Skip The Oven: Make The Best Chicken Cutlets Of Your Life With This Cooking Method

Our air fryers are the workhorses of our kitchens, using their convection powers on everything from veggies to late-night desserts (yes, as it turns out, you can air fry Little Debbie honey buns). Come to find out, the air fryer is also the secret to the crispiest, least-messy chicken cutlets you'll ever make. 

Breaded chicken cutlets are a staple of many recipes, but they usually involve frying in oil, which is greasy and splatter-y. Air frying chicken cutlets, on the other hand, produces delightfully crunchy results that are lighter and not oily at all. Best of all, the method is pretty hands-off, meaning you can prep the rest of dinner while your protein is cooking — and, as a serious bonus, the chicken cutlets are superior in every way to those that are pan-fried. 

We discussed that air frying was the golden cooking tip for sublime chicken parm, and chicken cutlets are definitely a spin-off of that idea. It only takes about 15 to 20 minutes to perfectly air fry cutlets, presuming that they are cut thinly — about seven minutes on each side after a blast of cooking spray will do the trick. With some great seasoning in your breadcrumbs (think Parmesan cheese, paprika, garlic or onion powder), you will ensure that your cutlets taste good, have the ideal crispy texture, and are ready lickety-split, all thanks to your air fryer.

Chicken and your air fryer are a match made in heaven: we even discussed how this staple kitchen appliance was the right way to reheat fried chicken. Chicken cutlets are a "no duh" star of chicken parm, like we discussed, but they're also the basis for so many family-friendly meals. Slap 'em between two halves of a bun, and you have a chicken sandwich better than any drive-thru could produce. Slice 'em in strips, and you have a meaty topping for a bag of salad fixings. If you take the time to cut your cutlets into bite-sized pieces and lay out some ranch and BBQ sauce, your picky kids might just accept the results as a worthy substitute for chicken nuggies.

Too often, we struggle for a dinner that will fill bellies and taste great when the weeknights get away from us. Reaching for your phone and ordering takeout is easy, but it's also costly and not nearly as satisfying as home cooking. These quick chicken cutlets are extra-yummy, plus they're a staple for easy, nourishing meals. We predict they'll star in our dinner rotation frequently.