This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
These Air Fryer Chicken Tenders are crispy, golden, juicy, and SUPER easy to throw together! Made with simple ingredients and loved by the whole family, this delicious recipe is my favorite way to make classic deep-fried chicken tenders a whole lot healthier.
Today, I’m sharing how to make chicken tenders in the air fryer. They’re ridiculously easy to make, super flavorful, and just as crispy as traditional fried chicken tenders. No utensils (or mountains of greasy paper napkins) necessary, as these craggily chicken tenders are all about hands-on eating! I’ve added a delicious honey mustard dipping sauce in the recipe card below, but be sure to browse my collection of dips and sauces to find the perfect fit for you!
And if chicken tenders aren’t your thing, try these easy air fryer chicken nuggets or my real-deal buttermilk fried chicken tenders.
Table of Contents
How long to cook chicken tenders in the air fryer?
For a crispy coating and juicy interior, I recommend air frying breaded chicken tenders at 400°F (200°C) for 7–10 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
Use the following as a guideline to determine how long to cook chicken tenders at various temperatures:
- 350°F (175°C) for 12-15 minutes (best for very thick tenders)
- 375°F (190°C) for 9-12 minutes
- 400°F (200°C) for 7-10 minutes
- 425°F (220°C) for 6-8 minutes (most likely to dry out/burn)
Factors that influence cooking time include the size of your tenders and the brand/model of air fryer you are using.
How to Cook Chicken Tenders in the Air Fryer
I love using my air fryer, and these crispy breaded chicken tenders are a big reason why! If you’re new to chicken tenders, be sure to check out my pro tips below!
Ok, so to start we’re going to pat our chicken tenders dry with papers towels and season them with salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika.
Once the chicken is seasoned, you’ll set up the “dredging stations”. This is just an easy way of saying that you’ll prepare two shallow bowls – one will be filled with the egg and milk mixture, and the other with the combined breadcrumbs.
Once the dredging stations are set up, it’s time to start breading. Dip each chicken tender into the egg mixture first, allowing any excess to drip off, then coat in the breadcrumb mixture. To help the breadcrumb mixture adhere, press gently; then flip and repeat on the other side. Repeat until all the chicken tenders have been breaded. You can also bread 4-5, pop them in the air fryer, and continue to bread the remaining chicken tenders as the first batch cooks.
Before cooking, spray the air fryer basket with a little non-stick cooking spray to prevent the chicken tenders from sticking. Arrange the chicken tenders in a single layer in the basket so that they are not touching, and lightly spray the tops with nonstick cooking spray.
Air fry at 400°F for 7-10 minutes, flipping halfway through. The chicken is done with it registers 165°F using an instant-read digital thermometer. Then repeat with any remaining chicken.
Serve your hot and crispy air fryer chicken tenders with all your favorite sides and dipping sauces.
Tips + Tricks
Air Fry Chicken Tenders Like a Pro
- To keep your first batch of chicken tenders warm while the remaining batches cook, place them on a baking sheet in a 250°F oven until ready to serve.
- Customize the breadcrumb coating by mixing in optional seasonings like 4 tablespoons of grated Parmesan, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, or ½ teaspoon onion powder for extra flavor. You can also add homemade seasoning like Cajun seasoning, Creole seasoning, Ranch seasoning, or poultry seasoning.
- For a gluten-free version, simply swap the regular and panko breadcrumbs with your favorite gluten-free alternatives everything else stays the same!
- To cook un-breaded chicken tenders in the air fryer, coat them with a thin layer of olive oil and season generously. Or, marinate the tenders for as little as 30 minutes using your favorite store-bought or homemade marinade. I really love my Greek chicken marinade or simple homemade buffalo sauce. Air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway thorough.
- Use a digital meat thermometer to make sure that your chicken tenders are fully cooked to 165°F.
Side and Sauce Pairings
Whether air fried or deep-fried, breaded chicken tenders taste best when they’re just cooked. For this reason, I like enjoy freshly cooked tenders dipped into a collection of dipping sauces. Some of my must-haves include:
- Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
- Buffalo Ranch Sauce
- Comeback Sauce
- Copycat Chick-Fil-A Sauce
- Hot Honey
- and Spicy Mayo
In addition to at least 2-3 dipping sauces, I like to serve these crispy tenders with my arugula salad, lettuce and tomato salad, or simple house salad!
If I find myself with leftovers, I’ll usually re-crisp them in the oven or air fryer before smothering them with my homemade buffalo sauce or BBQ sauce recipe. Then I’ll chop the tenders into pieces and add it to my buffalo chicken salad or chicken ranch pasta salad. Makes for a super simple lunch or dinner!
Storage and Reheating
Allow leftovers to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze leftover air-fried chicken tenders. Place them on a baking sheet in the freezer until frozen, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Flash-freezing the chicken tenders on a baking sheet prevents them from sticking together when placed in a bag or container.
Reheating is easy. Simply preheat your air fryer to 350°F and air fry for 4 to 6 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until crispy and heated through. To reheat in the oven, bake at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes on a wire rack set over a baking sheet to keep the coating crispy.
More Awesome Air Fryer Recipes
If you make this air fryer chicken tenders recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment section below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more delicious food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2¼ pounds chicken tenders, about 12-14 chicken tenders
- ½ teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- ¾ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs, plain, not with Italian seasoning
- Olive oil cooking spray
Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1½ tablespoon honey
- 1½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season both sides of the chicken tenders with salt, black pepper, and paprika. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and the milk with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Set aside.
- Carefully combine the breadcrumbs on a large, shallow plate until they are evenly combined.
- One at a time, dip the chicken in the egg mixture and coat it evenly. Allow any extra egg to drip back into the bowl. Transfer the chicken to the breadcrumbs. Gently press to coat, then flip the chicken over to coat the other side. Repeat until all of the chicken has been coated in breadcrumbs.
- Preheat the Air Fryer to 400 degrees F. Spray the inside basket with nonstick cooking spray. Place the chicken tenders in the basket in a single later so that they are not touching. Spray the top of the chicken tenders lightly with nonstick olive oil spray.
- Air fry at 400 degrees f for about 7-10 minutes total, flipping once halfway through cooking. The chicken is fully cooked when the internal temperature registers 165 degrees f as read by a digital read meat thermometer.
- Repeat until all chicken tenders have been cooked.
- As the chicken tenders cook, whisk together the ingredients for the honey mustard dipping sauce in a small bowl.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- I like to line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and transfer the breaded uncooked chicken to the baking sheet until I’m ready to air fry them.
- To keep the first batch of air fryer chicken tenders warm as the second (or third) batch cooks, place them in a regular oven preheated to 250 degrees f.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
