Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
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Published Feb 03, 2022, Updated Oct 29, 2024
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These healthy air fryer chicken tenders are coated in breadcrumbs and a blend of spices. They’re crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside and loaded with flavor!
Perfectly crispy chicken tenders in under 15 minutes?! You better believe it. If you don’t have an air fryer, this recipe might convince you to purchase one! These air fryer chicken tenders are worth the investment. Plus, I have a ton of other air fryer recipes you can make like this air fryer salmon, air fryer buffalo cauliflower and air fryer chicken breast.
Pair these tenders with baked sweet potato fries and your favorite dipping sauce like my homemade Chick-Fil-A sauce (more ideas below) for a complete meal. Trust me, once you make this recipe it’ll be on repeat!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Delicious – Dare I say better than fast food? I love a good chicken tender from time to time and I have to say… these are better than most restaurant versions I’ve had!
- Family approved – This is a dinner the entire family will love! Only speaking from experience here… my kids are obsessed with these chicken tenders!
- Quick & easy – This recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. Get dinner on the table in under 15 minutes! Plus, you only need 3 main ingredients plus seasonings. How easy is that?!
- No oil – I love making homemade chicken tenders because they’re healthier than the fried versions you get out. This recipe doesn’t call for any oil and they get super crispy!
Ingredients Needed
- boneless skinless chicken breast – I usually buy organic chicken breasts and cut them into strips. It’s cheaper than buying pre-cut chicken tenders and I personally hate dealing with the tendon that you’ll typically find in store-bought tenders. That said, you can totally buy pre-cut chicken tenderloins if you prefer.
- breadcrumbs – I used a combination of seasoned Italian style breadcrumbs and panko breadcrumbs for the coating on these chicken tenders. I like the flavor the Italian style breadcrumbs add and the crisp texture that the larger panko breadcrumbs provide so the combo is perfect. That said, feel free to use just one or the other depending on what you have on hand.
- seasonings – we’re adding more flavor to the breading with a mixture of paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- egg – helps bind the breading to the chicken.
Recipe Substitutions
- Make them gluten-free: Try my baked chicken tenders instead! They’re made with a combo of almond meal and shredded coconut instead of breadcrumbs.
- Egg: I haven’t tried an egg substitute with this recipe, but I bet using a flaxseed egg or an egg replacer would work. If you try either of these options let me know in the comments below!
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Step 1: In one bowl, mix breadcrumbs, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. In another bowl, crack and whisk the egg.
Step 2: Dip each chicken tender in the egg, shake off any excess, then coat each tender completely in the breadcrumb mixture.
Step 3: Preheat air fryer if needed. Place tenders in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
Step 4: Cook at 400°F for 7-8 minutes, flipping halfway. Check that internal temp reaches 165°F. Serve warm and enjoy!
Brittany’s Tip!
Make sure that you are cooking your chicken tenders in a single layer and in batches if needed, otherwise they won’t cook as evenly and won’t crisp up!
Dip Pairings
You can’t have chicken tenders without dipping sauce! Here are some of my favorites dips to serve with these tenders:
- Ketchup: Can’t go wrong with good ol’ ketchup. Try to buy a version without any added sugar if possible. The Primal Kitchen unsweetened ketchup is my go-to store-bought brand.
- Ranch: My vegan ranch dressing is a great option. If you’re looking for a store-bought version, I recommend Primal Kitchen ranch – it’s allergen-friendly and made with really great ingredients.
- BBQ sauce: My homemade BBQ sauce has the same bold, sweet and spicy flavor that you love from regular BBQ sauce, it’s just made healthier without any corn syrup, refined sugar or added preservatives.
- Honey Mustard: One of my favorite dips to pair these chicken tenders with! This homemade honey mustard dressing is so good!! It’s creamy, perfectly sweet with a touch of tanginess and only takes 5 minutes to whip up!
- Chick-Fil-A Sauce: My homemade Chick-Fil-A sauce tastes like the real deal, but uses blended cashews instead of mayo. It’s the perfect sweet and savory sauce to pair with these chicken tenders.
What to Serve with Chicken Tenders
I love serving these chicken tenders with fries… veggie fries to be exact! My favorites are these baked zucchini fries or baked sweet potato fries! Or you can use the air fryer again to make air fryer sweet potato fries!
You can also never go wrong with a side salad! My easy cucumber salad, healthy pasta salad or lemom orzo salad are all great options. I also love using leftover chicken tenders as a protein addition to a salad like my blackened chicken Cobb salad. So good!
Another side my kiddos love is mac and cheese. Try my healthy mac and cheese or cottage cheese mac and cheese for a protein-packed option.
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover chicken tenders store really well! After allowing them to cool, store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
I haven’t tried freezing these, but I’d imagine they’d freeze just fine! Let the tenders cool completely and store in a freezer-safe container. When you’re ready to enjoy, place the tenders in the fridge overnight to thaw. To reheat, I like to pop them back in the air fryer for a minute or two so they crisp back up!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re looking for a gluten-free option try my recipe for baked chicken tenders instead. They’re breaded with almond flour and coconut so they’re gluten-free and paleo.
Totally! If you don’t have an air fryer, you can bake these chicken tenders in the oven at 400°F for 20 minutes, flipping halfway, until the chicken tenders are golden brown and completely cooked through. Pro tip: line your baking sheet with a wire rack. This will result in a crispier texture.
That depends on your air fryer! Some recommend preheating and others do not require it. Check your owners’ manual to see what they recommend. If you don’t have a preheat setting, just set your air fryer to the required temperature about 3 minutes before adding your food.
The tendon is a a thick, white string of fat that goes down the middle or side of the tender. Some people may not mind eating this, but I don’t like the texture so if I do buy chicken tenders I prefer to remove it. There’s a quick hack I learned a few years ago where you use a fork and napkin (for securing hold to the tender) to easily strip with out. Watch a video on how to do it here.
More Air Fryer Recipes to Try
- Air Fryer Broccoli
- Air Fryer Cauliflower
- Air Fryer Asparagus
- Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Be sure to check out the full collection of air fryer recipes.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1 lb organic boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
- ½ cup seasoned Italian style breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Place breadcrumbs, panko, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Stir to combine.
- Crack an egg into another shallow bowl and whisk.
- One by one, dredge each chicken tender in the egg bowl, wiping off any access and then dip each into the breadcrumb mixture. Roll until each tender is covered completely.
- Preheat air fryer if required. Add chicken tenders to your air fryer in a single layer and cook at 400°F for 7-8 minutes, flipping once halfway. You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your air fryer basket. If you have a thermometer, you can check to make sure the tenders have an internal temp of 165°F to ensure they are cooked through. Just know that cook time will vary depending on the size of your tenders.
- Enjoy chicken immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- Chicken breast: I usually buy organic chicken breasts and cut into strips. It’s cheaper than buying pre-cut chicken tenders and I personally hate dealing with the tendon that you’ll typically find in store-bought tenders. That said, you can totally buy pre-cut chicken tenderloins if you prefer.
- Oven option: If you don’t have an air fryer, you can bake these chicken tenders in the oven at 400°F for 20 minutes, flipping halfway, until the chicken tenders are golden brown and completely cooked through. Pro tip: line your baking sheet with a wire rack. This will result in a crispier texture.
- Gluten-free: If you’re looking for a gluten-free option try my recipe for baked chicken tenders instead. They’re breaded with almond flour and coconut so they’re gluten-free and paleo.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made these tonight and they were so easy and good! Definitely adding to our regular meal rotation!
Yum! Glad you are loving this easy and delicious recipe Ashley. Thank you so much for sharing your review + star rating, I really appreciate it.
Nice Recipe! Can you please share chicken biryani with me because I am a very big fan of chicken biryani.
excellent post thank you
excellent post thank you for sharing
I made these Chicken tenders. They turned out great! tasty and easy to follow recipe. Thank you
Woo! I’m so glad to hear that, Maureen! Thanks for making them and coming back to leave a review and star rating, it means the world to me.
Made these tonight and turned out great! Still new to the air fryer but I thought these tasted amazing! So thank you!
Yay! So glad you loved the recipe, Jenny! Thank you so much for trying it and leaving a review! I really appreciate it!
This looks so good! I’m wondering what brand of air fryer you use? I recently went down the rabbit hole of researching the different brands and found that a lot of them use toxic coatings on them. My husband had cancer in 2020 so I get nervous about any coating used in cookware or small appliances like these. I’d love to hear if you have any recommendations because I think we’d get a lot of use out of an air fryer!
Hi, Stefanie! I use this Ninja 4-quart air fryer and I really like it! It might be best to research and see if this model has any sort of coating. It is non-stick so it might!