How long to cook breaded chicken tenders in air fryer

Are you looking for a fast chicken recipe for dinner? Try this air fryer chicken tenders recipe. Crispy outside, juicy inside. It’s perfect for weeknight meals because it’s ready in less than 15 minutes.

These crispy chicken tenders are baked in an air fryer, not fried. The chicken is coated in a light and crispy breading, and the cooking time is reduced by more than half with this technique. They have a crispy crunch and are soooo good dipped in honey mustard or ranch dressing.

This recipe is my go-to for dinners, holidays, and family gatherings. It is delicious and it is a healthy alternative to fried chicken tenders. You can also check other delicious air fryer chicken dinner recipes here.

Chicken Breast vs Chicken Tenders

Chicken tenders are chicken pieces from the tenderloin under the chicken breast

The chicken tenderloin can easily be found in grocery stores however if you can’t get pre-cut tender in the market, you can easily pull the tender from a skinless and boneless breast.

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Here is the air fryer I use COSORI smart wifi air fryer. It is big enough for a large family but you can also get it in smaller sizes if you prefer that.

Ingredients for Air-fryer Chicken Tenders

• Chicken tender is a lean protein that makes everyone’s favorite. You can get packaged tenders at grocery stores.
• Eggs: You will dip your chicken in egg before placing it in the breadcrumbs. The eggs will allow the breadcrumbs to stick to the tenders.
• Breadcrumbs: I like to use seasoned bread crumbs or Italian breadcrumbs for maximum flavor and it helps you to get that crispy chicken in the air fryer.
• Smoked paprika: Adds a smokey, earthy flavor to the chicken.
• All-purpose flour: a well-seasoned flour helps to bring out the flavor in the chicken
• Salt and black pepper: these will add spice to your chicken.
• Thyme, Garlic powder, and onion powder for additional flavor.

How to make Air fryer Chicken Tenderloin

• Prepare the air fryer basket by lightly spraying it with cooking oil
• Season the flour
• Whisk the eggs with the hot sauce
• Dredge the tenderloin in the flour, eggs, and bread crumbs
• Cook the chicken till nice and crispy

How long does it take to make Breaded Air Fryer Chicken Tenders?

Not a long time at all. You will use an average of 10 – 15 minutes to make incredible air fryer chicken tenders. Halfway the cooking time, ensure that you flip the tender to get a perfect result. Your chicken is done once it turns crispy and golden outside.

Air fryer temperature for Chicken Tenders

The temperature depends on the quantity of tender in the air fryer per time. Typically, the temperature should be between 375°F – 400°F. You will know when the chicken is done through the internal temperature.

Tips

• Don’t overcrowd the air fryer. You can air fry in batches. Few tenders per time in the air fryer will allow the hot air to circulate fast to make your chicken crispier.
• Use a tong to flip the chicken to the other side halfway through cooking time to ensure proper cooking on all sides.
• Remember to preheat your air fryer to help your chicken cook quickly.

Storage and Reheat

Store in an air-tight container or zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. You can also store it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

To reheat frozen chicken tenders, you can thaw them in the refrigerator some hours before. After thawing, you can reheat in the air fryer at 380°F to maintain that crispy exterior and juicy interior.

Don’t forget to preheat your air fryer before you reheat. You will know the meat is ready at an internal temperature of 165°F. Reheating can take up to 10 minutes.

Serving

Chicken tenders are perfect as a side for almost any type of dish. You can serve them with any of the following:

• Potato recipes: air fryer breakfast potatoes, Air fryer Potato Wedges, Hasselback potatoes, Air Fryer Baby Potatoes, and more.
• Salads: tomato mozzarella salad and classic potato salad
• Dips: Honey mustard sauce and Fry Sauce

Other Air fryer Recipes

• Air fryer Chicken Breast
• Air fryer chicken legs
• Crispy Air fryer Chicken wings
• Air fryer whole Chicken recipe
• Air Fryer French Fries Recipe

• 1½ pounds chicken tenders
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp hot sauce or cayenne pepper
• ¾ cup milk
• 1½ cup seasoned breadcrumbs or Italian bread crumbs
• ¾ cup flour
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• Cooking oil spray

• Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.

• Add the flour to a wide shallow dish and season with paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix well

• Beat the eggs together with the hot suace in a separate wide shallow dish.

• Put the bread crumbs in another separate shallow dish.

• Dredge the chicken tenders with the seasoned flour and shake off any excess flour. Then dip in the egg mixture and roll each piece in the bread crumbs.

• Spray the air fryer basket with a thin layer of cooking spray.

• Place the chicken in a single layer in the air fryer. You may need to work in batches and spray them with cooking spray.

• Bake for 5 to 6 minutes, then flip to the other side. Spray the flip side with another thin layer of cooking spray and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the coating is brown and crispy. Serve immediately.

• Don’t overcrowd the air fryer. You can air fry in batches. Few tenders per time in the air fryer will allow the hot air to circulate fast to make your chicken crispier.
• Use a tong to flip the chicken tenders to the other side halfway through cooking time to ensure proper cooking on all sides.
• Remember to preheat your air fryer to help your chicken cook quickly.

Let’s connect on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. I love keeping in touch with you, and nothing brings me more joy than seeing pictures of your creations. Tag me @cheflolaskitchen on Instagram and Facebook.