Air Fryer Chicken Sandwiches are quick to make and they turn out super crispy and ready to top with your favorite sandwich toppings. Whether you use homemade chicken patties or store-bought ones, these are cooked to perfection in an air fryer!
» You might also like these Easy Air Fryer Fried Chicken or these Air Fryer Turkey Burgers.
Super Useful Air Fryer Accessories
Once you’ve started using your air fryer more regularly, you’ll find there are so many other ways you *could* be using it, if you had a few extra useful accessories. Here are a few favorites that we use almost every day.
- 12-piece accessories kit for 3.7-5.8 quart air fryers – includes silicone cake pan, cake barrel, pizza pan, toasting/warming rack, skewer rack, silicone mat, bread rack and more
- Thermopen instant read thermometer for checking the internal temp of your meats
- Evo Oil Sprayer Bottle – BPA, latex, and dehp-free plastic, won’t clog or shatter, reusable, refillable, recyclable
It’s really up to you whether you use frozen or homemade breaded chicken fillets. They both have their pros and cons.
Although store-bought breaded chicken breast fillets are incredibly convenient to make in the air fryer, you can also making them at home. It does take more time, but you can adjust the flavors according to your liking.
If you can find a great store-bought brand of chicken patties, you’ll see why this is one of my favorite things to make for lunch. It doesn’t get any easier than transfering chicken from freezer to air fryer.
When you cook them in an air fryer, store-bought breaded fillets don’t require any oil. They cook evenly and are done in no time at all.
Try our air fryer chicken patties recipe. For a low carb burger option try these hamburger stuffed mushrooms.
Ingredients You Need
If you’re using store-bought breaded chicken fillets, then that’s all you need. You can place as many into the air fryer as can fit in a single layer. For me, that’s about 3 pieces of chicken at a time. You’ll also need brioche buns and accoutrement to make your chicken burgers.
If you’re going to make your own homemade patties, then you’ll need a few more ingredients.
- Chicken breast or chicken thigh: I actually prefer chicken thighs for sandwiches because they are more juicy and tender. Chicken breast can become dry quickly.
- Egg, breadcrumbs, flour: You’ll need these ingredients to make a dredging station for the breading on your chicken.
- Garlic powder: Garlic powder has a nice garlicky flavor. If you don’t like garlic, you can also use any other seasoning you like or leave it out.
- Seasoning: Salt and black pepper are enough to bring out the flavor in this chicken sandwich recipe. However, if you like more flavors, add herbs, or chili powder, etc.
- Spray cooking oil (only for homemade breaded chicken): Spray cooking oil is an amazing product for air fryers. You don’t need oil at all for store-bought chicken burgers.
- Brioche buns: You can use any burger buns you like, but I think brioche is definitely the way to go. It’s got a nice chew to it and enough flexibility that it doesn’t break apart while you’re eating.
- Toppings: We use a quick cole slaw, pickles, jalapenos, and a sriracha mayo.
How to Cook Breaded Chicken in the Air Fryer
Making chicken in an air fryer is very easy. Here are the few simple steps you have to follow:
Step 1: Start by either taking the store-bought breaded chicken out of the freezer or mixing up the ingredients for your homemade breaded chicken (see instructions below).
Step 2: Place chicken in the air fryer basket.
Step 3: Cook thawed or homemade chicken in the air fryer for 20 minutes at 400° F (200°C). Halfway through cooking, flip the patties over, so they get evenly browned on both sides. For frozen chicken, cook for a total of 22 minutes. To be sure it’s done, check the internal temperature with a digital thermometer to make sure it’s reached 165°F.
How to Make Your Own Breaded Chicken
To make your own breaded chicken, follow these easy steps.
Beat the egg in a shallow bowl. On a plate, combine the flour, breadcrumbs, and seasonings.
Pat dry your chicken pieces. First put a piece of chicken in the flour mixture. Shake off any excess, then dip it in the egg. Then dip it in the flour again. Set each piece on a wire rack and continue until all chicken pieces are dredged.
Spray both sides of the chicken pieces really well with cooking oil. It’s important to cover the whole surface. That’s the only way for the breadcrumbs to get crispy as it cooks.
Now follow the air fryer cooking instructions above: transfer the chicken to the air fryer basket and cook on 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, turning and spraying again halfway through cooking.
Compiling Your Air Fryer Chicken Sandwich
Now you can dress up your sandwich buns and stack on a piece of chicken. I use a brioche bun and toast them first with a little bit of butter in a pan. Once crispy, top it with sriracha mayo, then put on the breaded chicken.
Mix up a quick cole slaw with cabbage, onion, vinegar, and mayonnaise to put on top for extra crunch. Then you can add pickles and jalapenos, if you like.
Why Use an Air Fryer
An air fryer is an incredibly easy way to cook just about anything. You place the food in a fryer-style basket and hot air rapidly circulates all around the food, making the food crisp – much like deep-frying, but without the oil. You can cook anything you’d make in the oven.
- I use a Ninja MaxXL air fryer (pictured left). If you don’t have an air fryer yet, check out these options to find one that fits your needs.
- See reviews and prices for air fryers on Amazon.
- Here’s a printable Air Fryer Cooking Times Cheat Sheet to get you started.
- Click to find more recipes to make in your Air Fryer.
- Learn how to make fun things in the air fryer, like potato wedges, pork belly bites, and chicken wings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you cook frozen chicken in an air fryer?
Yes, you can cook frozen chicken in an air fryer. You don’t need to thaw frozen chicken before cooking either. In fact, in my opinion this is the best way to cook them. Place them, frozen, in the air fryer basket and cook for 22 minutes at 400° F, flipping halfway.
Can you add more spices?
Absolutely! You can add different spices to make the chicken even more delicious. You can add Italian herbs, jerk seasoning, cumin, paprika, etc., to make them spicy and flavorful.
Can you coat the chicken in breadcrumbs?
Yes, you can coat your homemade chicken in the flour, egg wash, and then add breadcrumbs on each side. Use finely ground breadcrumbs or larger Panko breadcrumbs. This will give the chicken a crunchy exterior, but it will need to be sprayed with cooking oil before cooking in order to produce that nice crispy crust.
How to Reheat Chicken in an Air Fryer
You might have made too many chicken pieces and want to store them for another meal. That’s perfectly find. You can easily reheat them in the air fryer whenever you’re ready. They will take less than half the time to re-crisp as they did the first time, so put them in the air fryer on 400 degrees F for about 8 minutes – 4 on each side. This will reheat them through and give them a crispy exterior.
OUR FAVORITE AIR FRYER
There are a lot of features to love about this air fryer, but top of our list are the tempered glass display, super easy to clean basket, and ability to add shake reminders.
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Air Fryer Chicken Sandwich
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pre-breaded chicken breasts for homemade see below
- 2 brioche buns
- Toppings optional: cole slaw pickles, jalapenos, sriracha mayo
For homemade breaded chicken breasts
- 2 chicken breast fillets
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon ground breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Cooking oil spray
Instructions
- Place the breaded chicken in the air fryer basket, not overlapping. Cook on 400° F for 20 minutes, flipping halfway. If frozen cook for 22 minutes.
For homemade breaded chicken
- Beat the egg in a shallow bowl. On another plate, combine the flour, breadcrumbs and seasonings. Pat dry your chicken pieces. First put a piece of chicken in the flour. Shake off any excess, then dip it in the egg. Then dip it in the flour again. Set each piece on a wire rack and continue until all chicken pieces are dredged. Spray both sides of the chicken pieces really well with cooking oil.
- Proceed to cooking instructions above.
Notes
- You can use either store-bought breaded chicken, which requires no additional cooking spray, or make your own breaded chicken (follow instructions above), which does require cooking spray.
All air fryers have different wattage and may cook at different rates. You may need to adjust the time or temp for the best results.
Nutrition
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Laura is a passionate foodie and owner of Air Fry Anytime She is dedicated to sharing delicious recipes and helpful tips for using air fryers at home. With years of experience in the kitchen and a love for healthy, flavorful cooking, Laura has become an expert at using air fryers to create amazing meals that are both nutritious and delicious.
do you have a recipe for the quick Cole slaw?
We do! Check out this creamy and spicy chipotle coleslaw on our sister site, A Food Lover’s Kitchen.
Chicken cooked fine but awful texture and nowhere near enough breading. do not recommend