Chicken Parm Sub

• 150 g raw Chicken breast (5.3 oz raw)
• 25 g (about 1 egg white) Egg white (1 small egg white)
• 15 g Dry breadcrumbs or panko (0.5 oz)
• 8 g Parmesan, grated (1⅔ tbsp)
• 0.5 g Dried oregano (½ tsp)
• 0.5 g Salt (a pinch)
• 3 g Vegetable oil spray (⅔ tsp)
• 80 g Tomato sauce (2.8 oz)
• 0.5 g Garlic powder (⅛ tsp)
• 80 g (1 sub roll, about 20 cm / 8 inch) Sub roll (1 sub roll, about 8 inch)
• 30 g Part-skim mozzarella, grated (1.1 oz)
• 3 g raw Fresh basil (2 tbsp chopped)

You'll need: Air fryer (or oven and baking sheet), Plastic wrap, Rolling pin or small pan, 2 shallow bowls, Small saucepan, Tongs.

Method

1. Flatten and bread the chicken

   Heat the air fryer to 200°C (400°F). Cover the chicken with plastic wrap and pound it to an even 1.5 cm (½ inch), then cut it into 2 pieces that fit the roll. Beat the egg white in one bowl. Mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, oregano and salt in the other. Dip the chicken in egg white, then press it into the crumbs.

   Press the crumbs on firmly with your palm so they stick in the air fryer.

2. Air-fry the chicken

   Spray the chicken with the oil and air-fry for 10–12 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crisp and 74°C (165°F) in the middle. No air fryer? Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F) at the start and bake on a lined baking sheet instead, turning halfway; each batch takes about 5 minutes longer.

   Leave a gap between the pieces. Touching sides stay pale and soft.

3. Warm the sauce

   While the chicken cooks, warm the tomato sauce with the garlic powder in the small saucepan over low heat for about 3 minutes, until steaming.

   Warm sauce keeps the sub hot all the way through.

4. Melt and build

   Split the roll and lay the crispy chicken inside. Spoon over the tomato sauce and cover with the mozzarella. Put the open sub in the air fryer for about 2 minutes, until the cheese melts. Tuck in the basil leaves.

   Sauce on top of the chicken, not under it. The crust underneath stays crunchy.

Swaps

• Sub roll → Ciabatta rollChewier with a crisp crust, about the same calories.
• Chicken breast → Eggplant, 2 thick slicesA meatless parm. Air-fry 12–14 minutes; protein drops by about 30 g.