These air fryer chicken tenders are incredibly easy to whip up as a snack, appetizer, or main course for any night of the week! They're juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and super flavorful! You'll love that this recipe has almost no prep work before the air fryer takes over - plus, these tenders are a hit with kids and adults alike!
Easy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
This air fryer chicken tender recipe is the easiest and most effortless way to whip up a crispy fried chicken dinner on busy weeknights! Plus, you can even make them as a tasty snack or appetizer to enjoy at any time.
Chicken tenderloins are coated in an egg mixture, then dipped into a blend of Italian breadcrumbs and savory seasonings. Let the air fryer do the rest of the work for you while you prepare a quick dipping sauce or side dish to go with them!
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If you are looking for some more easy and delicious air fryer chicken recipes, check out my air fryer frozen popcorn chicken, air fryer chicken thighs, and air fryer chicken breast recipes!
🥘 Air Fryer Chicken Tenders Ingredients
You will only need a handful of common pantry staples to make these simple, yet flavorful chicken tenders! Chicken is extremely versatile, so you can season your tenders with your favorite chicken seasoning combo if you'd like.
- Egg - 1 large egg (at room temperature).
- Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs - ½ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (or plain).
- Salt & Pepper - ½ teaspoon of each, salt & pepper (to taste).
- Paprika - ½ teaspoon of paprika.
- Garlic Powder - ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Onion Powder - ¼ teaspoon of onion powder.
- Chicken Tenderloins - 8 chicken tenderloins.
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons of olive oil (extra virgin).
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
If you've never made chicken tenders before, this recipe is beginner-friendly and mostly hands-off! You will need an air fryer (basket style), two small mixing bowls, and a silicone whisk to get started!
8 chicken tenderloins will yield 2 servings of four tenders each! You can easily double or triple the ingredients if you work in batches.
- Preheat. Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (175°C).
- Mix. In a small mixing bowl, whisk your 1 large egg. In a second bowl, mix together ½ cup of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper, ½ teaspoon of paprika, ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon of onion powder until evenly mixed.
- Coat. Dip each chicken tender into the egg mixture to coat it and shake off any residual egg. Then dip them into the breadcrumb mixture and evenly coat both sides until fully covered.
- Transfer. Place the 8 chicken tenders on the bottom of the air fryer basket in an even layer and mist them with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a spritz bottle.
- Cook. Air-fry the tenders at 350°F (175°C) for 5-6 minutes on each side (if flipped) or until the center is no longer pink. Use a digital meat thermometer and check if the internal temperature is at least 165°F (74°C).
- Serve. Serve with your favorite chicken tender dipping sauce.
Serve these crispy air fryer chicken tenders with your favorite dipping sauce and some air fryer french fries! Try my Cajun dipping sauce or my homemade blue cheese dressing! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- Preheating your air fryer is optional but I find it makes for the crispiest chicken tenders!
- You can also use plain breadcrumbs for this recipe if you don't have Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs.
- Shake off any extra breadcrumb coating before you place them into the air fryer as too much breading can cause the tenders to stick to the air fryer basket.
- Make sure to always use a digital meat thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken tender. The internal temperature must be at least 165°F (74°C).
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Place any leftover chicken tenders (fully cooled) in a plastic storage bag or airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 5 days. You can also freeze them by placing them in a heavy-duty storage bag in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Reheating Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Lay your chicken tenders down flat in the air fryer basket and reheat at 350°F (175°C) for at least 4 minutes or until heated through to your liking.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
Yes! Cooking raw chicken in the air fryer is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to cook your chicken dinner quickly! Just make sure that you cook your chicken long enough to reach an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C).
Chicken tenders will take around 10-12 minutes to fully cook through in the air fryer at 350°F (175°C). You can flip them over after 5-6 minutes to ensure that both sides are golden and crispy. I recommend checking the internal temperature at the thickest part of the tenders with a digital meat thermometer.
Technically you can, but I highly recommend that you place the chicken tenders in a single and even layer at the bottom of your air fryer basket. Stacking them may cause the center of the tenders to cook slower than the outside layer.
🐔 More Tasty Chicken Recipes
- Boneless Chicken Wings - These boneless chicken wings are the perfect appetizer or snack for any occasion!
- Baked Boneless Chicken Breasts - Perfectly juicy and flavorful chicken breasts are ready to serve in only 30 minutes!
- Cream Cheese Chicken - This easy and delicious chicken recipe features pan-seared chicken thighs in a tangy cream cheese sauce!
- Sous Vide Chicken Breast - If you are looking for an incredibly easy and mostly hands-off chicken recipe, then this is the one for you!
- Ritz Chicken - My Ritz chicken is tasty, perfectly crispy, and super simple to whip up for family dinner any night of the week!
- Air Fryer Whole Chicken - A seasoned whole chicken is cooked in the air fryer for an easy chicken dinner that the whole family will love!
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📖 Recipe Card
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1 large egg (at room temperature)
- ½ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (or plain)
- ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 8 chicken tenderloins
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (175°C).
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk your large egg. In a second bowl, mix together Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder until evenly mixed.
- Dip each chicken tender into the egg mixture to coat it and shake off any residual egg. Then dip them into the breadcrumb mixture and evenly coat both sides until fully covered.
- Place the chicken tenders on the bottom of the air fryer basket in an even layer and mist them with olive oil in a spritz bottle.
- Air-fry the tenders at 350°F (175°C) for 5-6 minutes on each side (if flipped) or until the center is no longer pink. Use a digital meat thermometer and check if the internal temperature is at least 165°F (74°C).
- Serve with your favorite chicken tender dipping sauce.
Notes
- Preheating your air fryer is optional but I find it makes for the crispiest chicken tenders!
- You can also use plain breadcrumbs for this recipe if you don't have Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs.
- Shake off any extra breadcrumb coating before you place them into the air fryer as too much breading can cause the tenders to stick to the air fryer basket.
- Make sure to always use a digital meat thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken tender. The internal temperature must be at least 165°F (74°C).
- To store: Place any leftover chicken tenders (fully cooled) in a plastic storage bag or airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 5 days. You can also freeze them by placing them in a heavy-duty storage bag in the freezer for up to 1 month.
- To reheat: Lay your chicken tenders down flat in the air fryer basket and reheat at 350°F (175°C) for at least 4 minutes or until heated through to your liking.
Kathy says
Very tasty and crispy!