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These Air Fryer Chicken Tenders are golden, crispy, and incredibly juicy. They are made with simple ingredients and ready in minutes. Perfect for an easy dinner!
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders are one of those meals that everyone agrees on. They’re crispy, golden, and juicy inside, without the mess of deep frying. Whether you’re making dinner for the family, a quick lunch, or a game day snack, these tenders are always a hit and disappear fast.
These chicken tenders are so easy to make. Just a few ingredients make up a crispy breading, and the air fryer does the rest. You get that crunchy coating everyone loves, but with less oil and way less cleanup than deep frying.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.
- Chicken Tenderloins – you can use chicken breast or chicken thighs as well
- Salt & Pepper
- Egg
- Water
- All-Purpose Flour
- Panko Breadcrumbs
- Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken tenders
- salt and pepper
- 1 whole large egg
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Cooking Spray
Instructions
- Season chicken tenders with salt and pepper.1 pound chicken tenders, salt and pepper
- Beat egg and water together in one bowl.1 whole large egg, 2 Tablespoons water
- Put the flour in the 2nd bowl.1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- In the 3rd bowl combine Italian breadcrumbs and panko breadcrumbs.1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Dip each piece of chicken in flour and gently shake off the excess.
- Place each piece in egg until evenly coated.
- Press into breadcrumb mixture to evenly coat all the chicken.
- Spray the base of air fryer with vegetable spray. Spray chicken tenders evenly with oil as well (works best with a mister so you don’t spray off the breadcrumbs)Cooking Spray
- Arrange in a single layer in the base of your air fryer. Cook at 400º for 5 minutes, flip and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How To Make Chicken Tenders In The Air Fryer
- Set Up Breading Station. Set up 3 shallow bowls. Beat an egg in one. Put flour in the other. And the third will have your breadcrumbs.
- Bread Chicken. Start by dipping your chicken in flour. You want to lightly coat the chicken, so gently shake off any excess. Dip each piece of chicken in the egg mixture until it is evenly coated and no white flour remains. Then press it into your breadcrumb mixture. You want to make sure that it really sticks to the outside. Place on a plate while you finish the rest of the chicken.
- Spray. Spray the bottom of your air fryer basket with vegetable spray, and then spray the chicken tenders. If you have a mister this works best so you don’t spray off any of the coating.
- Cook. Place chicken into the air fryer basket and cook at 400º for about 5 minutes per side. If you want it extra crispy you can go for 1 more minute, but don’t go for long or your chicken will dry out.
What To Serve With Chicken Tenders
You can serve with your favorite dipping sauce. My family is partial to Canes Sauce, which is super easy to make. But Ranch, Barbecue, Honey Mustard or even Buffalo Sauce are all good ideas.
- Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Green Beans with Bacon
- Southwestern Chickpea Salad
- Italian Cheese Pull Apart Bread
Recipe Tips
- Mix up your seasonings. You really can flavor these a million different ways, this is just a base recipe for you. Add some taco seasoning in the mix and use plain breadcrumbs. Add chili powder and cayenne to make them spicy. Whatever you like, you can mix it up and make it your own.
- Make sure your chicken is in an even layer and not overlapping when you put them in the air fryer. You want to make sure that air can circulate and get your chicken crispy.
- Be sure that your chicken is evenly sized. You can buy chicken tenderloins at the store, but they are more expensive that regular chicken breasts. So if you cut your own, just make sure they are the same size so they cook evenly and are all done at the same time.
- For a crispy coating follow the breading process. I know the 3 bowl process seems like a lot, but it really does give you that crunchy coating and keeps the chicken nice and juicy.
More Great Chicken Dinner Recipes
- Chicken Dorito Casserole
- Crunchy Southwest Chicken Wrap
- White Chicken Enchiladas
- Creamy Salsa Chicken
- Stovetop Creamy Chicken & Rice
To make this recipe I used a Cosori 5.8 Qt Air Fryer. It is big enough that you can fit plenty of food in, and the basket comes out so you can easily shake, stir, or flip whatever you are making.
Wow these were even better than I expected. The air fryer makes them so crunchy.
I am drooling over these chicken tenders! Love that they are made in the Air Fryer!
This recipe is indeed majestic!