Ingredients
4 (4-oz.) chicken cutlets
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
4 tsp. yellow or honey mustard, plus more for serving
1 tbsp. bread-and-butter pickle juice, plus sliced pickles for serving
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1 c. plain bread crumbs
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
Olive oil cooking spray
4 lightly toasted potato rolls
Lettuce leaves and sliced tomatoes, for serving
Preparation
Step 1Pat chicken dry with paper towels; season all over with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.Step 2In a shallow bowl, whisk eggs, mustard, pickle juice, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne until combined. Place bread crumbs and flour in separate shallow bowls.Step 3Dip one chicken cutlet into flour, shaking off any excess. Dip chicken into egg mixture, letting any excess drip off. Coat chicken in bread crumbs, gently pressing to adhere. Transfer breaded cutlet to a plate.Step 4Generously coat an air-fryer basket with cooking spray. Working in batches, arrange 2 cutlets in a single layer in basket. Generously spray chicken with cooking spray until evenly coated. Cook at 400º, flipping halfway through and generously spraying second side with cooking spray, until breading is golden brown and chicken is just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 5 minutes.Step 5Arrange chicken on bottom bun. Layer lettuce, tomato, and pickles over chicken. Spread top bun with mustard and close sandwich.
You’ll use a classic three-step breading technique to surround the chicken cutlets in the breaded coating. First, you’ll coat the chicken with flour, which helps the seasoned egg mixture adhere, and then finally in breadcrumbs, which bake up crispy and light. Though panko breadcrumbs are often used in recipes with breaded items, you’re looking for the finer breadcrumbs here since they meld into a more cohesive outer layer. If you don’t own an air fryer, check out our Copycat Popeyes Chicken Sandwich or Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, instead.
