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–+ servings
Air fried chicken tenders on serving tray with small bowl of ranch and lemon wedges.

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

Course: Main Dish - Chicken
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 334kcal
Author: Platings and Pairings
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders cook up golden & crispy on the outside, but juicy inside. The best part is they can be made in under 20 minutes with just 6-ingredients.
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Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees.
  • Grab 3 shallow plates. Add the flour to one. Whisk the eggs in the second one. Mix the panko, breadcrumbs, parmesan, salt, and pepper in the third one.
  • Coat each tender in flour, then egg, and finally the breadcrumb mixture.
  • Spray both sides of the chicken generously with oil.
  • Working In batches, if necessary, cook the chicken 5 to 6 minutes on each side, flipping halfway through, until the chicken is cooked through and crispy and golden.
  • Serve with lemon wedges and your favorite dipping sauce.

Video

Notes

How to reheat chicken tenders in the air fryer
  • If you have leftovers, simply reheat them in the air fryer at 350-degrees for 4 minutes.
Variations
  • Buttermilk Chicken Tenders: Marinate the chicken tenders for at least 4 hours, or overnight, then drain and follow recipe as written. 
  • Spicy Chicken Tenders: Add 3 Tablespoons hot sauce to the egg mixture, and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper to the breading mixture. Follow recipe as written. 
  • Air Fryer Unbreaded Chicken Tenders: Simply skip the breading step and season the tenders with salt and pepper. Cook as directed in recipe card below. 
  • Keto Chicken Tenders: Swap out the panko & breadcrumbs for almond flour. Combine with parmesan cheese and follow recipe as written. Alternatively, you can swap the breadcrumbs for pork rinds. 
  • Pretzel Crusted Chicken Tenders: Swap out the panko & breadcrumbs for pretzels. Follow recipe as written. 

Nutrition

Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 160mg | Sodium: 741mg | Potassium: 508mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 218IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 155mg | Iron: 3mg