Air fryer chicken tenders are a crispy, delicious, kid-approved dish that everybody will love. They taste amazing, and they use far less oil than their traditional deep fried counterparts.
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Of course, we make our share of frozen chicken fingers from time to time. But! If you want and easy recipe that is more homemade, then this is the best way to make homemade chicken tenders in the air fryer.
How to make chicken tenders in the air fryer
First, gather your ingredients.
Ingredients
Always start with the best quality ingredients you have access to. Quality ingredients can make a significant difference in the taste of the final dish.
Side note: We love the chicken tenders from Butcher Box. (👈🏻 affiliate link) The rest of the ingredients are pretty simple, but when combined, they make the best flavor and texture combination, showcasing the innovation of air frying.
Preparing air fryer chicken tenders
Set up a little dredging station. If you use a strategic approach this will move quickly, and you can do this as your air fryer is preheating.
In one bowl, crack and whisk the eggs. Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Mix in the Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce, if using. Tomato paste makes a great substitute, by the way, and it is what was used in this batch. Iconic taste!
In another bowl, add the breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper to a medium shallow bowl and mix to combine.
Pour the oil over the breadcrumbs and use your hands to mix it into the breadcrumbs pinching the crumbs to fully incorporate the oil. (This technique will help to male the chicken super crispy with far less oil than traditional frying.)
Dredge the chicken tenders one at a time in the egg mixture, then in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing the breadcrumbs into the chicken as you dredge it. Place onto a clean plate and continue until you have dredged/ breaded all of the chicken.
How long to cook chicken tenders in the air fryer
Once the air fryer is preheated, spray the basket with cooking spray and work in batches, lay the breaded chicken tenders in a single layer into the basket and spray them well with the cooking spray.
Tip: Be sure not to overcrowd the basket, leaving space between each chicken tender. This little tip will ensure even cooking. Heads up: The size of your air fryer may make a difference. If you have a smaller air fryer, for example, you may need to do multiple batches.
Close the basket and cook the chicken for 8-10 minutes, turning them over and spraying them well with cooking spray halfway through the cooking time. Continue until you have cooked all of the chicken tenders.
They will look golden and crispy like this.😍
Oh, heeeeeey there! 🤩 Yum!
Dipping sauce suggestions
Air fryer chicken tenders are great alone. But you can make them over-the-top delicious with a really great dipping sauce.
What is your favorite dipping sauce? I have several great suggestions. You can do a store bought sauce, like a basic honey mustard. Nothing wrong with that! Simple, yet effective.
Or! You can totally make your own. We LOVE this homemade Chick-Fil-A sauce from my friend Joy over at Build Your Bite. They are perfect on this.👌🏻
Stephanie at Plain Chicken also has this excellent chicken finger sauce, much like the one at Guthrie’s and Zaxby’s.
My homemade ranch dressing, creamy jalapeño or any other sauce you love would go great on these.
Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 days.
More air fryer recipes
Can’t get enough air fryer recipes? You may also enjoy:
Be sure and check out my entire Air Fryer Recipes archive here.
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders Recipe
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Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken tenders
- 2 cups panko italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- ¼-½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce (Tabasco, Sriracha or even tomato paste works)
Instructions
-
Peheat the air fryer to 390 degrees F. While the air fryer is heating up, you can prep the chicken tenders.
-
Add the breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper to a medium shallow bowl and mix to combine. Pour the oil over the breadcrumbs and use your hands to mix it into the breadcrumbs pinching the crumbs to fully incorporate the oil. (This will help to male the chicken super crispy with far less oil than traditional frying.)
- In a separate shallow bowl, crack and whisk the eggs. Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Mix in the worcestershire sauce and tomato paste or hot sauce if using.
-
Dredge the chicken tenders one at a time in the egg mixture, then in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing the breadcrumbs into the chicken as you dredge it. Place onto a clean plate and continue until you have dredged/ breaded all of the chicken.
-
Once the air fryer is ready, spray the basket with cooking spray and work in batches, lay the breaded chicken tenders in a single layer into the basket and spray them well with the cooking spray. Be sure not to overcrowd the basket, leaving space between each tender.
- Close the basket and cook the chicken for 8-10 minutes, turning them over and spraying them well with cooking spray halfway through the cooking time. Continue until you have cooked all of the chicken tenders.
-
Remove, sprinkle with additional salt and pepper, to taste, if desired.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator. Suggested serving is 1/4 pound chicken.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Use skinless, boneless chicken tenderloins for best results.
- Cook the chicken at high heat of 390 degrees F as suggested in the recipe so that it gets super crispy without drying out.
- Make this recipe gluten free. To make this recipe gluten free use gluten free panko seasoned bread crumbs.
- To make this recipe dairy-free: Use dairy free parmesan cheese or omit it altogether.
Leftovers and reheating
To store these crispy chicken tenders, let them cool completely and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 350 degrees F for 2-3 minutes.
Note: Air fryer chicken tenders first appeared on A Pinch of Healthy March 29, 2021.
Ecstasy says
This recipe is amazing! I will be adding it to our rotation. My husband could not stop raving! Thank you for sharing.
Beth Mitchell says
Hi Marjorie, LauraWhorton taught me to make chicken fingers(oven baked) using crushed Ritz crackers for breading. She mixed a little dry mustard in with the salt and pepper.
Thank you for air fryer directions. My toaster oven has an air fryer setting and I’d like one try Your recipe.