Air fryer chicken tenders are a savior when it comes to satiating a craving for takeout. Skip the drive-thru, stay home, and enjoy half the fat and no guilt!
Air fryer chicken tenders are about to become your new weeknight staple. If you have kids or are a kid at heart, you are likely familiar with boneless, fried chicken. It’s always a crowd-pleaser. The beauty of the air fryer is that you can get that signature fried texture with a fraction of the fat. All-in-all, I love experimenting with the air fryer and making all my classic “fried” favorites with it.
How Long it Takes to Air Fry Chicken Tenders
The time it will take to cook your chicken depends on the thickness of the cut. Generally speaking, you will cook each tender for 5 minutes. Then, use clean tongs to flip the tenders and repeat for 5 minutes more on the other side. Transfer tenders to a cooling rack and repeat depending on how many batches you are whipping up.
Our Favorite Air Fryer to Use
In the past couple of years, the world of air frying has exploded. I have to admit, I wasn’t completely sold on the idea of an air fryer in the beginning, but this appliance has truly grown on me. The COSORI has worked wonders for me. I have been using this air fryer for over a year and love the functionality. It has a ton of presets for common foods (chicken, fries, steak, bacon, shrimp, etc.), which helps take the guesswork out of how long to cook certain things. It’s also super easy to clean, so no complaints there.
How to Make Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Using the air fryer couldn’t be any easier. Follow these simple step-by-step directions to nail air fryer chicken tenders every single time:
- Prepare the Batter: First, whisk the egg in a small bowl. In a separate, shallow dish, whisk the salt, pepper, and breadcrumbs together.
- Coat the Chicken Tenders: Next, dip a piece of chicken into the egg mixture, followed by a dunk in the breadcrumbs. Place each coated tender on a platter.
- Assemble the Chicken Tenders: Assemble the chicken tenders in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Lightly spray the chicken tenders and the wire basket to prevent any sticking.
- Preheat the Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 390°F.
- Air Fryer the Chicken Tenders: Once preheated, air fry the first side for about 4 minutes and turn the chicken midway through for an additional 5 minutes on the other side. Enjoy the tenders immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.
3 Tips for Making Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
If it’s your first time making fried chicken in the air fryer, these 3 pointers will help you nail it.
- Slice the chicken into similar-sized pieces. To promote even cooking, slice the chicken into similar 2-inch long pieces. They don’t have to be perfect, but the closer in size the better.
- Don’t crowd the chicken. The air fryer works by circulating hot air around the food to crisp it up. If you crowd the chicken too much, the air won’t be able to hit all the sides and create a 360° crust.
- Work in batches if you have to. If you are making tenders for a big crowd or meal prep, work in batches of about 4-6 tenders at a time.
Hot Tip: Unsure if your chicken strips are fully-cooked? Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the internal temperature has reached 165°F.
Different Dipping Sauces
Perhaps the best part of eating chicken tenders is pairing them with your favorite dipping sauces…
- Honey Mustard – For quick honey mustard, mix 1/3 cup mustard with 1/4 cup honey and garlic powder to taste.
- Creamy Tomatillo Dressing – A zesty, creamy dressing made with cilantro, tomatillos, jalapeños and more. Addictingly delicious!
- BBQ Sauce – Our recipe for BBQ sauce is fully customizable depending on how spicy you like it.
- Light Ranch Dressing – This herby ranch gives you all the zest with less fat.
- Buffalo Sauce – To make a tangy buffalo, whisk 1/3 cup hot sauce, 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter melted, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Ketchup – Let us not forget about ketchup here. Simple, tangy, and so kid-friendly.
Side Dishes for Air Fryer Chicken Strips
For a complete meal, pair your air fryer chicken tenders with 3-ingredient ranch roasted potatoes or air fryer french fries (you already have the air fryer out anyways, right?). These tenders also make for such a wonderful salad topper. We like to serve them over a heap of homemade caesar salad or our 15-minute arugula caprese salad.
Refrigerating Leftover Chicken Tenders
Store the chicken tenders for up to a week in an airtight container. We like to make a batch and use them for sandwiches, salads, and snacks. To reheat the chicken — you guessed it — bust out the air fryer again! Reheat cooked tenders for 1-2 minutes in the air fryer. Unlike the microwave, the air fryer will make the tenders crispy, not soggy.
Freezing Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Make a large batch of chicken tenders, freeze them, and have them on hand for later. To do so, freeze the raw chicken tenders by separating the tenders by a layer of parchment paper within an airtight container. Reheating frozen tenders will take about 5 minutes per side at 400℉.
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders Video Tutorial
FAQ
Can you put frozen chicken tenders in the air fryer?
Yes, the air fryer is powerful enough to cook frozen chicken tenders. That said, it will take a few minutes longer per side depending on the thickness of the tenders.
Can you air fry chicken tenders without breading?
Yes, you can air fryer chicken tenders without any breading whatsoever and keep it low-carb. A simple dry seasoning of salt, pepper, and garlic powder can do the trick. That said, feel free to add some paprika or grated parmesan cheese to your naked chicken tenders for extra flavor.
Are air fryer chicken tenders healthy?
Yes, air fryer chicken tenders are quite healthy. They contain a fraction of the fat as deep-fried chicken tenders and are made with much less oil. Aside from the carbs in the panko breadcrumbs, they are pretty solidly wholesome.
Can you put raw chicken tenders in an air fryer?
Yes, you can put raw chicken tenders in the air fryer. It’s ideal to air fry them from raw, as this yields a much juicier texture than from frozen.
Other Air Fryer Recipes
- Air Fryer Bacon – Crispy, mess-free bacon
- Korean Air Fryer Pork Ribs – Sweet and salty mini ribs
- Brussels Sprouts Recipe – Perfectly crispy and tender brussels
- Homemade Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets – Breaded chicken breast nuggets
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken tenders
- 1 egg
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Whisk an egg in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, combine salt with pepper and breadcrumbs. Cut chicken into 2 inch pieces.
- Dip chicken into the egg mixture.
- Follow by covering all sides with seasoned bread crumbs.
- Spray the air fryer basket with oil. Place the chicken on the inside, leaving some space in between each one.
- Air fry at 390 °F for about 4 minutes and turn it over. Air fry for another 5 minutes or so, depending on the size of the chicken pieces.
- Serve chicken tenders with your favorite sauce or simply ketchup. Enjoy!
Looks great. I will omit the salt. Also curious if anyone has tried using gluten free panko and JustEgg (egg subsitute) ?? we have some allergies in the house.
Hi Julie, I personally have not tried gluten free Panko or an egg substitute. However, if you do try it - please let us know how it worked out.
Could I use the disposable air fryer baskets to cook these? Still an air fryer newbie.
Hi Trina, personally I have not tried them for this recipe but I cant see why not. If you do try it, can you report back?
Just tried this. I had some tiny chicken strips. Worked perfect. Nice crunchy pursue and juicy inside
Hi Sharon, I am thrilled that this recipe was a success and you loved it. Enjoy!
What is the count based serving size?
Hi Allyson, depending on the size of the tenders, it is about 4 tenders in one serving. I hope this helps. Enjoy!
Just wondering if you have to adjust the timing after the first batch? Ive noticed this with somethings in the air fryer, when i go to do the next batch they over cook because its already warmed up. Is that the same with this?
Hi there, Breann! If you usually dont pre heat your air-fryer normally at the beginning, then yes. I would Adjust the time slightly.
I am not sure how old these posting are but I believe that the salt issue is because a lot of frozen chicken tenders are brined with salt before frozen. I am just throwing that out there.
Ed
Hi Ed, I appreciate your feedback and this great tip!
Absolutely so will nix the salt for me. Good one thank you
Could parmesan be added to the bread crumbs?
Hi Terri, that's actually a pretty great idea for that extra kick of flavor. You can definitely do that. Thank you for reaching out.
I would say the Tablespoon of Salt & Pepper should be Teaspoon instead, not only can i imagine, the recipe would be extremely salty, but for health reasons, that is a serious amount of Salt
Hi Ole, In my experience the chicken does not turn out too salty. I appreciate your feedback and hope you get a chance to try this recipe.
I made these for the first time-not sure why they aren’t golden like the pictures?
You have to spray the tenders with oil before you air fry them. When you flip them spray that side of tenders. Then they will turn out crispy and golden.
Hey Allison, did you preheat the air fryer? What brand of air fryer do you own? I am trying to understand what could happen. I think some brands of air fryers may not run the exact way. Let me know and we can troubleshoot. Thanks
How can chicken tenders have 1422 mg of sodium? Is that the salt that you added with the pepper.
Hello Sally- Yes, the sodium would be from the seasonings used.
Made it and it was easy peasy and delicious and I love easy peasy. I also used garlic salt instead of salt.
Hi Darrell- thanks for the feedback, glad you enjoyed the recipe and found it easy! That's my goal!
Love it! Thanks for such and easy friendly recipe.
You're welcome, Ali! Enjoy.
Do you have to use panko for breading? Or can I use plain homemade bread crumbs?
You can use plain homemade bread crumbs, Linda. Enjoy!
Good idea for recipe but our dinner was ruined thanks to the insane amount of salt. Not great for moms with kids who are hungry
Hi Irene - Perhaps your panko breadcrumbs were seasoned? We use 1 tablespoon of salt for the whole recipe and it's typically just fine. Hope this helps.
Delicious , tender and easy to make. I used chicken breast and cut them up into strips. I cut the salt and pepper by 1/2 since I intended to give these to my toddler. I used 1/2 Tbs salt and 1/4 tbs of Pepper but I feel it was still a bit too salty for a toddler so next time I’ll do 1/4 tbsp of salt and 1/8 Tbsp of pepper.
Thank you for the feedback, Ayme! Glad you enjoyed these chicken tenders.
Can I use chicken breasts instead?
Hi Ginna. I think you could, but I'd recommend cutting them into thinner and smaller pieces so that your cook time is about the same. Otherwise, it'll take a lot longer!
Nice and crispy on the outside and so juicy and tender on the inside. Like some other reviewers, I’ll cut down on the salt next time. Definitely will be making it over again. Thank you Natalya for sharing this recipe.
Hi Natalya, thank you for your feedback, I am so glad you loved the recipe and will be making it again, thank you for your tip on the salt part!
Do you need to preheat the air fryer?
Hi, preheat the air fryer to 390 °F.
Ok when you preheat air fryer but for how long? Then when you you put the chicken tenders in how do you know when to turn them half way.
Hey Debora- preheat for a few minutes until it reaches 390°. You flip the tenders after 4 minutes, then cook for 5 more minutes.
I used crushed pork rinds instead of bread crumbs because I'm low carb & they came out beautiful! SO yummy. 😊 Definitely use less salt though as pork rinds are already a bit salty on their own.
Thank you very much for that feedback and idea, so creative!!
just made these! I had to use egg whites because I have no eggs, but WOW!
this recipe has introduced me to the world of air fryer chicken and I am IN LOVE!
my only rec is cut down on salt, and add some red pepper flakes if you want a kick!
Thank you for the tips, Bella! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
That seems like a LOT of salt; I'm wondering whether it was supposed to be 1 tsp instead of tbs. Same for the pepper-1/2 tsp instead of 1/2 tbs. This is what I am about to try; I'll let you know how they turn out.
Hey Cathy, the measurements are accurate but you should adjust it if you prefer less salty foods. We use Pink Himalayan salt at home.
Hi Natalya! Just wanted to let you know I tried your recipe, but reduced salt to 1 tsp, and pepper to 1/2 tsp; they turned out great! Even my picky son loved them! Will definitely be making these regularly from now on. Thank you!!
Cathy, So happy to hear this. Thank you for sharing your feedback.
Do you store chicken tenders in the fridge already dipped into the egg mixture and coated into crumbs? Thanks
Hey Jessica, I typically precook a batch of them and later reheat in an air fryer as I need them.
These were too salty for us. Next time I will adjust salt to our taste. I think they will be a great addition to our meals. Thanks
Hey Lisa, depending on the salt type you use it may need less or more. Otherwise, I am glad you liked them 🙂
Sooo good nice and crispy and easy to make 👌
Hey Stephanie, thank you! So happy you loved the recipe!
Crisp, quick, & so good!! My kids could eat these everyday! They make the perfect meal any night of the week!
Yes, for sure. Everyone can pick their dipping sauces, so good. Thank for sharing your feedback!
What a great recipe. Very few simple ingredients and you have a dish that the whole family will enjoy. Especially the kids. I love that you can make a big batch up and freeze them so they are easy to pop in when you need them.
Krissy, freezing them is an awesome idea. That's what we like to do.