If your family craves that fried chicken taste without all the grease, this is your recipe. My Chicken Tenders in Air Fryer are fast, no-fuss, and a little healthier than your standard fried fare. Grab your air fryer and cook up everyone’s favorite American chicken dish!
I’m excited to share these air fryer chicken strips with you today, since this post marks the first air fryer recipe on the blog. This is one of my favorite chicken meals, since it’s perfect for those of us who don’t have the time or energy to (for instance) watch a whole roast cook.
Homemade chicken strips take only a few ingredients, a little bit of prep, and—like magic—you have a delicious, incredibly filling meal for the whole family. Some of my favorite side dishes to serve with these chicken strips is air fryer french fries, macaroni and cheese, Instant Pot Baked Beans, and Yogurt Cucumber Dill Salad.
Jump to:
Air Fryer Chicken: Ingredients & Tools
About the ingredients:
This recipe uses a handful of very simple ingredients. In fact, you may have these in your pantry and fridge right now.
- Chicken Tenderloins: The best cut of meat to use for these strips, in my opinion.
- Eggs and Italian Bread Crumbs: To bind and bread the strips.
- Salt, Black Pepper, and Olive Oil Cooking Spray: For seasoning the chicken and oil spray for crispy chicken.
About the air fryer you’ll need:
You can use whatever is available to you, of course. But I, personally, use the PowerXL Vortex Air Fryer, which I received a year ago. I’ve been testing all sorts of recipes in it from homemade french fries, fish nuggets, vegetables, and these chicken strips. It’s one of those kitchen gadgets that has all my friends jealous because it’s so useful, and I highly recommend it. Its features make this recipe very easy, such as:
- Its drip tray, which cuts down on messiness from the olive oil, and any food that may fall below. It’s easy to pull out and clean.
- The 3 racks that are included, which makes cooking chicken strips easy.
- And its quick heating time, which means that dinner is always ready on the table. Not only that, it uses air to fry your chicken. No extra grease necessary.
You can see why I love my PowerXL Vortex.
Directions For Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
As you’ll see below, most of what you have to do is prep. The air fryer ensures you get the crispy chicken you and your loved ones crave! Preheat the air fryer to 370 degrees. While the air fryer preheats, whisk the two eggs into a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, pour the bread crumbs.
Pat dry the chicken tenderloins. Place them in the egg mixture. Sprinkle the salt and black pepper on the chicken. Make sure the chicken tenderloins are covered in the egg.
Dredge each chicken tenderloin in the bread crumbs until completely covered.
Using cooking spray, spray 2 mesh wire racks (or basket). Carefully place each breaded chicken tenderloin onto the racks. Once all the chicken is on the racks, lightly spray the olive oil on top of the chicken strips.
Place the racks in the air fryer. Set the timer for 14 minutes.
Turn the tenders halfway through cooking. Once the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, remove from the air fryer. Serve immediately.
FAQs
Here I’ve compiled a few questions I’ve gotten when sharing this air fryer chicken recipe. Take a look!
A little less than a half hour. It generally only requires about 20-25 minutes of my time. (I know a recipe so good seems like it should take longer, but trust me on this one.)
About 4 plates of chicken is my estimate—enough for two adults and two kids. It depends on how much you cook and how much your family eats, of course.
About 276kcal, by my measurement. As always, it may vary depending on the exact ingredients you use.
Yes, you can use gluten-free breadcrumbs for this recipe. The results should be the same; however, I have never tested using them.
I always recommend every home cook has a meat thermometer. The internal temperature of chicken should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This will ensure it’s fully cooked without guessing if it is done.
Tips & Tricks
Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks I’ve found helpful when making Air Fryer Chicken Tenders.
- Air Fryer – Air Fryer used for this recipe is the PowerXL Vortex. I have not tested this recipe in a basket style Air Fryer. Times may vary.
- Chicken Nuggets – You can turn this recipe into nuggets by cutting the tenderloins into 1-inch pieces. Your cooking time may be less, check the nuggets at the 10 minute mark. The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Substitutions: Here are a few substitutions you can make depending on your dietary needs.
- Gluten Free – Use gluten free bread crumbs.
- Dairy Free – Use plain bread crumbs and add 1 tablespoon of Italian Seasoning to the bread crumbs. Most Italian Style bread crumbs contain cheese which does not make them dairy free.
If you liked these air fryer chicken strips, you’ll love my other recipes!
These recipes are great options for dipping sauces:
As for other chicken strip recipes, you’ll want to check out:
If you make this Air Fried Chicken Tenders, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!
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Chicken Tenders in Air Fryer
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 pound Chicken Tenderloins
- 2 Eggs
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 cup Italian Bread Crumbs
- Olive Oil Cooking Spray
Instructions
- Preheat the Air Fryer to 370 degrees.
- While the Air Fryer preheats. Whisk the two eggs into a shallow dish. In another shallow dish pour the Italian Bread Crumbs.
- Pat dry the chicken tenderloins. Place them in the egg mixture. Sprinkle the salt and black pepper on the chicken. Make sure the chicken tenderloins are covered in the egg.
- Dredge each chicken tenderloin in the breadcrumbs until completely covered.
- Using cooking spray, spray 2 mesh wire racks (or basket). Carefully, place each breaded chicken tenderloins onto the racks. Once all the chicken is on the racks, lightly spray the olive oil on top of the chicken strips.
- Place the racks in the Air Fryer. Set the timer for 14 minutes. Turn the tenders halfway through cooking. Once the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit remove from the Air Fryer. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Air Fryer – Air Fryer used for this recipe is the PowerXL Vortex. I have not tested this recipe in a basket style Air Fryer. Times may vary.
- Chicken Nuggets – You can turn this recipe into nuggets by cutting the tenderloins into 1-inch pieces. Your cooking time may be less, check the nuggets at the 10 minute mark. The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Substitutions: Here are a few substitutions you can make depending on your dietary needs.
- Gluten Free – Use gluten free bread crumbs.
- Dairy Free – Use plain bread crumbs and add 1 tablespoon of Italian Seasoning to the bread crumbs. Most Italian Style bread crumbs contain cheese which does not make them dairy free.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!