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This Chicken Parmesan Salad is a fun way to switch up your weeknight salads. Thin chicken breasts coated in breadcrumbs mixture are air fried until they’re golden and crisp. Serve the air fried chicken sliced on top of greens tossed with vinaigrette for delicious salad idea! Slice and serve over some greens.
ingredients & substitutions
- Chicken breasts: Use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. We use an air fryer to ‘fry’ the chicken, so it’s nice and crispy but with a lot less fat compared to deep frying.
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder.
- Eggs: The chicken breasts are dipped in beaten egg so that the breadcrumbs and seasonings adhere.
- Breadcrumbs: We prefer to use panko breadcrumbs to get a super crispy texture. Fine will work well if that’s what you have to hand. You can use gluten-free breadcrumbs if you have an intolerance.
- Parmesan: For the best taste and texture, use freshly grated rather than pre-grated parm. Top the salad with shaved parmesan for a burst of flavor.
- Salad dressing: The simple salad dressing is made with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, salt and pepper.
- Mixed greens: The air fryer chicken parmesan is served on top of fresh mixed greens for a light and refreshing meal. Any salad greens can be used.
how to make Chicken Parmesan Salad
- Coat the chicken breasts in beaten egg.
- Dredge in the breadcrumbs, parmesan and seasonings to coat.
- Place in the air fryer basket and spray with oil.
- Cook on each side til golden brown. Serve over the salad.
Tips to make this recipe
- Halve the chicken breasts before dredging them. This will mean that they will cook quicker in the air fryer so that you can have dinner on the table in minutes.
- Spray the chicken with oil before cooking it. This will help it to brown really nicely and evenly. It will also stop the panko breadcrumbs flying up into the fan of your air fryer.
- Mix up your salad and dressing. You can easily serve this fried parmesan chicken on other salads and with different dressings to suit your tastes. Romaine lettuce, baby spinach and arugula all work great.
- Save any leftover fried chicken. This is easily reheated in the air fryer and will get nice and crispy again. Cook on 370F for 3 to 4 minutes til warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can bread the chicken up to a day ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge til ready to cook. The cooked chicken will keep well for up to 4 days in the fridge and can be enjoyed cold or quickly reheated to serve.
You can use flattened chicken thighs for this recipe, but they will take slightly longer to cook through than breasts. Use an instant read thermometer to make sure that they are fully cooked through, they should register at 165F.
If you don’t have an air fryer, don’t fret! You can bake the chicken in the oven at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes til cooked through, and you can also shallow fry them on the stovetop.
This healthy fried chicken parmesan salad is a great option for a quick and easy weeknight meal that the whole family will love. Ready to serve in less than 20 minutes, thanks to the air fryer, this is one effortless dish!
For more salads:
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Fried Chicken Parmesan Salad
Ingredients
For The Chicken:
- 2 chicken breasts halved horizontal
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup fresh grated parmesan
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
For the salad:
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of one lemon plus lemon wedge for garnish
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- Kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Mixed greens
- Shaved parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 375°F.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the eggs in one bowl. Stir together the panko breadcrumbs, parmesan, paprika and garlic powder in a second bowl.
- Dip the chicken in the eggs, rotating to evenly coat the chicken. Next, dredge chicken into the breadcrumb mixture to evenly coat, ensuring none of the chicken is exposed. Place on a wire rack and spray generously with the cooking spray.
- Transfer the chicken to the air fryer until golden brown and cooked through, 4 minutes per side. Remove from the air fryer and allow to cool enough to handle. Then slice into thin strips.
- While the chicken is cooking, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, salt and pepper.
- Serve the sliced chicken parmesan over greens with the vinaigrette and shaved parmesan cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
