Get ready to experience the ultimate crispy chicken cutlet that’s perfectly golden brown and drenched in an irresistible sweet chili glaze – all made healthier in your air fryer with minimal oil!
My Love Affair with the Air Fryer Began with Chicken Drumsticks
After making the Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks, I completely fell in love with my air fryer.
It’s amazing how this little appliance can transform simple chicken into something crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and packed with flavor — all without a drop of oil.
So naturally, when I made this Air Fryer Chicken Cutlet, the kids went absolutely wild for it. You can imagine their excitement when the golden, crunchy cutlets came out of the air fryer — it was instant smiles all around!
The Soul of the Dish: The Signature Glaze
Here’s my secret: while the air-fried chicken is absolutely delicious on its own with its satisfying crunch, the real game-changer is this incredible glaze.
If you have the time, I strongly recommend making this sauce – it transforms the dish from great to absolutely extraordinary.
I understand that the list of sauce ingredients might seem a bit overwhelming at first glance.
When I first developed this recipe, I wondered if it was too complicated too. But here’s what I’ve learned through testing: this glaze is actually quite forgiving.
Don’t have all the spices? That’s okay. Missing one or two ingredients? You can still create something wonderful. The beauty of this sauce lies in its flexibility – you can adjust it based on what you have available and still end up with a delicious result that will make your chicken cutlets unforgettable.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Achieve perfectly crispy breaded chicken without deep frying
- The homemade sweet chili glaze is perfectly balanced between sweet and spicy
- Much healthier than traditional fried chicken cutlets
- Easy to make with restaurant-quality results
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken breast – I recommend using fresh chicken breast rather than frozen, as it tends to have better texture when sliced into cutlets. Look for a thicker piece that you can slice horizontally into large, even cutlets for the best results.
- Breadcrumbs – Golden breadcrumbs work best for achieving that beautiful color and crisp texture. If you don’t have breadcrumbs, you can crush unsalted soda crackers as a good substitute.
- Eggs – The eggs create the essential binding layer that helps the breadcrumbs adhere to the chicken surface, ensuring you get that perfect, even coating that crisps up beautifully.
- Chili sauce – You can use either Korean gochujang or regular chili sauce depending on your preference. Gochujang will give you a deeper, fermented flavor while regular chili sauce is more straightforwardly spicy.
- Cornstarch – This is what creates that lovely glossy, slightly thickened sauce that clings perfectly to the chicken cutlet. Make sure to mix it with cold water before adding to prevent lumps.
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Cutlet with Sweet Chili Glaze
Prepare and Marinate Chicken
Rinse the chicken breast and pat it completely dry with paper towels.
Using a sharp knife, slice the chicken breast horizontally into 1-1.5cm thick cutlets.
Place the chicken cutlets in a large bowl and add ginger slices, salt, cooking wine, and pepper.
Using your hands, mix everything thoroughly to ensure each piece is evenly coated with the marinade.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Coat and Air Fry the Chicken
Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish large enough to fit the chicken cutlets.
Remove the ginger slices from the marinated chicken.
Crack the eggs into the bowl with the chicken and mix until each cutlet is evenly coated with egg.
Take each egg-coated chicken cutlet and press it into the breadcrumbs, ensuring both sides are completely covered.
Preheat your air fryer to 190°C for 5-10 minutes.
Arrange the breaded chicken cutlets in a single layer in the air fryer basket, making sure they don’t overlap.
Air fry at 190°C for 20 minutes, flipping the cutlets halfway through the cooking time.
When done, the cutlets should be golden brown and crispy.
Make the Sweet Chili Glaze
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over low heat.
Add the minced garlic and sauté for 10-15 seconds until fragrant and lightly golden.
Add the chili sauce and tomato sauce, stirring continuously for 30 seconds until well combined.
Pour in the water, then add the chili powder, sesame seeds, five-spice powder, cumin seeds, and sweetener.
Increase the heat to high and bring the sauce to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and slowly pour in the cornstarch slurry while stirring constantly.
Continue stirring until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.
Remove from heat.
Assemble and Serve
If using, skewer each chicken cutlet with a bamboo skewer for easy handling.
Place the crispy chicken cutlets on a serving plate.
Generously spoon the warm sweet chili glaze over each cutlet, ensuring they’re fully covered.
Sprinkle with parsley flakes for garnish.
Serve immediately while the chicken is still crispy.
Tips & Tricks
Make sure to pat the chicken completely dry before marinating – this helps the seasoning stick better.
Press the breadcrumbs firmly onto the chicken to ensure they adhere properly during cooking.
Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket – cook in batches if necessary for the crispiest results.
Adjust the spice level in the glaze by increasing or decreasing the amount of chili powder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my breading fall off during cooking?
This usually happens if the chicken wasn’t properly dried before coating, or if you didn’t press the breadcrumbs firmly enough onto the egg-washed surface.
Can I make this gluten-free?
Absolutely! Use gluten-free breadcrumbs or crushed gluten-free crackers for the coating.
Crispy Chicken Cutlets in the Air Fryer – No Oil Frying!
Ingredients
For the Chicken Cutlet:
- 1 chicken breast 300-350g
- 3-4 ginger slices
- Pinch of salt approx. 2g
- 1 tsp cooking wine
- Pepper to taste approx. 1-2g
- 2 eggs
- Breadcrumbs as needed
For the Sweet Chili Glaze:
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 5-6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp chili sauce
- 1 tsp tomato sauce
- 1 tsp chili powder optional
- 1 tsp white sesame seeds
- 2 g five-spice powder
- 3 g cumin seeds
- 1 tsp zero-calorie sweetener
- 50-80 ml water
- 2 tsp cornstarch + 3 tsp water slurry
- Parsley flakes for garnish
Instructions
Prepare and Marinate Chicken
- Rinse the chicken breast and pat it completely dry with paper towels.
- Using a sharp knife, slice the chicken breast horizontally into 1-1.5cm thick cutlets.
- Place the chicken cutlets in a large bowl and add ginger slices, salt, cooking wine, and pepper.
- Using your hands, mix everything thoroughly to ensure each piece is evenly coated with the marinade.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Coat and Air Fry the Chicken
- Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish large enough to fit the chicken cutlets.
- Remove the ginger slices from the marinated chicken.
- Crack the eggs into the bowl with the chicken and mix until each cutlet is evenly coated with egg.
- Take each egg-coated chicken cutlet and press it into the breadcrumbs, ensuring both sides are completely covered.
- Preheat your air fryer to 190°C for 5-10 minutes.
- Arrange the breaded chicken cutlets in a single layer in the air fryer basket, making sure they don't overlap.
- Air fry at 190°C for 20 minutes, flipping the cutlets halfway through the cooking time.
- When done, the cutlets should be golden brown and crispy.
Make the Sweet Chili Glaze
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over low heat.
- Add the minced garlic and sauté for 10-15 seconds until fragrant and lightly golden.
- Add the chili sauce and tomato sauce, stirring continuously for 30 seconds until well combined.
- Pour in the water, then add the chili powder, sesame seeds, five-spice powder, cumin seeds, and sweetener.
- Increase the heat to high and bring the sauce to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and slowly pour in the cornstarch slurry while stirring constantly.
- Continue stirring until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.
- Remove from heat.
Assemble and Serve
- If using, skewer each chicken cutlet with a bamboo skewer for easy handling.
- Place the crispy chicken cutlets on a serving plate.
- Generously spoon the warm sweet chili glaze over each cutlet, ensuring they're fully covered.
- Sprinkle with parsley flakes for garnish.
- Serve immediately while the chicken is still crispy.
Video
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