Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Sandwiches

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These crispy air fryer chicken sandwiches are perfectly juicy and fresh when paired with mashed avocado, fresh tomato, and baby arugula.
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When the air fryer craze began last year, I thought to myself, how well do these things actually work? I didn’t initially buy into the claims that they were incredible at replicating fried food, but I’ve always been open to trying new kitchen gadgets – and my sister had been raving about hers for months. Alex was even more skeptical than me though, so it took some convincing to get him to want to try one.

Just as we were thinking about investing in one, a surprise housewarming gift showed up at our door – an air fryer from my sister!

She’s been sending us all her favorite recipes ever since, and as we started experimenting with our new air fryer we realized why everyone is so obsessed with them. They truly are incredible, and if you prepare things right you really can get restaurant-quality fried food out of it. And as an extra bonus, air fryers don’t require any oil, so it’s a whole lot healthier – but just as tasty!

A crispy chicken sandwich with avocado, cheese, tomato, and lettuce

I’m not kidding when I say this recipe tastes like a sandwich from Chick-fil-A (although Alex will only say it’s almost as good).

We have one recommendation for following this recipe, especially if you’re new to working with air fryers. Make sure the breadcrumbs stick really well to the patties, and shake off any excess before they go in the air fryer. If you skip this step, the breadcrumbs will blow off and end up loose in the basket, which will make cleaning up just a little bit harder.

A crispy chicken sandwich open faced on a plate

Once you’ve got your air-fried chicken patties, customize your sandwich however you want! For one of our favorite variations (shared in the recipe below), spread mashed avocado on the bun and top the patties with pepper jack cheese. For a more indulgent option, use American cheese and slices of crispy bacon. If you want something lighter, just top with lettuce and tomato and serve with veggies!

Of course, every chicken sandwich needs a delicious side. Our go-to right now is heating up some frozen sweet potato fries – we love these Alexia fries. One of our next cooking projects is to try making homemade fries in the air fryer, so stay tuned!

An air fryer crispy chicken sandwich with cheese, tomato, and lettuce

Want even more delicious recipes you can make in your air fryer? Browse our entire collection of air fryer recipes here.

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Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Sandwiches

A crispy air fryer chicken sandwich recipe that yields perfectly juicy patties every time, topped with gooey cheese and fresh avocado.
Servings 2 servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 chicken breast sliced into two patties
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp milk
  • cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • Pinch salt
  • Pinch black pepper
  • 2 burger buns
  • 2 slices pepper jack cheese
  • 1 medium avocado mashed
  • 2 slices fresh tomato quarter-inch thick
  • 2 handfuls baby arugula

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.
  • In a medium bowl, combine breadcrumbs with garlic powder and onion powder, then season with salt and pepper. Whisk together with a fork to fully combine.
  • Prepare the chicken patties one at a time. First, fully coat one patty in the egg wash and let excess liquid drip off before transferring it to the breadcrumbs. Evenly coat the entire patty with breadcrumbs, pressing the breadcrumbs into the chicken well so they stick, then shake off any excess.* Repeat this process to double coat each patty (egg, breadcrumbs, egg, breadcrumbs) and set aside.
  • Preheat your air fryer to 360 degrees.
  • Transfer the patties to the air fryer basket and cook for 18 minutes, flipping halfway through.
  • Check to make sure the patties are slightly crispy on both sides – this is how you will know if they’re done. (Alternatively, you can check the temperature with a meat thermometer). If they’re ready, top each patty with a slice of cheese and put them back in the air fryer, but don't turn it on! The heat of the air fryer will quickly melt the cheese in about 1-2 minutes.*
  • Spread the mashed avocado on the bottom half of both buns.
  • Once the cheese is melted, carefully remove patties from the basket and place on buns. Top each sandwich with a slice of tomato and a handful of baby arugula. Serve immediately.

Notes

Breading the chicken: Make sure all the breadcrumbs are fully stuck to the patties before cooking.
Melting the cheese: Make sure you don’t turn the air fryer on for this step! Simply topping each patty with a slice of cheese and then putting the basket back in the warm air fryer will melt the cheese perfectly in about 1-2 minutes.
Serving suggestions: We think pepper jack cheese and mashed avocado taste great on these sandwiches, especially with some fresh tomato and arugula. But feel free to choose any type of cheese (or no cheese!) and top these sandwiches with whatever your heart desires.
Note: You can make this into a spicy chicken sandwich by adding a little bit of chili powder and ground cayenne pepper to the breadcrumb mixture in Step 2. It’s delicious!
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Author: Nicole
Calories: 681kcal
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fryer, arugula, Avocado, chicken breast, pepper jack cheese, summer, tomatoes

Nutrition

Calories: 681kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 173mg | Sodium: 781mg | Potassium: 1245mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1165IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 357mg | Iron: 5mg

If you have any questions regarding the information presented in this post, please refer to our Nutrition Disclaimer here.

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