Pretty much however you make breaded chicken, it's delicious. So whether it's my air fryer buffalo chicken tenders, my air fryer chicken katsu, or this air fryer chicken schnitzel, it's going to end up so crispy and easy to make. These air fryer chicken cutlets are super golden brown and crispy and made with a mix of panko breadcrumbs and dukkah. And if you haven't tried dukkah yet, I hope this recipe inspires you. It is definitely one of my favourite spice blends to use in the kitchen, and you can read more about it below.

One of the reasons you'll love this air fryer chicken schnitzel is how easy it is to make, and how simple it is to bake in your air fryer. Cooking crispy chicken schnitzel in the air fryer means less mess and less oil. Which also means an easier clean up.

Ingredients

Here are all of the ingredients you'll need to make this air fryer chicken schnitzel, with optional (but delicious) tahini lemon dip.

• chicken breast, skinless & boneless, tenders removed
• kosher salt
• all purpose flour
• eggs
• panko breadcrumbs
• dukkah
• avocado oil spray
• flaky salt
• tahini
• lemon juice
• garlic clove
• extra virgin olive oil
• fresh parsley

What is Dukkah?

Dukkah is a traditional Egyptian blend of nuts (usually hazelnuts), seeds and spices.

It is typically served as a dip for bread, or vegetables. But it can be used in so many ways, such as topping hummus (as I do with this butternut squash hummus), or used as a spice rub on meats as I am doing with this healthy air fried chicken schnitzel.

It works perfectly to add crunch and texture to things, so you can use it in salads, on avocado toast (for example, see photo below) or with your eggs in the morning.

Dukkah can be powdery or more coarse. I prefer it coarse as this just adds more texture and crunch.

You can easily make your own blend online (I usually do), following a recipe online. Or you can purchase it online from spice shops, to Amazon, or even try Trader Joe's version.

How to Make Chicken Schnitzel in the Air Fryer

Place the chicken breast on a clean cutting board and cover with saran wrap. Use a rolling pin (or a wine bottle) and pound out the chicken breast until flattened about 1/2" thick and season the chicken with the salt. Alternatively use a mallet if you have one.

Place the flour in one large bowl, beat the eggs in a second large bowl and pour the panko and dukkah in a third large bowl and mix to combine.

Preheat the air fryer.

Dip the flattened chicken into the flour and shake off any excess, being sure to cover all sides. Transfer to the egg and coat on all sides and then place into the panko mixture. Be sure to cover the chicken in the panko until it's well coated.

Place the chicken into the air fryer basket and spray well with avocado oil spray. Bake for seven to eight minutes, until golden and crispy and then flip and cook for another seven to eight minutes. Spray with avocado oil once flipped.

Once the chicken has been removed, immediately garnish with flaky salt. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Keep the cooked chicken warm in the oven on the lowest setting.

Pour the tahini into a small bowl and add in the water, lemon juice and garlic. Whisk very well until fully incorporated and the tahini turns into a pale white colour, adding more water if needed to thin. Drizzle in the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oll and whisk to incorporate. Season with a pinch of salt. Set aside.

Garnish the chicken with parsley and slice. Serve with the tahini dip and enjoy!

Tips

• Dry hand, wet hand: whenever you are making something breaded, like this healthy air fryer chicken schnitzel, you want to use one hand for coating the chicken in the flour and panko mixture, and your other hand for dipping the chicken in the egg. Wearing gloves also helps to keep things a little cleaner and organized.
• Shake off excess flour: too much flour can make it harder for the breading to stay on the chicken cutlet. Be sure to tap off excess flour before moving it to the egg.
• Use panko: panko is used here because it's light, crispy and provides the perfect crunch. I don't recommend using regular breadcrumbs as it won't have the same texture. Use a gluten-free panko if needed.
• Be sure to pound the chicken: in order for the chicken katsu to cook quickly in the air fryer, you need to be sure it's pounded out thin, to about 1/2" thick. You can also butterfly the chicken breast as well.
• Spray the air fryer chicken schnitzel well: you want to spray the chicken schnitzel well with a spritz of avocado oil before air frying. This helps to make sure the breading gets crispy and crunchy and browned.
• Air fry in a single layer: be sure to work in batches so that the chicken cutlets are spread out. This will ensure everything gets browned and crispy.
• Don't skip the tahini dip: it just works so well with this dukkah crusted chicken.

Substitutions

If you need any substitutions, be sure to keep these in mind.

• Gluten-free: use a gluten-free panko instead of regular panko. But, please use panko!
• Chicken breast: use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, pork chops or veal instead. Alternatively, you can also use pressed tofu instead for a tasty vegetarian option.

How to Store & Prep Ahead

I love prepping this air fryer chicken schnitzel ahead of time for quick and easy weeknight dinners and lunches.

If you already cooked the chicken schnitzel, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge and then reheat in the oven or air fryer for a few minutes to heat it up and re-crisp it.

To do this, air fry for three to four minutes at 360ºF. You can increase the temperature for one to two minutes at 390ºF after.

If you want to meal prep uncooked portions of this air fryer chicken schnitzel, heres what to do:

• Flatten the chicken and bread as usual.
• Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the freezer until mostly frozen through, about one hour.
• Transfer the uncooked chicken schnitzel to a freezer safe plastic bag (or container) and place in the freezer for up to three months. Cook from frozen as per my instructions, adding on a few extra minutes.

Which Air Fryer Do I Use & Recommend

I've tried three different air fryers over the years, and my most recent is also my favourite.

It's the Wonder Oven from Our Place. I absolutely love it and highly recommend it, for several reasons.

• Aesthetically pleasing: as with all Our Place products, the design is unmatched. This means you can leave it out on your countertop and don't need to hide it away in a cluttered drawer.
• Non-toxic: the trays that come with the Wonder Oven are all non-toxic and made from stainless steel and aluminum with a toxin-free nonstick ceramic coating. This is SO hard to find with other types of air fryers and is the main reason I use it so much.
• Different cooking modes: this is not just an air fryer, it can air fry, bake, toast, roast, reheat and broil. I also love the steam function for bringing breads back to life.
• Compact size: I love how small and mighty it is. It won't take up much room on your countertops, something that was so important to me living in a condo with limited countertop space.

The only drawbacks I've noticed while using this is the timer function. It's not digital and can be hard to be precise when using it. So I prefer to just use the timer on my oven or microwave when using it to be sure it's exact. The knob also has to be turned off manually by turning it rather than having an on/off switch.

But honestly, other than those missing features, it's such a great appliance and I do recommend it.

You can check out Our Place Wonder Oven here!

Ingredients & Products I Recommend:

I share these products to show you what I choose to use in my kitchen as staple ingredients I use daily (or weekly). So if you opened up my fridge (or pantry), here's what you'll find!

Kosher salt:

I exclusively use Diamond Crystal kosher salt for all of my recipes. I prefer the texture, taste and consistency of this brand and highly recommend it for everyday cooking.

Flaky salt:

I always, always have Maldon flaky salt on hand and add it to almost all of my dishes as a finishing salt. I can't recommend this enough.

All Purpose Flour:

I love using this Bob's Red Mill All Purpose flour at home.

Tahini:

I recommend using a high quality tahini brand that you love the taste of. I absolutely love Soom tahini and highly recommend it.

Avocado Oil Spray:

I prefer using avocado oil for high heat cooking. I love using Chosen Foods avocado oil and their avocado oil spray.

Other Air Fryer Recipes:

I love using my air fryer, here are some more recipes to keep you inspired!

• Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp
• Crispy Chicken Taquitos
• Air Fryer Crispy Calamari
• Crispy Air Fryer KFC Style Chicken
• Air Fryer General Tso Chicken
• Crispy Air Fryer Mac & Cheese Balls
• Air Fryer Brie Bites with Fig Jam
• Air fryer Jalapeño Poppers
• Crispy Air Fryer Breakfast Taquitos
• Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings with Creamy Garlic Dip
• Bang Bang Shrimp (air fryer)
• Air Fryer Chicken Katsu Bowl
• Crispy Air Fryer Arancini
• Crispy Thai Sweet Chili Chicken

Ready to make this? Let's get to it!

If you make this air fryer chicken schnitzel please share with me, by tagging me on Instagram or leave a comment and/or review below. I truly love seeing and hearing form you!

This recipe was inspired by Bon Appétit.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share products and services I have personally used and love. Disclosure here.