Air fryer chicken sandwiches make for the perfect easy lunch or light dinner when you are craving a comforting meal but don’t want to sacrifice healthy eating completely.
Set up your station for breading the chicken: you'll need three bowls, one for the flour, one for the egg (beaten well), and one for the bread crumbs. Add the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to the breadcrumbs and combine.
Prepare the chicken patties one at a time. First, fully coat one patty in flour, then coat it 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 for each patty.
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 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 to 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
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 to 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!