Air Fryer Sour Cream & Onion Chicken

This crispy, air fryer breaded chicken breast with sour cream and onion flavors is juicy and packed full of flavor. This chicken breast with crunchy coating with a tender juicy meat inside is a great spin on chicken breast and can be cooked in a matter of minutes. It’s versatile enough to be served for lunch or dinner and goes with a wide range of side dishes to accommodate anyone’s tastes.

Chicken Breasts 

Chicken breasts are among the healthiest cuts of meat out there as they are relatively low in fat and a great source of lean protein. The large surface area of chicken breasts makes them great for breading, resulting in a deliciously crispy piece of meat that still feels a little bit indulgent.

Air Fryer Chicken Breasts 

Air frying breaded chicken breasts also goes a long way in cutting down the calories in the final dish as it cuts way down on oil. However, if you don’t have an air fryer you can absolutely bake it or pan fry it on the stovetop. More info on that below in the recipe notes. 

Sour cream marinade

As chicken is quite a mild meat, marinating it overnight helps to give it an extra boost of flavor. The marinade in sour cream and onion chicken breast recipe uses green onions, fresh chives, fresh parsley, sour cream, onion powder, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper to give an aromatic and savory taste.

The sugar balances out the flavors  and aid in browning reactions which will enhance the flavor of the air fryer breaded chicken breasts. Sour cream is slightly acidic. Combined with the lemon this will help to tenderize and flavor the chicken

Dredging Tips 

To get the crispy beautiful coating, this recipe requires you to dredge the chicken - a word used to describe coating your food in breadcrumbs or flour (Panko breadcrumbs in this case).

To get the breadcrumbs to stick, you use a wet dredging mixture to create a layer of moisture. A basic dredging mixture uses beaten egg. Parmesan and lemon bring citrus and salty elements that make our Air Fryer Sour Cream and Onion Chicken recipe extra special.

Tip no. 1 Use one hand for dipping and the other for dredging.

It’s important to remember to use one hand for dipping your chicken in the dredging mixture and the other hand for pressing on your breadcrumbs and transferring your chicken into the air fryer. If you mix them up you’ll end up with a mess (and more breadcrumbs on your hand than on your meat!)

Tip no. 2 Pressing the breadcrumbs into the chicken

Pressing the breadcrumbs into the chicken so it can adhere is also something you'll need to do.

Tip no. 3 Shaking off excess 

Shaking off the excess breadcrumbs is also important. Following these few tips will ensure the breadcrumbs don't fall of the chicken later. 

What Can I Serve With Air Fryer Sour Cream and Onion Chicken?

For lunch or a light dinner, this sour cream and onion chicken goes wonderfully with a caesar salad. For a more hearty meal, you can serve your chicken alongside crispy potatoes, fries, baked or my mashed potatoes. 

HOW TO MAKE IT SOUR CREAM AND ONION CHICKEN

1. Add the marinade ingredients into a bowl. Mix well then add the sour cream mixture to plastic zip bag. Marinate overnight. 
   
   
2. Set temperature on Air Fryer to 400 degrees F. Preheat 3 minutes.
3. Let the chicken come to room temperature.
4. Add egg to a bowl. Add a few pinches of red pepper. Mix well. In another bowl add the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and lemon zest. 
5. Dip both sides of chicken into the egg mix. Let excess drip back into the bowl
   
   
6. Next, dip the chicken into the panko crumbs, lemon zest and parmesan cheese mixture.
7. Cover both sides with panko. Press the crumbs into the chicken very well. Shake off the excess. Fyi. Shaking off the excess will prevent the bread crumbs from falling off. I also mentioned this above in the dredging tips.
8. Spray a bit of oil into the air fryer. Place chicken breasts  in the air fryer. Spray the top of chicken with a bit of the oil.
9. Set air fryer to 400 @ 6 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.|

Once the air fryer sour cream and onion chicken is crispy and golden, you can zest a little more parmesan on top, sprinkle with chives and or green onions and serve. 

How to pan fry breaded chicken breast on the stovetop

1. I like the pan fried breaded chicken breast version the best. I mean who doesn't love fried chicken? (see pic right below). If you prefer to pan fry your breaded chicken breast here''s what you need to do.
   
   Line a small baking sheet or plate with paper towel. Next, follow all the steps above until you reach the cooking steps. 
   
   
2.  In a nonstick skillet over medium high heat ⅓ cup of peanut or vegetable oil in a skillet. When the oil is hot. Add two chicken breasts (Do not overcrowd the skillet) and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side until golden and crispy or until juices run clear or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 165 degrees F. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
   
   If the chicken is browning too fast. Reduce the heat to medium low. The chicken will continue to cook. You'll need to set the stove back to medium high once the skillet starts cooling down. So remember in order to prevent the chicken from browning too fast, you'll probably need to adjust the heat a couple times.
   
   
   *Whatever method you choose, remember, cooking times will vary depending on the size & thickness of your chicken breasts.

How to bake sour cream and onion chicken  

1. It won't be as crispy but if you want to bake your chicken breasts here's how to do it.  Preheat oven to 425°F. Place chicken breast on a cooking sprayed baking pan. Spray the top of chicken with cooking spray. 
   
   
2. Bake chicken for for 10-15 min or until the juices run clear or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 165 degrees F.

Sour Cream and Onion Chicken

April Boller Wright

Crispy, Air fryer breaded chicken breasts that's full of sour cream and onion flavor. This chicken breast with crunchy coating with a tender juicy meat inside is a great spin on breaded chicken and can be cooked in a matter of minutes.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Calories 323 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Marinade

• 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts halved to make 4 breasts
• ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
• ½ cup sour cream plus an additional 2 tablespoons
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 ½ tbsp chives
• 1 ½ tbsp green onions
• ½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 ½ tsp salt and pepper
• 1 tsp sugar
• cooking spray

For the dredge

• 1 ¾ cups Panko breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup parmesan
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 egg

Instructions

 

• Add all of the marinade ingredients to a plastic zip bag or bowl. Mix well. Add the chicken. Make sure to coat the chicken all over with the marinade. Zip the bag up. Place it into the fridge and marinate overnight.
• Let the chicken come to room temperature.
• Add the egg to a shallow bowl. Lightly beat it. In a separate shallow bowl add the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and lemon zest. Mix to combine.
• Dip both sides of the chicken into the eggs. Let excess drip back into the bowl. Next, dip the chicken into the panko crumbs. Cover both sides with panko, pressing very well to adhere. Shake off excess. *See notes below.
• Spray some oil into the air fryer. Place chicken in the air fryer. Spray the top of chicken with a bit of the oil.
• Set air fryer to 400 @ 5 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooking times will vary depending on the thickness and size of breast.

Notes

How to make stove-top pan fry breaded chicken breast 

I like this version but who doesn't love fried chicken.  If you prefer to pan fry your breaded chicken breast here'a how to make it. 

1. Line a small baking sheet or plate with paper towel.  Line a small baking sheet or plate with paper towel. Next, follow all the air fryer steps above until you reach the cooking steps.   
2. In a nonstick skillet over medium high heat ⅓ cup of peanut or vegetable oil in a skillet.  
3. When the oil is hot. Add two chicken breasts (Do not overcrowd the skillet) and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side until golden and crispy or until juices run clear or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 165 degrees F. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

If the chicken is browning too fast. Reduce the heat to medium low. The chicken will continue to cook. You'll need to set the stove back to medium high once the skillet starts cooling down. So remember in order to prevent the chicken from browning too fast, you'll probably need to adjust the heat a couple of times.
*Cooking times will vary depending on the size & thickness of your  chicken breasts.

 

How to bake it

1. If you don't care for air fried foods or don't have one,  you can bake the chicken. It won't be as crispy but here's how to do it.  Preheat oven to 425°F. Place chicken breast on a cooking sprayed baking pan. Spray the top of chicken with cooking spray.  
2. Bake chicken for for 10-15 min or until the juices run clear or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 165 degrees F.

 

Recipe slightly adapted from Cooking NY Times 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 323kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 31gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 1903mgPotassium: 543mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 649IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 169mgIron: 2mg

Keyword air fryer chicken breast, air fryer crispy chicken, sour cream and onion chicken, sour cream chicken

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