Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Try healthy air fryer chicken tenders for a quick entrée, snack, or appetizer. They're easy to make and so much more economical than restaurant or frozen tenders.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 ½ pounds chicken tenders (or boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- ¼ cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
- olive oil or avocado oil spray
- optional dipping sauce: marinara or pizza sauce, barbecue sauce, or ranch dressing
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer at 400ºF for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Season both sides of chicken tenders with salt and pepper.1 to 1 ½ pounds chicken tenders, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- Set out three small shallow bowls. In the first bowl, place flour, paprika, and garlic powder; mix lightly. In the second bowl, add eggs and beat lightly. In the third bowl, combine panko and parsley flakes.¼ cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 2 large eggs, 1 cup panko bread crumbs, 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
- One at a time, coat chicken pieces in the flour mixture, then dip into the beaten egg, and finally coat with the panko mixture, pressing lightly to help the coating adhere.
- Place chicken tenders in basket of air fryer, in a single layer (you may have to cook them in batches). Spray the tenders with olive oil spray (this helps them get golden brown and crispy).olive oil or avocado oil spray
- Air fry each batch of chicken tenders for 7 to 11 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken tenders, or until internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Do not overcook.
- If desired, keep chicken tenders warm and crispy in the oven. Put the cooked tenders on a wire baking rack placed on top of a sheet pan in a warm oven (175-200ºF). This will keep them warm and crispy while you finish cooking the rest.
- Serve with your choice of dipping sauces. Refer to the post for lots of ideas.optional dipping sauce: marinara or pizza sauce, barbecue sauce, or ranch dressing
Video
Notes
- Seasoning options: Vary the seasonings added to the flour or panko. Try taco seasoning or Italian seasoning. I often substitute ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese for ¼ cup of the panko bread crumbs.
Freezing chicken tenders (Make ahead):
- Uncooked. Place uncooked breaded tenders on a tray and freeze until hard, 1 to 2 hours. Put them in resealable freezer bags to freeze for up to 1 month. Frozen uncooked chicken strips can be air fried without thawing but add a few minutes to the cooking time.
- Cooked. Cooked tenders can be frozen, too. When you're hungry for chicken tenders, pop them in your air fryer for 10 minutes or until heated through and crispy. Cooking times will vary, depending on your air fryer model and on the size of the chicken strips.
Nutrition
Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 191mg | Sodium: 630mg | Potassium: 726mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 211IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg
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