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Air Fryer Pollo Empanizado on a bed of lettuce.

Air Fryer Pollo Empanizado

This Air Fryer Pollo Empanizado is a Mexican chicken recipe that's air-fried to crispy perfection in minutes and perfect for weeknight meals.
Servings: 4 servings
Chef Alli
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

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Ingredients
 

Pollo Empanizado

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder or granulated garlic
  • 1 tsp. onion powder or granulated onion
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. oregano flakes
  • olive oil for brushing the chicken
  • chopped cilantro as garnish, as desired

Creamy Chipotle Dipping Sauce

  • 1/2 cup Ranch dressing
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 - 1 tsp. minced chipotles or chipotle sauce add more if you like smoky and spicy

Instructions
 

Make the Air Fryer Pollo Empanizado

  • Place the chicken breasts onto a large cutting board; slice in half horizontally to create two thin pieces of chicken from each one.
  • Cover the chicken breasts with plastic wrap or place into a heavy-duty gallon bag. Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken until each one is no more than 1/4-inch in thickness.
  • Using a silicone pastry brush, brush each chicken cutlet with oil on both sides, then season to taste, with salt and pepper; reserve.
  • In a large, shallow bowl, combine the Panko with the Parmesan, granulated garlic and onion, kosher salt, chili powder, cumin, and oregano, mixing until well combined.
  • Now dredge the chicken into the Panko mixture on both sides until nicely coated.
  • As you work, place the chicken cutlets onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, keeping them separated, until they four pieces of chicken are all breaded.
  • Place the prepared chicken cutlets onto the air fryer rack. **You will have to air fry in batches so the cutlets don't touch each other while they cook. I could do two at a time in my air fryer.
  • Air fry the chicken at 350 degrees F. for 3-4 minutes per side, until nicely crispy and golden brown. **Cooking time can vary depending on how your air fryer cooks.
  • Serve at once while the chicken is still very warm, garnished with sauce and chopped cilantro.

Make the Creamy Chipotle Sauce

  • While the chicken cooks, make the sauce. In a bowl, combine the ranch dressing, mayonnaise and chipotles until well blended. Keep refrigerated.

Notes

RECIPE TIPS

  • When you’re air frying the breaded chicken cutlets, keep in mind they will cook very quickly. Over-cooking results in Pollo Empanizado that is dry and chewy. Never a good thing.
  • If you want really good breading for this chicken dish, do use the Panko crumbs. Regular bread crumbs will still work ok, of course, but they don’t give the good texture for the breading that Panko breadcrumbs do.
  • To make slicing the chicken breasts in half horizontally, freeze them for 30 minutes prior. Slicing partially frozen poultry or meat makes the task so much easier to do.
  • Pounding out the chicken breasts inside of a heavy-duty plastic bag or beneath plastic wrap keeps all the mess contained. Be sure you use the smooth side of the mallet when pounding since the textured side can actually drive bits of plastic wrap into the chicken breasts if you aren’t extra careful.
  • Air fry the chicken in batches instead of crowding the breaded cutlets onto the rack. To achieve good browning, there should be plenty of room around each piece of chicken so the air can circulate well.

Nutrition

Calories: 441kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 15gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 12gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 990mgPotassium: 325mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 450IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 2mg
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