Air Fryer Turkey Cutlet Parmesan

Air Fryer Turkey Cutlet Parmesan has tender, juicy crumb-coasted turkey cutlets smothered in sauce and melted Parmesan cheese.

A Delicious Budget-Friendly Dinner

If you are a fan of Chicken Parmesan – you might love this easy Air Fryer Turkey Cutlet Parmesan even more!

This is an extremely easy and budget-friendly meal to make. With just a little bit of prep and about ten minutes of cooking (in an air fryer), this dinner for four can be served for about $10 to $12 total.

We bought pre-sliced, uncooked turkey cutlets – a one pound package came with four evenly-sliced cutlets that are already the perfect thickness for cooking in the air fryer. The package of turkey cutlets at our market was priced at $4.50 for a package ($1.12 per portion) – then add in the cost of breading, tomato sauce, cheese, seasonings, and pasta (some of which you might already have on hand in your pantry) – you’ll have a delicious dinner on the table for approximately $2.50 to $3.00 per person.

Quick Cooking in an Air Fryer

While you can make this recipe in the oven, we made our Turkey Cutlet Parmesan in a large air fryer like this.

The air fryer is great for summer days when you don’t want to heat up the house by turning on the oven or when you don’t want to make a mess deep frying in a skillet.  An air fryer also allows the heat to circulate around the cutlets, so the breading gets crispy and it cooks more quickly too.

Why you'll love Turkey Cutlet Parmesan

• Thanks to the air fryer, this easy dinner is ready in just thirty minutes!
• Packaged turkey cutlets come pre-portioned to a perfect size, and ready to cook – so prep is easy.
• This delicious meal costs about $2.50 to $3.00 per person
• You could also simply serve this as a fried turkey cutlet without the tomato sauce and cheese. Instead, serve it with mashed potatoes or rice pilaf, some vegetables, and turkey gravy.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

• Turkey cutlet – Buy fresh pre-sliced turkey cutlets (we love the Shady Brook Farms brand). The package is sold fresh in the meat section of the supermarket, but has air removed from the package, giving it a longer than normal shelf life. The package freezes and thaws well which makes it very versatile – and if you can find them on sale, stock up! A one-pound package has four evenly sliced 4-ounce cutlets that are already the perfect thickness for this recipe and do not require pounding before cooking.
• All-Purpose Flour – For coating the cutlets, which you’ll season with salt and pepper.
• Eggs – Also for coating the turkey cutlets, mixed with a little bit of milk.
• Breadcrumbs – The last coating step – we used a combination of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs and panko breadcrumbs that we further seasoned with dried basil and oregano seasonings.
• Parmesan Cheese – Added to the breadcrumb coating, as well as sprinkled over the top of the turkey cutlet after baking. For best flavor, use real Parmesan cheese, not the jarred kind.
• Oil – The breaded cutlets were sprayed with cooking spray, then drizzled with olive oil before air frying to achieve a crispy coating.
• Sauce – Any brand tomato sauce or make your own following our recipe.
• Cheese – More freshly grated Parmesan cheese, sliced provolone cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese are placed on top of the cooked cutlet to melt before serving.
• Pasta – Serve with your favorite pasta.

How do I make Air Fryer Turkey Cutlet Parmesan?

1. Cook pasta.
2. Set up breading station with seasoned flour in one bowl, beaten eggs with milk in another bowl, and the blend of seasoned breadcrumbs, panko bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, dried oregano and dried basil in the third bowl.
3. Dip cutlets first in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Lay inside air fryer basket.
4. Spray breaded cutlets with kitchen pan spray, then drizzle olive oil over the top.
5. Air fry in preheated air fryer for 5-7 minutes until cooked through.
6. Cover the cutlets with Parmesan cheese, tomato sauce, provolone cheese, and shredded mozzarella cheese. Air fry 3-4 minutes more to melt the cheese and brown the tops.
7. Serve immediately with cooked pasta and more sauce on the side.

Alternative Cooking Method

• An air fryer is basically a small convection oven, so you could easily adapt this recipe for the oven if you prefer. Just note that the cooking time may differ.
• Place the cutlets on a rack placed over a baking sheet, then bake the cutlets at 375 degrees F until done (if you have a convection setting, use that).
• Finally, add the sauce and cheese and bake again until the cheese has melted.

Frequently Asked Questions

• If I want to make this recipe in the oven, instead of the air fryer, at what temperature should I bake the cutlets? See Alternative Cooking Method section right above.
• Can I make Air Fryer Turkey Cutlet Parmesan ahead of time?  You can bread the cutlets ahead of time and refrigerate but once you add oil, they need to be cooked to avoid getting soggy.
• How do I store leftovers?   Store refrigerated for up to two days.
• How do I reheat leftovers? We think reheating in the microwave is probably the easiest.
• Can I freeze?  The cooked cutlets should freeze fine. But, we recommend that you cook fresh pasta for serving.  

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Air Fryer Turkey Cutlet Parmesan

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Air Fryer Turkey Cutlet Parmesan has tender, juicy crumb-coasted turkey cutlets smothered in sauce and melted Parmesan cheese.

• Author: A Family Feast
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: entree
• Method: air fryer
• Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

1/2 box of your favorite pasta (enough for four servings)

4 4-ounce uncooked turkey cutlets (sold in packages of 4, 1 pound total)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

2 whole eggs

2 tablespoons milk

3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1 1/3 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Kitchen pan spray

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 cups of your favorite tomato sauce, or make your own, divided

4 slices deli-sliced provolone cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

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Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to box directions. Once cooked, rinse with cold water and hold.
2. Pat each cutlet dry with paper towels.
3. Set up three breading stations. The first uses flour, salt and pepper. The second uses eggs and milk. The third mix both breadcrumbs with 1/3 cup of Parmesan, dried basil and dried oregano. The breadcrumb station should be in a slightly larger bowl than the other two to accommodate the ingredients.
4. Dip each cutlet in flour, shake excess, then egg, shake excess, and then the breadcrumb mixture.
5. When you get to the breadcrumb station, press the crumb mixture into both sides then remove to a platter.
6. Spray both sides of each cutlet with kitchen pan spray, then using a spoon, drizzle on the olive oil over both sides of all four cutlets.
7. Preheat air fryer on 400 degrees F for five minutes.
8. Open air fryer and place four cutlets along the bottom of the basket and air fry at that temperature for 5-7 minutes or until golden in color and cooked through. (Poke a cutlet and it should feel firm).
9. While the cutlets are cooking, heat the tomato sauce.
10. Once the cutlets are cooked, sprinkle on a half cup of Parmesan over each then spoon on a quarter cup of sauce over that and spread to the edges.
11. Top each cutlet with one slice of provolone cut in half and laid out along the surface then top each with all of the mozzarella cheese, dividing evenly.
12. Air fry for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the top slightly browned.
13. Reheat the pasta and toss with some of the sauce.
14. Serve with the sauced pasta along with the rest of the sauce and Parmesan on the side.