Less time, less fat, less calories… and ALL of the yumminess! This homemade recipe uses buttermilk marinated boneless chicken tenders that are lightly breaded to cooked to crispy perfection!
Better Than Deep Fried!
These chicken tenders are crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and made without deep-frying, totally guilt-free! This recipe is so great because not only can chicken tenders be piled high on a platter with sauces from bbq to sweet and sour. Toss them onto a bed of salad greens for a great salad or tuck them into a bun for a perfect chicken sandwich!
My Favorite Air Fryer
There are different types of Air Fryers and I have purchased a few to test out.
MY TOP PICK FOR AIR FRYERS is the Cosori Air Fryer 5.8QT. I love the large capacity of this air fryer, it’s a fairly reasonable price, easy to clean and cooks beautifully.
Other Air Fryers I have used:
T-Fal Actifry 2-in-1 which works great for things like wings and fries but is not ideal for more delicate items. This air fryer tosses the items to help ensure even cooking and it also has a tray to set on top for cooking things like burgers or chicken breasts. Breville Smart Oven Air: This air fryer is very pricey but cooks a lot at once and can be used as a toaster oven, oven (even holds a 9×13 pan), slow cooker and an air fryer. I don’t find it works as well as an air fryer as the Cosori above but it’s a good choice if you want an appliance that does many things at once.
Ingredients & Variations
CHICKEN Tenders are used in this recipe, but chicken breasts cut into strips will work great too! BUTTERMILK It’s used for tenderizing the chicken in this recipe, but if you don’t have any you can make your own buttermilk easily! BREADING Flour, seasonings, egg, breadcrumbs, and cornflakes are all used to coat the chicken before it’s air fried. VARIATIONS Feel free to add grated Parmesan cheese to the cornflake/breadcrumb mixture for extra flavor! Switch out the cajun seasoning for taco seasoning, seasoned salt, or even blackened seasoning, Yum!
How to Make Chicken Tenders in the Air Fryer
I’m obsessed with all things air fryer, it’s my most used appliance for sure! Cook according to recipe below, and serve piping hot!
Tips for a Crispy Coating
For a great coating on the chicken tenders, make sure they are uniformly cut so they cook evenly. Pat chicken dry so the breading can fully adhere (this also keeps them from steaming). Be sure the bread crumbs and crushed cornflakes are smoothly pulsed so they can coat the chicken pieces evenly. Chicken tenders are tender when they aren’t overcooked! Use a meat thermometer and test one or two pieces for 165°F before removing from the air fryer.
Delicious Dipping Sauces
Honey Mustard Sauce – 4 simple ingredients Yum Yum Sauce – light & tangy Easy BBQ Sauce Recipe – perfect for dipping Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce – only takes 5 minutes Buffalo Sauce – so easy to make
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