I’ve never met a child that did not like chicken tenders. Same goes for adults! They’re addictive finger food that we can’t get enough of. However, they can be quite unhealthy as they’re deep fried so we started making our own!
Instead of deep frying in a pot of oil, we simply place them in our Cosori and let them crisp up. Your kids won’t even notice a difference. With only six simple ingredients, you can have this healthy air fryer chicken tenders recipe at home in no time!
Key Ingredients You Need to Make This Recipe
- Chicken Tenders — You can purchase tenders at the store or you can slice your own from breasts. Use what you have on hand.
- Eggs — Large eggs are best. If you only have small eggs, add an extra one as needed.
- Seasoned Breadcrumbs and Panko — Using a mixture gives you extra texture to up the crunch factor of this recipe. If you only have one or the other, feel free to work with what you have.
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Step 1: Season both sides of the chicken tenders with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Prepare 2 shallow bowls — one for the beaten eggs and in the other, combine both the seasoned breadcrumbs and panko together.
Step 3: Place each chicken tender in the beaten eggs and coat all sides and then coat in the breadcrumb mixture, making sure you press gently around the tender so that the crumbs stick. Set aside on a platter or cutting board while you dredge each tender one by one.
Step 4: Next, spray both sides of coated meat with the olive oil spray.
Step 5: Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
Step 6: Once the fryer is preheated, transfer them into the basket, making sure you don't overcrowd them. You'll have to cook in batches. Cook for 5 minutes on each side until fully cooked and crispy, golden brown. Serve with dipping sauce of your choice and lemon wedges.
Substitutions
- Want to give these a spicy kick? Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the seasoning.
- Don’t have seasoned breadcrumbs? Make your own by adding dried herbs, garlic powder, and onion powder to regular breadcrumbs.
- Only have chicken breasts? Cut the breast lengthwise into ½ inch thick pieces to make your own tenders at home.
- Don’t have panko? Just double the amount of breadcrumbs instead.
Tips for This Recipe
- Some air fryers require preheating while others do not. Please use the appliance according to the manual for the best results.
- Make sure your meat is dry before seasoning them and coating them. If there is moisture on them, they will steam up instead of crisping up. It also helps the breading stick to your chicken better.
- Since this tabletop appliance comes in different sizes, the cook time might vary by a couple minutes. Chicken is cooked when its internal temperature hits 165°F. So if you want to make sure your not overcooking the protein, you can pull them out and check with an instant thermometer.
- If you do not want to cook in multiple batches, some air fryers come with little racks so you can fit twice as much in one go.
- Gluten-free breadcrumbs and panko is an option if you would like to make this gluten-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can store any leftovers in the fridge for up to a week. Once cooled, transfer them into an airtight container and store it in the fridge.
To reheat this recipe, preheat to 350°F and cook them for 5 to 10 minutes or until the the tenders have warmed through.
This recipe makes for a great make ahead frozen meal. You can freeze them cooked or uncooked. To freeze, place them on a lined sheet pan in a single layer and freeze until solid, approximately 2-3 hours. Then transfer them into a freezer safe bag or container and freeze for up to 4 months.
When ready to eat, air fry cooked chicken tenders straight from frozen at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes or until it has warmed through. For uncooked chicken tenders, air fry them straight from frozen at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes or until they have reached 165°F.
Here are a few healthy sides that I like to serve alongside this recipe: Avocado Hummus Taquitos, Broccoli Tater Tots, and Skillet Broccoli with Forbidden Rice. For dips, I go with ketchup, ranch, and blue cheese which are always crowd pleasers.
If you don’t have an air fryer, you can bake them instead. To mimic the air circulation of an air fryer, place the chicken tenders on a rack overtop of a sheet pan. Also, increase the oven temperature to 450°F as the heat won’t be as concentrated as an air fryer.
IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE TRY THESE OUT!
If you’ve tried this Air Fryer Chicken Tenders Recipe then don’t forget to leave me a rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 12 chicken tenders
- 2 eggs beaten
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 cup panko optional to use seasoned panko
- olive oil spray
- dressing of your choice and lemon wedges optional for garnish
Instructions
- Season both sides of chicken tenders with salt and pepper.
- You will need 2 shallow bowls- one for the beaten eggs and in the other, combine both the seasoned breadcrumbs and panko together.
- Place each chicken tender in the beaten eggs and coat all sides and then coat in the breadcrumb mixture, making sure you press gently around the tender so that the crumbs stick. Set aside on a platter or cutting board while you dredge each tender one by one.
- Next, spray both sides of coated chicken tenders with the olive oil spray.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
- Once the fryer is preheated, place chicken tenders in to the air fryer basket, making sure you don't overcrowd them. You'll have to cook in batches.
- Cook chicken 5 minutes on each side until fully cooked and crispy, golden brown.
- Serve with dipping sauce of your choice and lemon wedges.
Video
Notes
- Some air fryers require preheating while others do not. Please use yours according to the manual for the best results.
- Make sure your tenders are dry before seasoning them and coating them. If there is moisture on your chicken, they will steam up instead of crisping up. It also helps the breading stick to your chicken better.
- Since air fryers come in different sizes, the cook time might vary by a couple minutes. Chicken is cooked when its internal temperature hits 165°F. So if you want to make sure your chicken isn’t overcooking in the air fryer, you can pull them out and check with an instant thermometer.
- If you do not want to cook these in multiple batches, some air fryers come with little racks so you can fit twice as much in one go.
- Gluten-free breadcrumbs and panko is an option if you would like to make this gluten-free.
These came out fantastic! I might cut the panko/breadcrumbs mix by ¼ cup each next time but otherwise so good.
One question: what should I use for shallow bowls since I only have mixing bowls. Something like a pasta bowl or plate?