Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

These Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders are ready with less than 10 minutes in the air fryer! Parmesan, cornflakes, and a tasty Italian seasoning give these juicy chicken strips loads of flavor.

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Table of Contents

• Ingredients for Crunchy Chicken Tenders
• How to Cook Chicken Tenders in the Air Fryer
• If you love this chicken recipe, you’ll love these easy air fryer ideas!
• Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders Recipe

When you need a good kid-friendly meal that can please everybody, turn to these Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders! Simply dredged in a egg-milk wash, then dunked into a cornflake-parmesan coating, these little chicken tenderloins are air fried to juicy perfection. There’s just 10 minutes of cooking, so a little meal prep means you can get this on the table fast after a busy day.

This crispy chicken is great on its own, stuffed in a wrap, tossed into a salad, or mixed into a pasta. It’s quick enough for a weekday, but it makes a great meal prep day recipe if you want to make them ahead of time. If you prefer a more solid coating of almond flour and parmesan, I recommend these Air Fryer Tenders.

Ingredients for Crunchy Chicken Tenders

Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need for this recipe. For exact measurements, keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card.

• Chicken tenders – Tenderloins are the skinny cut that often comes attached to chicken breasts. Finding a big package of these on sale is a great opportunity to stock up for quick-cooking meals! You could cut chicken breasts into several chicken strips instead. Thighs are also possible, but they’re smaller and produce fewer tenders.
• Eggs, Milk – This makes a great “glue” to keep the breading on the chicken tenders. If you need to keep this dairy-free, you could do just an egg wash instead.
• Cornflakes, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, Garlic powder, Onion powder, Paprika, Salt, Pepper – These are processed or crushed in a bag to create a great crispy coating for the chicken! You can choose to crush them into small crumbs or leave larger pieces for a thicker crunch. As the photos show, I chose to keep the flakes on the larger side for the texture. You could leave out parmesan if you don’t want cheese, but I would recommend processing at least some crumbs very small to recreate the texture.

How to Cook Chicken Tenders in the Air Fryer

This easy chicken recipe just takes about 10 minutes to prep and 10 minutes to cook. Healthier and cheaper than the fast food version and about as fast these days! Here’s a step-by-step guide to cooking chicken tenders in the air fryer.

Make breading

Crush the cornflakes with parmesan and spices–You can place them in a bag and crush with a rolling pin, or you could pulse them in a food processor (for my large-flake crunchy texture, I pulsed about 25 times). Place these in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish or medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs with the milk.

Dredge chicken

Pat chicken as dry as you can with paper towels (this helps the breading stick). Dunk a chicken tender into the egg mixture, gently shaking as you remove to get rid of excess. Place in the crumb mixture. Carefully press into the breading to help the crumbs stick to the chicken, then flip and coat the other side.

Place breaded chicken tenderloin on a plate and set aside. Continue process with remaining tenderloins until all are finished. If you’re doubling or tripling this recipe, I recommend chilling finished tenders in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. This helps the breading stick better instead of sweating off while you wait.

Air fry chicken

Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F for 3 minutes (even if it says it doesn’t need preheating, I’ve still found that I get a more even cook when I preheat). Spray basket or rack with oil, then place chicken tenders in a single layer, giving a little space between each for air flow. This is the key to a crispy crunch, so you will likely have to work in batches unless you have a large air fryer.

Cook for 8-10 minutes–Remove when breading is a nice golden brown and the inside registers 165 degrees F (use a meat thermometer if you’re unsure). Spraying tenders with oil before cooking will give them a darker brown color, and this can help give a crispier breading if you want it to be as crunchy as possible.

What are the best sides to serve with chicken tenders?

Chicken tenders are a classic, so you have tons of options for side dishes! You could stick with a fast food vibe and have fries (maybe Keto Fries or Green Bean Fries if you’re keeping it low-carb) or tots (check out Bacon Cheddar Cauliflower Tots for more veggies!). Add a good dipping sauce like Jalapeno Ranch, ketchup, mustard, or barbecue sauce. Cheddar Broccoli Rice or Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole are perfect when you need some comfort food!

More side dishes for chicken tenders:

• Crispy Smashed Brussels Sprouts with Lemon Aioli
• Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Broccoli Cheddar Muffins
• Keto Jalapeno Poppers

How to Store and Freeze Chicken Tenders

If you plan to eat these within 3-4 days, allow chicken tenders to cool completely and then store in an airtight container in the fridge. For longer storage, place cooled chicken tenders on a plate or baking sheet and freeze for about 2 hours. Transfer to a freezer bag and enjoy within 3-6 months for the best texture.

Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. When thawing, if possible toss in a few paper towels around the chicken strips. These can soak up moisture during the defrosting process to help avoid soggy breading.

Best ways to reheat chicken tenders

For the crunchiest breading, reheat in the air fryer (375 for 3-4 minutes). For large batches, the oven might be best; just reheat on a baking rack over a baking sheet at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until warmed throughout. You can also microwave the chicken, but you will lose the crispiness on the outside.

If you love this chicken recipe, you’ll love these easy air fryer ideas!

• Cajun Air Fryer Chicken – This may just be the juiciest chicken I’ve ever cooked! The method is incredibly simple–Just season and air fry. It produces quick, easy chicken thighs you’ll want more of.
• Air Fryer Stuffed Chicken Breast – When you want to impress a date or the in-laws, this quick chicken recipe is your lifesaver! The creamy, mildly spiced filling keeps your chicken juicy and so flavorful.
• Air Fryer Chicken Legs – These have a great Asian-inspired marinade that lead to an intense flavor that everyone will love. These are quick and go with simple roasted veggies.
• BBQ Chicken Wings – Perfect for game night and easy to make ahead of time! You can keep layering on sauce for the most flavorful wings of your life.
• Keto Chicken Nuggets – Kids love these easy little bites, and they don’t even notice that they’re low-carb, gluten-free, and keto friendly! Ready super quickly, these make a fast dinner easy.

How to use leftover chicken tenders:

• Toss into pastas like Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, Broccoli Pasta with Cheese, or low-carb versions like this Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole or Cacio e Pepe Zoodles. This One Pan Penne Pesto Pasta would be perfect for a meal prep lunch with chicken.
• Make wraps for lunch or dinner similar to this Chicken Caesar Wrap or Chicken Bacon Ranch Lettuce Wrap.
• Top a good salad, maybe this Cranberry Apple Kale Salad or White Bean Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette. You could even toss the tenders in some buffalo sauce for a Buffalo Chicken Cobb Salad. A quick Simple Arugula Salad gets exciting with crispy chicken!