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Chicken cutlets from the air fryer: crispy outside, juicy inside, and none of the splattered oil situation you’d otherwise be dealing with. I know “air fryer chicken cutlets” sounds like a compromise, but it’s not. The crust is golden and real, and the whole thing comes together without much effort.
No skillet, no grease splatter, no smell that lingers in your kitchen for the rest of the evening. Just a proper golden crust—and I mean a real one, not the sad pale thing you get from the oven. A buttermilk soak and well-seasoned breading mean the chicken stays tender and actually tastes like something. These air fryer chicken cutlets are somewhere between Southern fried chicken and the cutlets your mom made, which is exactly where you want to be on a Wednesday night.
And if you’re in an air fryer moment right now, these air fryer Buffalo wings are worth your time. The same goes for these air fryer chicken nuggets and these awesome pickle-brined air fryer chicken tenders.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A crispy golden crust without the greasy mess
- Family-friendly
- Leftovers are versatile (think crispy chicken sandwiches or Buffalo chicken wrap)
Ingredient Overview
A quick look at the essentials before we dive into the recipe card:
- Chicken: You can buy ready-to-go cutlets, or you can butterfly boneless, skinless chicken breasts, then pound them down with a meat mallet. Check out my tutorial on how to make chicken cutlets from chicken breasts.
- Buttermilk & Franks RedHot®: Optional, but whisked together, they form a fantastic marinade. The acidity in the buttermilk breaks down the muscle fibers and collagen in the chicken, yielding tender, juicy meat.
- Spices: I use a variety of seasonings in my breadcrumbs for extra flavor. You can omit them, play around with them as you see fit, or even make it a bit spicy!
Cooking Tip
You can find buttermilk at the grocery store, but you can also easily make it at home by mixing 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar with enough full-fat milk to measure 1 cup over the vinegar. Alternatively, you can use lemon juice instead of vinegar. Then gently stir the mixture and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Step-by-Step: How to Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets
Step 1: Marinate the Cutlets
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, Frank’s RedHot®, sea salt, and black pepper to make the marinade. Carefully place the cutlets into the bowl, submerging them completely. Pop them in the fridge to marinate for at least an hour, or up to 24 hours.
Step 2: Whip Up the Honey Mustard Sauce
Mix the mayo, honey, mustard, apple cider vinegar, and paprika in a small bowl, and set it aside.
Step 3: Set Up a Breading Station
Create somewhat of an assembly line (I like to use these breading trays). Have it set up so that one tray or shallow bowl contains flour, another contains the beaten eggs, and another contains the breading mixture (paprika, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, white pepper, cayenne).
Step 4: Dredge the Cutlets
Preheat the air fryer to 390º F. Give the bottom of the basket a quick misting of cooking spray or olive oil. Remove the cutlets from the buttermilk mixture and shake off any excess buttermilk. Set the cutlets onto a covered baking sheet, plate, or cutting board. Gently pat the cutlets dry with paper towels (wet cutlets will make the breading soggy). One by one, dredge the chicken cutlets in the three stages (flour, eggs, crumbs).
Step 5: Air Fry Cutlets to a Golden Crisp
Place the breaded cutlets in the air fryer basket once it’s preheated. Cook the cutlets for 5 minutes, then flip them over, mist the basket and cutlets with cooking spray, and cook for another 5 minutes or until the meat registers 160º F with a meat thermometer. You’ll likely have to do this in two batches.
Step 6: Garnish and Serve!
Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with the honey mustard sauce for dipping or drizzling (instructions for the sauce in the recipe card below).
Substitutions & Variations
- Gluten-Free Option: Use gluten-free panko bread crumbs.
- Brined Chicken: Skip the buttermilk marinade and learn how to brine chicken breasts.
- Dipping Sauces: Honey mustard not your jam? Try dill pickle buttermilk Ranch dressing, my homemade Caesar dressing recipe, or even this maple BBQ sauce.
Storage & Reheating
- Fridge: Leftover chicken cutlets can be stored in airtight containers for up to 3-4 days, while the honey mustard sauce will last for over a week.
- Freezer: You can freeze the cutlets in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Air-fry leftovers at 360°F in 3-minute increments until warmed through, or microwave in 1-minute increments until warmed through. Cook from frozen in the oven at 400-450ºF for 20-30 minutes or in the air fryer at 360-400ºF for 12-20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
What to Serve With It
Frequently Asked Questions
In general, chicken cutlets cook for about 5 minutes per side in the air fryer. But time will vary based on the thickness of your cutlets and the model of your fryer.
For this recipe, because we want the breading to get nice and crispy, we’re going for 390º F. You can take it up to 400º F if you wish. High heat is key.
No, air fryer and conventional oven temperatures are not the same. An air fryer is essentially a tiny, very aggressive convection oven that is extremely serious about its job. Same temperature, but it hits harder and browns faster. With an air fryer, you want to drop it by 25°F, check things 20–25% earlier than you think you need to, and pay attention.
Best Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 chicken cutlets, Or 2 large chicken breasts cut into cutlets.
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1.5 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning, Storebought or homemade Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp if you'd like more of a kick
Buttermilk Marinade
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
Honey Mustard Sauce (Optional)
- 2 TBSP mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup raw liquid honey
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp paprika
Instructions
- For the marinade: Whisk the buttermilk, Frank’s RedHot®, sea salt, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl. Place the cutlets into the marinade, submerging them completely. Transfer them to the fridge to marinate for at least an hour, or up to 24 hours.2 cups buttermilk, 1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce, 1 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- If you're making the honey mustard sauce: mix the mayo, honey, mustard, apple cider vinegar, and paprika in a small bowl until well combined; set it aside.2 TBSP mayonnaise, 1/4 cup raw liquid honey, 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, 2 tsp paprika
- Set up three shallow, wide containers: one containing the flour, another containing the beaten eggs, and one for the breading mixture. (You could also use pie plates or these handy breading trays.)1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 eggs beaten, 1.5 cups panko breadcrumbs, 2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp paprika
- Preheat the air fryer to 390º F. Once preheated, mist the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
- Remove the cutlets from the buttermilk mixture. Shake off any excess buttermilk.
- Set the cutlets onto a sheet, plate, or cutting board and gently pat them dry with paper towels. (Leaving the cutlets wet will yield soggy breading.)
- One by one, dredge the chicken cutlets into the flour, then the eggs, and finally, the bread crumbs.
- Place the breaded cutlets into the preheated air fryer basket and cook for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, flip them over, give the basket and cutlets a light mist with cooking spray, and cook for another 5 minutes or until the meat registers at 160ºF with a meat thermometer. You’ll likely have to do this in two batches.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with the honey mustard sauce for dipping or drizzling.
Great recipe.
Thank you so much!
This recipe is so flavourful, my family absolutely loved it !!! I made two batches, only changing the flour to gluten free for one batch. My son said it was better than Popeye’s and so I guess I’ll take that as a compliment :) I made it with a side dish of mashed potatoes to round off the amazing chicken cutlets !!!
Thank you Dana, this was a hit !
These turned out perfect and we LOVED that mustard sauce! We are going to be making this again next week. A new recipe for our rotation!
Followed this recipe step by step and it turned out beautifully. We were very impressed with the crisp with it not having been deep fried. Definitely making this again!
I’m so glad, Tyler! I was surprised at the nice golden crisp these offered when I first made them, too. I was so excited to bring them to the blog after that.