Finger-licking good Air Fryer Chicken Tenders are an easy and incredible weeknight dinner option. The entire family will love the crispy chicken that’s made with two kinds of breadcrumbs, seasonings, and parmesan cheese. Only 20 minutes to make this easy main dish!

I don’t think you can ever be too old for chicken tenders. They are the perfect comfort food and my entire family goes wild for them. These homemade chicken strips have a crispy exterior and a juicy tender interior.

Sometimes, I do bake them in the oven but most of the time I like to cook them in my air fryer. They are cooked to perfection every time and it’s hard not to smack your lips when munching on them. Using an air fryer is a huge time saver and it gets food so crunchy and good.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE AIR FRYER CHICKEN TENDERS

  • Chicken Tenders: You can’t have chicken tenders without chicken. 🙂 Cut it into strips that are all around the same size so they cook evenly.
  • Egg: The egg will help hold the breading together and on the chicken.
  • Olive oil: Using olive oil is an important ingredient and helps the chicken cook up properly on the outside.
  • Lemon Juice: Adding a little bit of lemon juice gives you some tangy flavor that is amazing.
  • Chopped Parsley: I love adding chopped parsley to my chicken strips. You can leave it out if you aren’t a fan or swap it for oregano or cilantro.
  • Seasonings: The combination of garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper is all you need to season these chicken tenders.
  • Breadcrumbs: You’ll need a combination of Italian breadcrumbs and Panko breadcrumbs. Using both gives you an amazing texture.
  • Freshly Grated Parmesan: While you can leave out the parmesan if you are dairy-free, I sure think it’s amazing. It makes the chicken tenders even more extraordinary.
  • Honey Mustard: You can use any dipping sauce you enjoy, but this homemade honey mustard is incredible.

HOW TO MAKE AIR FRYER CHICKEN TENDERS

Be prepared to get hooked on this easy chicken recipe. Start off by combining the egg, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, and spices together in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk until combined.

In a separate bowl, mix together both kinds of breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Dip the chicken tenders in the egg mixture then in the bread crumbs and cover them completely. Spritze the strips with oil.

Turn on the air fryer and heat it to 400 degrees F. Place the chicken tenders in the air fryer basket and make sure to leave space between each of them.

Cook them for ten minutes and turn them halfway through, until they are crispy and golden.

Depending on the size of your air fryer you may need to cook them in batches. After they have all been cooked place them all back in the basket and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes so they are hot. Then enjoy!

To bake the chicken tenders put them in the preheated oven at 400 degrees F and cook for 7-8 minutes on each side. Broil them for an additional 2 minutes if you want them extra crispy.

HOW DO I STORE CHICKEN TENDER?

Let the chicken tenders cool down, then put them in a storage container. You can save them in the fridge for 3-4 days. Heat them up in the air fryer for a few minutes until they are hot all the way through. Or you can bake them in the oven or microwave the strips. The only problem with microwaving is that they don’t end up as crispy.

More Easy Air Fryer Recipes

4.37 from 11 votes

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

Finger-licking good Air Fryer Chicken Tenders are an easy and incredible weeknight dinner option. The entire family will love the crispy chicken that's made with two kinds of breadcrumbs, seasonings, and parmesan cheese. Only 20 minutes to make this easy main dish!
Prep5 minutes
Cook10 minutes
Total15 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients 

  • 1 pound chicken tenders, (about 10-12)
  • 1 large egg, (beaten)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley, (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese, (optional)
  • Honey Mustard Sauce

Instructions 

Air Fryer Instructions

  • Whisk Egg, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, and spices in a medium mixing bowl. Add the chicken tenders and mix to combine.
  • In another bowl, whisk the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.
  • Dredge the tenders in egg mixture then in breadcrumb mixture, turning and pressing all sides to coat evenly. Spray both sides of the chicken generously with oil.
  • Preheat Air fryer to 400F. Add chicken tenders (without overcrowding) and cook for 10 minutes, flipping halfway, until cooked through, golden and crispy.
  • To cook in batches: cook all chicken tenders in small batches. Once all tenders have been cooked, add all to the air fryer at once and heat for 2-3 minutes or until crispy and heated through.

How To Bake

  • Bake 400F. 7-8  minutes per side. Broil 2 minutes if desired for extra crunch.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 354kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 123mg, Sodium: 851mg, Potassium: 501mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 387IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 141mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fried, chicken, dinner, easy
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6 Comments

  1. These came out delicious! I tried something a little different and instead of using the Mayo and Dijon mustard as a dip I used this to coat the chicken and then dipit into the bread crumbs. It kept the chicken so flavorful and the breading stuck really well. I’ve done tenders and breasts in the air fryer. Great recipe.

  2. So good! I made these for a Superbowl dinner, and they were perfect. My husband particularly liked the mustard sauce (he used it on potato chips, too.)

  3. Easy recipe. The tenders turned out very flavorful and moist. This was our 1st recipe in our new air fryer. Very happy with the results.

  4. Do not dip third chicken in anything! Its perfect

  5. Best air fryer recipe so far came out moist and juicy
    Very good

  6. Have diabetes and trying to find healthy ways to drop my a1c lower
    Thank you for this site