Crispy, golden, breaded chicken thigh fillets in the air fryer with a cheesy herb coating! This easy air fryer recipe delivers tender, juicy chicken with a delicious crunch — without the extra oil. Perfect for a quick and healthy family meal. Serve with a fresh salad for a simple yet satisfying dinner.
Don't have the time to make my air-fried pork loin? Still after a dish which is not only juicy but has a crunch factor? Then these cheesy herb chicken thigh schnitzels are for you.
Lemon zest mixed with tarragon and thyme adds a fragrant hit. Grated mozzarella cheese helps the crunchy panko crumbs reach a golden brown without the excess oil of shallow frying.
Serve with a garden salad and lemon cheeks for a winning mid-week family dinner.
Sara xxx
What's in this post
What to Serve with Cheesy Herb Chicken Thigh Schnitzels
As stated above a garden salad and lemon cheeks are my go-to for these crunch golden breaded thigh fillets. Some other suitable suggestions are below.
- Air Fryer Asparagus - 10-minute recipe
- Cheesy Mashed Potatoes - 30-minute recipe
- Broccolini Slaw - 20-minute recipe
- Quinoa Tabouli Salad - 30-minute recipe
- Dill Pickle Pasta Salad - 20-minute recipe
- Cheesy Cauliflower Bake - 1 hour + 15-minute recipe
Pro Tip for Perfect Breading
To keep things mess-free when breading chicken (or anything else), use my no mess method:
• Flour & Zip Lock Bag or Lidded Bowl: Place the flour and seasoning in a zip lock bag or a bowl with a lid. Add the chicken and shake.
• Fork It: Using a fork pull out one dredged chicken piece at a time and dip it into the egg mixture and coat well.
• Crumb Coating: Once coated in egg more the chicken piece, using the fork, to a bowl with the panko crumbs. Use your free and dry hand to bread the chicken.
The key is to keep your fingers dry when handling the panko crumbs—otherwise, they’ll stick to your hands instead of the chicken!
Printable Recipe
Breaded Cheesy Herb Thigh Fillets - Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 4-6 chicken thigh fillets (boneless & skinless)
- 100 grams (⅔ cup) seasoned flour (note #1)
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 100 grams (1 ½ cups) panko breadcrumbs
- 90 g (1 cup) mozzarella
- 1 Tablespoon finely chopped tarragon
- 2 Tablespoons finely chopped thyme
- zest of one lemon
Instructions
- Place chicken thighs in a zip lock bag with seasoned flour.
- Zip the bag shut and shake to cover the thighs completely with flour.You could also use a container with a tight lid. The shake method saves your fingers from getting messy.
- In a medium bowl whisking egg and oil together.
- In a large bowl mix panko crumbs, mozzarella, tarragon, thyme, and lemon zest until evenly combined.(I use shallower bowls than mixing bowls as it makes crumbing and coating easier.)
- Using a fork remove a chicken thigh from the zip lock bag, shaking excess flour off.Coat the chicken thoroughly in the egg coating. Let any excess coating drip from the thigh.
- Place the chicken thigh in the crumb coating. Using your hands, cover the thigh completely in the mixture, pressing the coating on.Place coated chicken on a plate while you crumb the rest of the chicken.
- Put the coated thighs in the fridge to rest for 30 mins.
- Place crumbed chicken in the air fryer basket, leaving space around each piece. Spray with a little olive oil (optional).Cook at 190°C (374°F) for 10-12 minutes. Turning at 6 mins.Time will vary depending on the size and thickness of the thighs you use.
- Remove from the air fryer and place chicken thighs on a wire rack while cooking the remaining chicken.Chicken can be kept warm in the oven on a low temperature.
- Serve with garden salad as a main and/or with crunchy nutty broccolini slaw.
Oven Temperatures
All oven temperatures are fan forced.
Measurement Notes
All measurements are Australian metric standard. All measures are level, and cups are lightly packed unless specified. 1 teaspoon = 5ml / 1 tablespoon = 20mls / 1 cup = 250ml /4 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon.
Recipe Notes
Notes
#1 100g equals ⅔ cup of flour. This amount will be more than enough for 6 thigh fillets. Season the flour with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper.NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
The recipe's nutritional information is an approximation based on an online calculator. It is meant solely for reference purposes. If you're looking for precise details, be sure to double-check with your own research.
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