Air Fryer Chicken Tenders create a healthier option to fried chicken tenders  but still a tender piece of chicken that is crispy on the outside. The panko breadcrumb crust creates a crunchy crust on the chicken, but you can sub in regular breadcrumbs, and has great flavor from the spices. These are a kid and adult favorite!    

AIR FRYER CHICKEN TENDERS

One of my most popular recipes on A Cedar Spoon is these Healthy Chicken Fingers and these Coconut-Crusted Chicken Tenders.

They are recipes I make time and time again for my family and my kids just love them. 

They are not only healthy, but easy to make. It takes about 10-12 minutes total in the air fryer and involves minimal clean-up.

I have recently been making the chicken finger recipe in the air fryer.

I love Air Fryer Chicken Tenders because I can get them crispy quickly.

When you air fry you don’t have to use a lot of oil making the chicken tenders a healthier option to the normal fried version. 

An air fryer circulates superheated air around the chicken tenders, creating a crunchy exterior that rivals traditional deep frying, but with a fraction of the calories.

This means you can savor that delightful crunch without compromising on your health and well-being.

I use my air fryer often to make recipes like this Air Fryer Coconut Chicken Tenders, Air Fryer Cod, Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp and this Air Fryer Twice Baked Potato. 

There are so many reasons I love my air fryer but a few are: it involves very little clean-up, it gets the food extra crispy but still creates juicy chicken tenders without the guilt of deep frying the food and it cooks food quickly. 

Today’s easy recipe for chicken tenders in the air fryer serve about 4-5 so if you are feeding a larger group you might want to double the recipe. 

The whole family will like these so I would suggest doubling the recipe if you have hungry children! 

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN AIR FRYER CHICKEN TENDERLOINS 

These air fryer chicken tenders use simple ingredients. Here is what you need:

CHICKEN TENDERS: You can usually find chicken tenderloins at most grocery stores.

I buy about 1 1/2 pounds for this recipe and it feeds 4-5 people. You can easily double this recipe!

BREADCRUMBS: I like to use panko bread crumbs because I think it adds more texture and helps to create crispy chicken tenders.

You can also use regular breadcrumbs if you want

PARMESAN CHEESE: The Parmesan cheese helps to add savory flavor to the chicken and works well to create the crust we all love so much on chicken tenders.

I use shredded Parmesan cheese but you can use grated too.

SPICES: The spice combination I use is thyme, garlic powder, parsley and paprika.

You can also use Italian seasoning in place of the thyme to get a more herby flavor and if paprika isn’t your thing leave it out. I also like different spices like chili powder, onion powder or cayenne pepper.

OLIVE OIL: A lot of recipes uses egg to bind the ingredients together but I have always used olive oil and works great.

If you would prefer egg you can swap that for the olive oil but I suggest giving the olive oil a try to see if you like it. 

HOW DO YOU MAKE HOMEMADE CHICKEN TENDERS?

In a shallow bowl mix the panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, thyme, parsley, paprika, salt and pepper and stir until combined. Set aside.

Pour the 1/4 cup olive oil into another shallow bowl.

Dredge the chicken in the olive oil and then into the breadcrumb mixture making sure both sides are coated.

Preheat air fryer to 400F.

Work in batches and place chicken tenders in the air fryer basket and air fry for about 6 minutes per side, or until the outside is crispy and golden brown and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Mine usually take between 10-15 minutes total to cook. 

You want to make sure that the homemade chicken strips aren’t touching in the air fryer and have a small space between each one.

Remove from the air fryer and sprinkle with fresh parsley if you want and serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce like hot sauce, buffalo sauce, homemade ranch dressing, bbq sauce, ketchup or your favorite dipping sauces.

These pair great with french fries and veggies.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

HOW DO I STORE LEFTOVER CRISPY AIR FRYER CHICKEN TENDERS

You can store the leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

If you do need to store leftovers just reheat in the air fryer or a skillet before eating. The air fryer will help to crisp them up again.

WHAT IS AIR FRY COOKING?

A lot of people might be wondering how an air fryer works. It is similar to an amped-up countertop convection oven. Its compact space promotes even faster cooking.

The top of the unit holds a heating mechanism and a fan. Hot air rushes down and around the food which is placed in a basket.

The rapid air circulation helps crisp up food.

A lot of people compare it to deep frying food but much, much healthier! It also requires very little clean-up and most of the time the basket in the air fryer can go in the dishwasher.

IS AIR FRIED FOOD HEALTHY?

Air frying food is a healthy alternative to deep frying food in oil. You can air fry so many things from Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower, to Air Fryer Twice Baked Potatoes, to Air Fryer Donut Holes. 

My favorite part of using the air fryer is that the food can get that crispy outer layer that happens when you deep fry food.

When you air fry food it can cut 70 to 80% of the calories from the food and has less fat.

You also are using no vegetable oil when using the air fryer which is much healthier. 

WHAT SHOULD I SERVE WITH THESE AIR FRYER CHICKEN TENDERS?

I love salads with all of my meals. Some of our favorites are this Lemon Arugula Salad with Pine Nuts, Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing or this Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad. 

Vegetable side dishes are always a nice addition with chicken tenders. I enjoy these Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables, Garlic Broccoli or Turmeric Cauliflower. 

Potatoes are another great addition to these chicken tenders. I like these Spicy Lebanese Potatoes, Lemon Cilantro Roasted Potatoes or these Crispy Garlic Roasted Potatoes.

OTHER AIR FRYER RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:

AIR FRYER SALMON BITES

AIR FRYER BONELESS PORK CHOPS

AIR FRYER COD

AIR FRYER SALMON

AIR FRYER CHICKEN WINGS

AIR FRYER CHICKEN LEGS