Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

Just wait ’til your family tries these chicken tenders. You’ll be using your air fryer to make them every week.

When I was kid, I would order chicken tenders for every meal. True story. Forget breakfast. Is it lunch time? Perfect, let’s get chicken fingers with honey mustard sauce. Dinner at a restaurant? You guessed it ­- chicken tenders, please. My mom thought I was going to grow feathers at one point. I eventually evolved and expanded my horizons but I gotta say, I still have a soft spot for chicken tenders.

Making Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

I know we can all relate because chicken tenders with a side of our Air Fryer French Fries are just THAT good. And the good news is they’re great out of the air fryer too. (If you don’t have one yet, check this one out.) No crazy amounts of oil needed. No turning on the oven and heating the whole house. Chicken tenders in the air fryer are done in just 10 minutes and they’re deliciously crispy, moist, and ready for dipping.

I tested out a few variations but the best method is using panko bread crumbs instead of all-­purpose flour or even almond flour. Air fryer temperatures vary so make sure each chicken tender is cooked through before serving. Hope you love these as much as I do.

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

Contributor: Jamie Silva

Just wait ’til your family tries these chicken tenders. You’ll be using your air fryer to make them every week.

• Author: Jamie Silva
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Air Fryer
• Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. paprika
• ¼ tsp. black pepper
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder
• ¼ tsp. onion powder
• 1 lb. chicken tenderloins
• 1 egg

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Heat air fryer to 400°F. Spray the basket with cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, stir together panko, salt, paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. In another bowl, whisk egg. Set aside.
3. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Dredge the chicken first in egg then in the bread crumb mixture, making sure each tender is well coated. Place them in the air fryer. Do not overcrowd, only cook 3-­4 at a time.
4. Cook for 10 minutes, flipping once at 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining chicken tenders until they have all been cooked through. Serve with your favorite sauce. Enjoy!

This post originally appeared in December 2018 and was revised and republished in June 2020.