Air-Fryer Chicken Parmesan

An air fryer can form a crispy shell on chicken Parmesan while keeping the meat inside juicy. Rebecca Abbott and Jennifer West, the authors of “Air Fryer Beginner Recipes” who run the blog Air Frying Foodie, created this recipe using a crust that combines coarse panko and fine bread crumbs with Parmesan for the most flavorful crunch. It’s delicious served with pasta and tomato sauce for dinner, or sandwiched in a roll for lunch. —Christina Morales

Ingredients

• ½

  cup plain or seasoned bread crumbs

• ½

  cup plain panko bread crumbs

• 2 ¼

  ounces Parmesan, grated (1/2 cup)

• 2

  tablespoons Italian seasoning

• 2

  large eggs

• 4

  small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4 to 5 ounces each), pounded to an even thickness

• 4 to 8

  tablespoons homemade or jarred marinara sauce, plus more for serving

• 1

  ounce mozzarella, shredded (1/4 cup), or to taste

• Pasta, for serving

Preparation

1. Heat an air fryer to 350 degrees using the air crisp feature. In a shallow plate, mix both bread crumbs with the Parmesan and Italian seasoning. In a bowl, whisk the eggs. 
2. Dip each piece of chicken in the egg, coating it evenly, and let excess egg drip off. Then press into the bread crumb mixture to evenly coat. Place the prepared chicken in the air fryer in a single layer. You may need to cook in batches. If you do, heat an oven to 200 degrees. 
3. Cook until the crust turns deep brown, 7 to 8 minutes. The timing depends on the air fryer. Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons marinara over each breast, then sprinkle with mozzarella. Cook until the cheese melts and the chicken cooks through, an additional 4 to 5 minutes. If cooking in batches, keep the first batch warm in the oven while preparing the next. Serve immediately with your choice of pasta and sauce.