How To Make The Crispiest Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

When the craving for crispy chicken tenders strikes, you have several options. You can opt for frozen ones from the grocery store, swing by a fast-food drive-thru, or make your own from scratch at home. In terms of nutrition, however, homemade tenders are often the best choice. While convenient, frozen chicken tenders often contain high levels of salt and unwanted preservatives, and fast-food chicken tenders are typically deep-fried and laden with saturated fat and sodium.

For a healthier and more convenient way to cook chicken tenders, air frying is your best bet. This method ensures a crispy exterior and tender interior without the excess fat and calories of deep-frying. Although baking or stovetop cooking are viable options, air frying delivers the crispiest and most delicious results.

To bring you the easiest and tastiest recipe for air-fried chicken tenders, we consulted Kathy Brooks, owner of Circa Air Fryer. Read on to discover her foolproof recipe, and for more air fryer tips, check out How to Make the Perfect Air Fryer Chicken Wings.

Gather your ingredients.

The first step before you do anything else is to gather all of your ingredients to make sure you have what you need. Any air fryer should work for making these chicken tenders, but for smaller air fryers like the one we used (the Elite Gourmet 4-Quart), you may need to cook the tenders in two separate batches.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken tenders
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup breadcrumbs (panko for extra crispiness)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Cooking spray or olive oil in a mister

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Prepare the breading.

1. Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Next, set up three bowls or plates:
   • One with flour
   • One with beaten eggs
   • One with a mixture of breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper.

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Bread the chicken tenders.

Now it’s time to coat your chicken tenders before placing them in the air fryer.

1. Dredge each chicken tender in the flour first, shaking off any excess.
2. Then, dip the chicken in the beaten eggs.
3. Finally, coat each one evenly with the breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently to adhere.

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Cook the chicken tenders.

1. Spray the breaded chicken tenders lightly with cooking spray or mist them with olive oil for extra crispiness.
2. Arrange them in a single layer in the air fryer basket (You may need to cook them in batches depending on the size of your air fryer).
3. Cook for about 10-12 minutes, flipping the tenders halfway through.
4. They should be golden brown and crispy and have an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

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Serve and enjoy!

Let the chicken tenders cool for a couple of minutes, then serve with your favorite dipping sauce, such as ketchup, ranch, BBQ, or honey mustard. Store any leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days.