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Home » Food » Recipes » Air Fryer Chicken Tenders (crispy! kid approved)

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders (crispy! kid approved)

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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.

Plate of crispy chicken tenders with one being dipped in honey mustard sauce

Note: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. See my full affiliate disclosure policy here.

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.

Raw chicken, bread crumbs, eggs and spices on a white countertop

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!

breadcrumb and egg mixtures in separate bowls

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.)

dredging chicken tenders

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.

dredged and breaded raw chicken tenders on white plate

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.

raw chicken tenders in air fryer basket

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.😍

air fried chicken tenders in air fryer basket

Oh, heeeeeey there! 🤩 Yum!

Closeup air fryer chicken tenders in air fryer basket
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

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.

air fryer chicken tenders with honey mustard 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:

  • Air fryer chicken breast
  • Air fryer french fries
  • Air fryer sweet potato fries
  • Air fryer baked potato

Be sure and check out my entire Air Fryer Recipes archive here.

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders Recipe

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Plate of crispy chicken tenders with one being dipped in honey mustard sauce
5 from 1 vote
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Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword air fryer chicken tenders
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 362 kcal
Author Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy

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

  1. Peheat the air fryer to 390 degrees F. While the air fryer is heating up, you can prep the chicken tenders.

  2. 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.)

  3. 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.
  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.
  7. 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.

Nutrition Facts
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Amount Per Serving
Calories 362 Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Trans Fat 1g
Cholesterol 159mg53%
Sodium 706mg31%
Potassium 569mg16%
Carbohydrates 23g8%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 35g70%
Vitamin A 186IU4%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 153mg15%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Note: Air fryer chicken tenders first appeared on A Pinch of Healthy March 29, 2021.

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  1. Air Fryer Turkey Breast (boneless, tenderloin)
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ecstasy says

    September 16, 2023 at 11:09 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe is amazing! I will be adding it to our rotation. My husband could not stop raving! Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  2. Beth Mitchell says

    August 30, 2021 at 1:43 pm

    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.

    Reply

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I am a home cook, recipe developer, coffee drinker and mom of two. My recipes are simple and tasty. I enjoy lots of fresh, healthy food, plus full treats without guilt. Thanks so much for stopping by! Read more here.

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