Smoky Chicken Parm Sandwiches
There’s not much you can do to improve upon a chicken parm sandwich in my opinion. The marriage of a fried chicken cutlet, somehow staying crispy while bathed in warm tomato sauce and blanketed in gooey mozzarella cheese, all stuffed inside a soft sesame-seed roll is heaven. But for this air-fried version, I wanted to infuse a bit of my favorite spice, smoked paprika, into the chicken and up the “smoky” flavor with pleasantly pungent smoked mozzarella. It gives the sandwich a certain “wood-fired” quality that’s a wonderful change of pace, whether at a barbecue in the summer or a cold cabin during the winter, all without having to strike a match.
Ingrediënten
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (8 ounces each), sliced horizontally in half and separated into 4 thinner cutlets
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs lightly beaten
- ½ cup dried breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- Cooking spray
- ½ cup marinara sauce homemade or store-bought
- 6 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese grated
- 2 store-bought soft sesame-seed hamburger or Italian buns, split
Instructies
- Season the chicken cutlets all over with salt and pepper.
- Set up three shallow bowls: Place the flour in the first bowl, the eggs in the second, and stir together the breadcrumbs and smoked paprika in the third.
- Coat the chicken pieces in the flour, then dip fully in the egg.
- Dredge in the paprika breadcrumbs, then transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and spray both sides liberally with cooking spray.
- Transfer 2 of the chicken cutlets to the air fryer and cook at 350°F until beginning to brown, about 6 minutes.
- Spread each cutlet with 2 tablespoons of the marinara sauce and sprinkle with one-quarter of the smoked mozzarella.
- Increase the heat to 400°F and cook until the chicken is cooked through and crisp and the cheese is melted and golden brown, about 5 minutes more.
- Transfer the cutlets to a plate, stack on top of each other, and place inside a bun.
- Repeat with the remaining chicken cutlets, marinara, smoked mozzarella, and bun.
- Serve the sandwiches warm.
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