Air Fryer Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan

This air fryer gluten free chicken parmesan is healthier than its fried counterpart. Yet, it’s crispy golden brown chicken topped with cheesy mozzarella and marinara sauce on the table in under 20 minutes. 

Air fryer chicken parmesan is an easy dinner loved by the whole family. One thing I personally love about it is you can serve it over pasta for the kids, and over spaghetti squash for the adults looking to watch their weight. It also goes great with sautéed vegetables, zucchini noodles, or even macaroni and cheese! 

I never used to make chicken Parmesan much until I invested in an air fryer because we typically don’t fry much food in our home. One is that it’s not the healthiest to fry but also, the oil can get quite messy and call for a lot of cleanup.  

Jump to:

• Why you will love this recipe
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Storage
• Top Tips
• FAQ
• What is an air fryer? 
• Are air fryers healthier? 
• Can I make the gluten free chicken parmesan dairy-free?
• Do I have to use gluten-free breadcrumbs?
• What can I use if I don t have breadcrumbs for chicken parmesan?
• What is a substitute for egg in chicken parmesan?
• More air fryer recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Why you will love this recipe

• This air fryer chicken parmesan is healthy, not a pain to make, and can be made in a busy weeknight so quickly, that it’s become a staple in our home now. 
• You will find that this chicken parmesan tastes just like the traditional chicken parmesan, in fact, I think it’s even better. Feel free to get creative also with your choice of marinara. You can use a plain sauce, a garlic sauce, or even a herbed sauce.
• If you love garlic and pasta then this recipe is great to make chicken parmesan garlic pasta. Just toss in a pan a little garlic with olive oil and mix it in pasta. Add the chicken parmesan and you have a quick delicious meal.

Ingredients

• Chicken breast: I like to use Springer Mountain Farms perfectly portioned, 4-ounce chicken breasts for this recipe. Having all of the breasts the same size helps to achieve an even cook throughout all pieces of chicken. However, any chicken breast will do. You can even use a food scale to measure your breasts to keep them all the same size. 
• Bread crumbs: for this recipe, I use 4C Gluten-free breadcrumbs.  Although any breadcrumb will work fine here. 
• Egg: the egg will help keep the bread crumbs on. 
• Marinara: any store-bought marinara will do fine. If you are gluten-free, just be sure to buy one that is labeled gluten-free. 
• Grated Parmesan: this gives the chicken some extra flavor. If you are looking to get the chicken even crispier you can use shredded Parmesan. 
• Thyme
• Garlic powder
• Sea salt 
• Dried parsley 

Instructions

• Flatten chicken with a meat tenderizer.
• In a bowl, mix breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and seasonings. 
• In another bowl, add the egg and whisk together.
• Rub olive oil on the air fryer tray.
• Dip each chicken breast in the egg mixture, shaking off any excess, and then into the breadcrumb mixture.
• Place the chicken on an air fryer tray. Lightly spray with olive oil.
• Cook in the air fryer at 390 ℉ for 7 minutes.
• Carefully flip the chicken and cook again for 7 more minutes.
• Cover chicken mozzarella, sauce, and optional fresh parsley. Air fry at 400 ℉ for 1 minute.
• Remove and drizzle with more cheese and sauce if you would like. Sprinkle with parmesan if you wish.
• Chicken should have an internal temperature of 165 ℉ when finished cooking.

Storage

• You can store air fryer chicken parmesan in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. If you don’t want the chicken parmesan to get soggy, keep the marinara on the side until you are ready to enjoy the ones in the refrigerator. 
• To reheat the air fryer chicken parmesan just place it in the air fryer for about 10 minutes at 350 ℉. This helps to keep the outside crispy during the reheating process. 

Top Tips

Sizing of chicken can vary. Always check to make sure the chicken is cooked through. The temperature should be 165 degrees when it’s done. 

Flatten the chicken: use a meat tenderizer to flatten the chicken. The thinner the chicken the more evenly it will cook through. 

FAQ

What is an air fryer? 

An air fryer is a countertop cooking appliance that combines a heating element and a powerful fan to circulate hot air, similar to a convection oven. Air fryers produce foods that are crispy on the outside while remaining moist and tender on the inside. This way you can enjoy some of your favorite “fried” foods but without all the oils and frying. I do find that the air fryer does other great things than frying, like cooking chicken tenders (or even making desserts. They also make perfect French fries.

Are air fryers healthier? 

Air fryers are healthier because you are not using the oils you would use to fry food. This can significantly cut down on the fat content of your food making them healthier! 

Can I make the gluten free chicken parmesan dairy-free?

Absolutely. The base of this recipe is dairy-free. To make this recipe. Completely dairy-free. Just use dairy-free parmesan and dairy-free mozzarella cheese.

Do I have to use gluten-free breadcrumbs?

Absolutely not, you can use regular breadcrumbs in place of the gluten-free breadcrumbs, if gluten is not an issue in your household.

What can I use if I don t have breadcrumbs for chicken parmesan?

For ¼ cup bread crumbs, substitute any of these items:

• ¼ cup panko.
• ¼ cup crackers or pretzel crumbs.
• ¼ cup crushed cornflakes or other unsweetened cereals.

What is a substitute for egg in chicken parmesan?

Heavy cream is a great substitute.

More air fryer recipes

• Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings
• Air Fryer Grilled Chicken
• Air Fryer Salmon Bites
• Air Fryer Chicken Skewers
• Prosciutto Waffle Air Fryer Sandwich
• Air Fryer Thin Pork Chops
• Easy, air fryer sweet chili honey garlic chicken skewers
• Air fryer roast beef grilled cheese sandwich
• Chicken Birria Air Fryer Spring Rolls
• Gluten-Free Cheese Toast in Air Fryer
• Chili Lime Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
• Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken

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