Baon-Perfect Air Fryer Crispy Chicken with Healthy Sides

Ever noticed how we tend to gravitate towards crispy chicken when we dine out or order food through delivery apps? Yes, fast-food chains sell affordable fried chicken but is that the only reason we can’t help but order it?

A paper published in 2015 by renowned psychologist Charles Spence explains the correlation between our brain and our diet. He breaks down how the sound of our food is crucial. How we hear this sound is associated with how we savor flavors.

Thus, when we take a bite out of a Crispy Chicken Fillet Sandwich, for instance, the crunch we hear influences our multisensory view of the flavor. More importantly, it plays a crucial role in our overall eating or drinking experience.

Simply put, selecting Fried Chicken from the menu can be attributed to our full sensory enjoyment when we indulge in this oil-saturated food. The umami goodness goes so well with rice and a pool of gravy; talking about it now may already make you salivate. Rather than consuming a sizeable number of calories and saturated fat from our fave juicylicious fried chicken chain, here’s a Crispy Chicken Fillet recipe you can easily make at home.

Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Fillet 

For the chicken:

• 2 large pieces of chicken breast fillet
• ¼  tsp salt
• ½  tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil (neutral)

For the breading:

•  ½ cup fine breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp dried basil
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp paprika or chili powder
• ½ tsp salt

Steps:

1. Mix salt, pepper, and vegetable oil. Make enough to coat your fillet pieces lightly.
2. To allow even and quick cooking, cut the fillet thinly. Pound the meat with a mallet or a rolling pin before coating it in salt, pepper, and oil mixture.
3. Combine the breading ingredients in a shallow dish.
4. Press the oil-coated chicken fillet into the breading mix ensuring that both sides are evenly covered.
5. Place breaded pieces into the air fryer. Cook at 200°C for 8 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 4 minutes.

A few noteworthy tips

• Only use fine breadcrumbs when using a batter-free recipe.
• Brining the chicken cutlets before breading and cooking results in juicier meat.
• Allow cooked fillet pieces to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
• Always air fry thoroughly thawed out meat. Air frying frozen chicken pieces will result in uneven cooking. 
• Serve with healthy side dishes

The Perfect Side Dishes to Pair with Crispy Chicken Fillet 

To reduce umay factor from sauce-free dishes, be sure to serve crispy chicken breasts with some healthy sides. 

Coleslaw

A good slaw always works well with Fried Chicken. Even a well-known colonel likes to sell his chicken along with coleslaw. Classic Coleslaw uses a mayo dressing, switch this up by using Greek yogurt or light vinaigrette to complement the robust flavors of Crispy Chicken Fillet. 

Slaw ingredients:

• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup minced celery 
• 4 cups shredded green cabbage
• 4 cups shredded purple cabbage
• 2 tbsp parsley (optional)

Slaw dressing:

• ½ cup plain Greek Yogurt
• ¼ cup Lady’s Choice Real Mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 tsp white sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper 
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard 
• ¼ tsp celery seeds
• ¼ small onion grated

Steps: 

1. Combine slaw dressing ingredients. Set aside
2. In a bowl toss vegetables together. Coat well with the dressing. 
3. Chill until ready to serve. 

Mashed Sweet Potato

Take a classic Mashed Potato and turn it into a healthier side dish by using sweet potatoes instead. 

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo sweet potatoes, peeled and boiled
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• ½ white onion diced creamy 
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped 
• 1/3 cup Lady’s Choice Real Mayonnaise
• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Boil sweet potatoes until soft and consistency is suitable for mashing.
2. In a saucepan, heat olive oil and sauté garlic and onions. Set it aside.
3. Transfer potatoes into a bowl, add garlic and onion mixture. Combine rosemary and Lady’s Choice Real Mayonnaise.
4. Mix until you get a smooth consistency. Season with salt and pepper
5. Serve with chicken fillet alongside coleslaw or cucumber salad. 

Cucumber Salad

If you feel like coleslaw is still too heavy, why not try this refreshing cucumber salad? It requires few ingredients and can be made in minutes. 

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 4 pcs cucumbers, thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• ½ cup cherry tomatoes halved (optional)
• 1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced

Steps

1. Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper until well blended.
2. Pour dressing over cucumbers and avocado

Thinking up baon menu ideas each week can be challenging, especially if you are a busy mom. Therefore, it is important to find food items that are nutritious, easy to prepare [remove comma] and can satisfy the fussiest of eaters.

This can be served with rice or our suggested sides. You can also play around with the recipe and turn it into Chicken Florentine or cut up the fillet into strips to turn them into Fried Chicken Fingers with Salted Egg Dip. No matter what you eat, the key to a healthy diet is always to eat flavorful food in moderation! With the right ingredients, you can make ordinary meals, extraordinary! 

Chicken Florentine

Try our restaurant-style Chicken Florentine recipe that's made creamier and tastier with Lady's Choice Real Mayonnaise.