast. The cheese does help to give the cutlets that lovely golden colour so those without may be slightly more pale. Still delicious though!
How To Make These Breaded Chicken Cutlets
This recipe does require a little preparation but it cooks very quickly with little hands on effort needed from you. Just note if you have a small air fryer basket you may need to cook this in two or three batches so as not to crowd the chicken.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F/200°C for 10 minutes as you prep your ingredients.
- Prepare a breading station – Start with the egg mixture by whisking the egg in a bowl and setting it out as the first step in the chicken cutlet assembly line.
- Next add the almond flour, garlic and onion powders, Italian seasoning, parmesan, lemon zest, and salt to a large, shallow dish and mix to combine. Put this next to the egg mix as the second step. Then spray the air fryer basket or trays with olive oil spray and place this at the end.
- Take one chicken breast and lay it flat on a cutting board. Slice through the middle of the whole chicken breast horizontally so you have two thin-sliced chicken breasts of an even thickness. If needed use a meat tenderizer or rolling pin to thin the chicken out further. You want it to be about ¼ inch / half a centimetre thick.
- Coat the chicken: Take a piece of chicken and dip it into the egg wash then coat it evenly with the almond flour mixture on both sides, pressing gently to adhere. Spray both sides with olive oil spray and add to the air fryer basket or tray without overcrowding.
- Follow this process for the remaining chicken pieces until they’re all coated.
- Air fry for 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over, spray the top of the chicken with olive oil spray again and cook for a further 4 minutes at 400°F (200°C) or until cooked through.
Serve the chicken cutlets with fresh lemon juice and cilantro chimichurri, or your sauce of choice, plus a green salad with a simple dressing.
Substitutions And Variations
Almond flour is delicious in this recipe but it will only get so crispy. If you’re after that classic schnitzel/cutlet crunch and gluten isn’t a concern for you – replace the almond flour with panko breadcrumbs. These are found at your local grocery store either alongside the breadcrumbs or in the International food aisle. Panko breadcrumbs are a type of Japanese breadcrumb known for their light, airy texture and crispy consistency. This makes them a great option for breading in an air fryer chicken recipe.
Nutritional yeast could be added to the flour mix if you need to skip on the dairy. I recommend starting with ¼ of a cup and adjust to your tastes if needed.
Hints And Tips For Success With This Recipe
Just note that if you line your air fryer with parchment paper before laying the chicken down it may not brown as much because it will be sitting in liquid.
The air fryer I use has shelves, not a basket. If yours does use a basket be sure not to overcrowd it. Also, leave enough space between the chicken cutlets in any type of air fryer to allow for proper air circulation. This allows the chicken to cook evenly and attain that golden crust.
Don’t skip on spraying with a little oil – This, in addition to the parmesan ensures that a lovely golden crust will form.
Storing/Freezing/Make Ahead
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. To reheat leftovers:
- Preheat the air fryer to 375ºF/190ºC for 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken cutlets and cook for 4-5 minutes or until completely heated through.
To freeze – follow the process to bread the chicken then while they’re still raw, lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover the tray with plastic wrap and freeze for a few hours or until the chicken is completely frozen. I find overnight is best. Take the chicken from the tray, add to freezer bags and store in the freezer. It can be kept this way for up to a month. To cook it from frozen:
- Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF/200ºC for 10 minutes.
- Place the frozen chicken cutlets in the air fryer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Flip the chicken over, spraying both sides with olive oil spray before you do, and air fry at 400ºF/200ºC for another 5-7 minutes or until completely cooked through.
Chicken cutlets can be breaded up to 24 hours ahead of time and stored in the fridge ready for you to cook.
FAQ
Using almond flour in this recipe means there is much less crunch in the crust, but a tonne of added flavor. In general though, when chicken doesn’t crisp as expected in an air fryer it’s usually caused by overcrowding chicken pieces or not cooking at a high enough temperature.
If heating straight from the fridge – preheat the air fryer to 375ºF/190ºC for 5 minutes then cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes or until heated through. If cooking raw cutlets from the freezer – preheat the air fryer to 400ºF/200ºC for 10 minutes then cook the chicken for 5 minutes. Remove, flip the chicken over, spraying both sides with olive oil spray before you do, and air fry at the same temperature for another 5-7 minutes or until completely cooked through.
More Chicken Recipes
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Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb skinless chicken breast (~700g)
- 1 large egg
- 1.5 cups almond flour (see note 1)
- ¾ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp lemon zest grated
- olive oil spray
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F/200°C for 10 minutes as you prep your ingredients.
- Prepare a breading station – Whisk the egg in a bowl and set it out as the first step in the assembly line.
- Next add the almond flour, parmesan, garlic and onion powders, Italian seasoning, lemon zest, and salt to a large, shallow dish and mix with a fork to combine. Put this next to the egg mix as the second step.
- Spray your air fryer basket or tray with olive oil spray and place it at the end of the line.
- Take one chicken breast and lay it flat on a cutting board. Slice through the middle of the whole chicken breast horizontally so you have two thin-sliced chicken breasts of an even thickness. If needed use a meat tenderizer to thin the chicken out further. You want it to be about ¼ inch or half a centimetre thick.
- Take a piece of chicken and dip it into the egg wash then coat it evenly with the almond flour mixture on both sides, pressing down gently on the chicken to ensure the breading adheres.
- Spray both sides of the chicken with olive oil spray then place it on your air fryer tray or basket.
- Follow this process for the remaining chicken pieces until they’re all coated. Ensure the chicken cutlets are in a single layer in the air fryer and don't overlap. This can stop them browning evenly. If you have a small air fryer basket, you may need to cook the chicken in two batches.
- Once the 5 minutes is up, turn the chicken over, spray the top with olive oil spray again and cook for a further 4-6 minutes at 400°F (200°C) or until completely cooked through.
- Serve with lemon wedges, a green salad, and cilantro chimichurri or your sauce of choice.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Gabby Campbell
Gabby is a degree qualified Naturopath/Nutritionist (BHSc Nat) with a love of all whole foods. She started her Naturopathic career in clinical practice before making the move to recipe development and online education – a result of wanting to combat the misinformation that abounds on the internet about food and health. Whole Natural Kitchen aims to transform the way you think about healthy eating by helping you embrace an abundance of nutritious foods while leaving the health fads behind. MORE ABOUT GABBY