Don’t let those last few crumbs in the Doritos bag go to waste, use them to make these Crispy Chicken Fillets. We added the Doritos to the breading for a fun tasty twist to everyone’s beloved crispy chicken fillets.
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Why you will love these crispy chicken fillets
- Flavors: The homemade dry rub, the addition of the Doritos to the breading mix, plus the sour cream and mustard brings a whole new exciting flavor to these crispy chicken fillets. The chicken is still the star here with the Doritos bringing its own unique taste. As they cool you really notice how tender they are from the sour cream-mustard mixture and of course the air fryer’s quick cooking.
- Texture: The breading brings a crispy texture with the sour cream-mustard mixture tenderizing the chicken making it moist and tender. You get the best of both worlds.
- Easy: This easy recipe comes together with simple steps, like how I coat the fillets. It is made easy by using tongs to dredge the chicken in the sour cream-mustard mixture and then into the breading.
- Time saver: They cook in a few minutes. Make them ahead of time, freeze them, and cook only a few pieces for dinner, lunch, or a nacho appetizer.
- Versatile: In the end, it all comes down to chicken being a favorite for kids and grown-ups alike. They can be served with french fries to wild rice. Enjoy them as is or with your favorite dip. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with them.
Pro Tips
- You will see I used Panko and breadcrumbs. The Panko gives a crunchier texture and the breadcrumbs fill all the gaps. This way I make sure my chicken fillets are coated so I have all the flavor and crunch.
- Do not overcrowd your air fryer basket. You need to allow the air to circulate in between each piece for a more evenly cooked and crispy chicken fillet.
Ingredients
- Doritos, crushed
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Italian breadcrumbs
- Dry chives
- Parmigiano (parmesan) cheese
- Cornstarch
- Melted salted butter
- Yellow mustard
- Sour cream
- Lemon pepper seasoning
- Salt
- Chicken breast
Keep reading down to the recipe card for specific ingredients and instructions.
Instructions
1. Fillet the chicken breasts – On a large cutting board, cut the chicken breast into the desired chicken fillet size and place the fillets in the fridge.
2. Prepare breading, dredging mixture, rub, and fillets – For the breading combine the crushed Doritos, Panko breadcrumbs, Italian breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, dry chives, and cornstarch. The dredging mixture uses butter, mustard, and sour cream. Set it aside for now. Finally, to make the rub combine the lemon pepper seasoning and salt. Take the fillets out of the fridge to coat with the rub. Finally, dredge the chicken and cover them with the breading.
3. Time to make the Crispy Chicken Fillets – Place the coated chicken in the air fryer basket, and return the remaining coated chicken fillets back in the refrigerator. Cook in the air fryer and halfway through flip, continue air frying until done. Place the cooked chicken on a cooling rack and repeat the air frying steps with the rest of the breaded chicken fillets.
4. Serve with French fries and Enjoy!
Substitutions
I used chicken breasts, but if you have thighs, you can use them just as well. Keep in mind the size and thickness of the chicken you will use will impact the cooking time.
- Doritos- instead of Doritos, you can use any of the other chips you like.
- Yellow mustard- if you want a sweeter flavor, use honey mustard.
Variations
Have fun with this recipe. Adapt it to what you are in the mood for or what you have in the pantry.
- Spicy – Spice it up a bit. Add a pinch of chili powder in the rub for the chicken or even add cayenne pepper as one of the spices in the breading. A simpler one is to use spicy Doritos or another spicy chip.
- BBQ – Add your favorite BBQ chips into the breading and even a pinch of a favorite rub into the recipe’s rub. If you want to keep it all homemade add our Pork Butt Rub, it is a classic sweet BBQ rub.
- Kid-friendly – Use the kid’s favorite spices or regular potato chips in the breading for the chicken. Serve with their favorite dipping sauces.
Equipment
You don’t need much for this recipe. One thing that was a game changer was using a 9-inch pie dish for the breading mixture. The openness and high edges make for easy coating. I also use a basket-style air fryer and a good pair of tongs.
Storage / Leftovers / Rewarm
- Storage: Once the crispy chicken fillets are completely cooled, place them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: If you made extra, they freeze really well. Once they are coated and before cooking, place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze them for 2 hours then transfer them to a zip-top bag.
- Leftovers: Cut the leftovers into bite size and add them to a salad, or rice or make a wrap with them.
- Rewarm: Place them in the air fryer at 350 degrees F. for 4 to 5 minutes.
FAQ
The size and thickness is the big factor here. For this recipe, 5 – 6 chicken fillets fit in the air fryer basket. It took a bit over 10 minutes to reach 170 degrees F.
Don’t overcrowd your air fryer basket and add the cornstarch.
It is not necessary but I highly recommend it. I have found that the preheated basket leads to a better crust all around the chicken fillets.
More Fun Air Fryer Recipes
Looking for fun new air fryer recipes to try?
Wondering what you can serve them with
These are my favorite dishes to serve with crispy chicken fillets:
Crispy Chicken Fillets
Equipment
- Air fryer, basket style
- Tongs
Ingredients
- ½ cup Doritos, crushed
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmigiano (parmesan) cheese
- 2 teaspoons dry chives
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- 2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 pounds chicken breasts
Instructions
Fillet the Chicken Breasts
- On a large cutting board, cut the chicken breast into fillets. Place the chicken fillets into a large baking pan, see NOTE.
- Place the chicken in the refrigerator for now.
Prepare Breading, Dredging Mixture, Rub, and Fillets
- Breading – In a large bowl, combine the crushed Doritos, Panko breadcrumbs, Italian breadcrumbs, Parmigiano (parmesan) cheese, dry chives, and cornstarch. Set it aside for now.
- Dredging Mixture – Melt the butter. Then in another large bowl, combine the melted butter, mustard, and sour cream. Set it aside for now.
- Rub – In a small bowl, combine the lemon pepper seasoning and salt. Take the chicken out of the fridge. Coat the chicken in the salt/lemon pepper rub.
- Next, coat the rubbed chicken in the dredging mixture. Then, coat the chicken fillet in the breading. Repeat until done.
Time to make the Crispy Chicken Fillets
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F. for 3 minutes
- Place the coated chicken fillets in the air fryer basket, about 5 – 6. Continue cooking at 400 degrees F. for 11 minutes. Place the remaining coated chicken fillets back in the refrigerator.
- Flip the chicken halfway through the cooking time.
- Check the chicken with a thermometer. The chicken will be cooked at an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Place the cooked chicken on a cooling rack with a catch pan underneath it.
- Repeat the air frying steps until they are finished, see NOTE.
- Serve with French fries and Enjoy!
Notes
- The 2 pounds of chicken breast gave us 15 chicken fillets.
- The size of the chicken fillets allowed us to put 5 – 6 fillets at a time in the air fryer basket.
- This recipe was done in a basket-style air fryer, 5.8 qt.
Food Safety
All of us are responsible for the safe preparation, cooking, and serving of food. The Kitchen Bucket List shares with you our personal experiences in cooking and food safety. We are not a food safety site. As a convenience, we provide informative information we find from food safety sites. If you have questions about your food safety check your local guidelines and/or head over to the USDA. The “Storage / Leftovers / Rewarm” section of the posts are personal estimates.
Here are some key things to remember:
- Like Mom always said, “Wash your hands.” It is the easiest thing to do for your food safety.
- Avoid cross-contamination between raw food items and the utensils with which they come in contact with.
- If you choose to leave food out at room temperature, please refer to an official food safety site like the USDA Danger Zone page.
Made this tonight! It was so good! I didnt realize I was out of lemon pepper so I couldn’t add it but I added a splash of lemon juice and pepper to the mixes. Turned out great! Can’t wait to try it with ALL the right ingredients haha!
What a great idea to use lemon juice and pepper. I am so glad you liked them.