Far beyond fries and onion rings, the air fryer can cook breaded meats like chicken to a delicious crispness without the mess or high calorie counts of deep-frying. However, the air fryer is not foolproof, and there's one extra step you might want to take in order to cook perfect breaded chicken cutlets.

Breaded items such as chicken cutlets, pork chops, and fish filets are all great options for the air fryer, but this appliance has a reputation for not browning the breading evenly, unless you lend it a little help. To avoid patches of breadcrumbs that are pale and not very crispy, toast the crumbs in the microwave before breading your meat.

Simply toss one cup of panko with two tablespoons of oil in a shallow, microwave-safe dish until the crumbs are evenly coated. Microwave the crumbs, stirring frequently, until they're light golden brown, which should only take between one and three minutes, then bread your chicken and put it in the air fryer for crispy success.