{"id":1952325,"date":"2024-02-02T14:40:10","date_gmt":"2024-02-27T21:13:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/?post_type=recipe&p=1952325"},"modified":"2024-03-11T14:03:49","modified_gmt":"2024-03-11T19:03:49","slug":"air-fryer-chicken-strips","status":"publish","type":"recipe","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/recipes\/air-fryer-chicken-strips\/","title":{"rendered":"Air-Fryer Chicken Tenders"},"content":{"rendered":"
A good chicken tender is defined by two factors: moist chicken and a crackled, crispy exterior that holds on to dipping sauce. In any shape and size, they’ll bring smiles to the entire table\u2014especially when paired with air-fryer french fries<\/a>. Delicious for dinner, lunch or a snack, these air-fryer chicken tenders are low-calorie and have less fat thanks to the air fryer.<\/p>\n Set the air fryer to 400\u00b0F and allow it to preheat as you prepare the chicken.<\/p>\n Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, set aside.<\/p>\n Set up three bowls. In the first bowl, combine the bread crumbs, garlic powder and paprika. In the second bowl, whisk the eggs really well until completely incorporated. Leave the third bowl empty.<\/p>\n Using your less dominant hand, dip a chicken tender into the egg wash, shake it off and then place into the bowl with the bread crumbs. Use your dominant hand to toss additional breadcrumbs from the bowl on top of the tender, and then lightly press them onto the chicken so they adhere. Place the chicken in the empty dish at the end and start again.<\/p>\n Editor’s Tip: <\/em>By only using one hand to handle the raw chicken and egg, the other remains clean and able to toss the breadcrumbs easily.<\/p>\n Place the chicken in a single layer on a greased tray in the air fryer basket. Spray the top of the chicken with cooking spray. Cook seven to eight minutes before flipping the tenders over and repeating on the other side. The goal is a golden brown coating and no pinkness left in the chicken. If you test a tender and find pinkness, return the tenders to the fryer for another one to two minutes per side.<\/p>\n To keep chicken tenders crispy and fresh, layer them in airtight containers with paper towels between the layers. They’ll last four to five days in the refrigerator. When ready to eat, simply reheat them in the air fryer for two to three minutes per side to re-crisp the breading.<\/p>\n Making a big batch of tenders makes the most sense, so you can always have them on hand for a snack or when a surprise guest shows up. To freeze, lay your tenders on a cookie sheet lined with parchment, uncovered, and then place in the freezer. When the tenders are completely frozen, which should take five to six hours, place them in a large resealable bag. Remove as much air as possible from the bag.<\/p>\n You don’t need to defrost your tenders when you’re ready to heat them up. Simply turn your air fryer to 400\u00b0, and once ready, place your tenders back into the air fryer in a single layer and cook for eight minutes. You don’t even need to flip them! Don’t remove the tenders once the time expires; leave them in the basket for an additional five minutes to heat through.<\/p>\n The key to crispy tenders is removing all moisture. The chicken should be dry before it goes into the egg, and your panko should also be dry. You can let the tenders dry out further by placing the plate with the raw, breaded tenders in front of a fan for five minutes. As long as the air fryer is set to the right temperature, and you spray the basket and top of the tenders with cooking spray, they should get crispy.<\/p>\n With chicken tenders, the name of the game is dipping sauce. You can lean into a homemade ranch dressing<\/a> or barbecue sauce<\/a> of any variety. And you could always try something different like a peanut butter dipping sauce<\/a>. While it may sound simple, a really delicious homemade ketchup<\/a> can be a surprisingly comforting choice too.<\/p>\n Besides sauces, a crudit\u00e9s platter<\/a>, air fried vegetables<\/a> or even a french fry charcuterie board<\/a> are delicious sides to serve with chicken tenders.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When we crave crispy chicken tenders but don’t want to deep fry at home, there’s only one method that can compare (and cut out a lot of grease!): air-fryer chicken tenders.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7061,"featured_media":1952326,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"tags":[304037,304154,304032,307330,304328,304998,304292,304338,303966,304988,305004,303887,306848,305018,305020,304268,307307,324623,304150,303883],"categories-v2":[308628,309437,308623,310369,308984,308481,308945,308305,308992,308495,308935,308951,308478,309603,308959,308960,259483,310342,309177,309434,308476],"coauthors":[342286],"recommended_recipes":[{"post_title":"Fried Chicken Strips","post_link":"\/recipes\/fried-chicken-strips\/","post_image":"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Fried-Chicken-Strips_EXPS_FT24_25184_JR_0301_1.jpg"},{"post_title":"Air-Fryer Chicken Breasts","post_link":"\/recipes\/air-fryer-chicken-breasts\/","post_image":"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Air-Fryer-Chicken-Breasts_EXPS_FT25_278779_EC_0114_4.jpg"},{"post_title":"Tex-Mex Chicken Strips","post_link":"\/recipes\/tex-mex-chicken-strips\/","post_image":"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Tex-Mex-Chicken-Strips_EXPS_SDAS18_205532_D03_30__3b.jpg"},{"post_title":"Air-Fryer Corn Dogs","post_link":"\/recipes\/air-fryer-corn-dogs\/","post_image":"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Air-Fryer-Corn-Dogs_EXPS_TOHcom24_277156_MD_P2_07_25_2b.jpg"},{"post_title":"Air-Fryer Chicken Thighs","post_link":"\/recipes\/air-fryer-chicken-thighs\/","post_image":"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Air-Fryer-Chicken-Thighs_EXPS_TOHVP_261385_MF_10_19_AirFryerChickenThighs_1.jpg"},{"post_title":"Air-Fryer Chicken Wings","post_link":"\/recipes\/air-fryer-chicken-wings\/","post_image":"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Air-Fryer-Crispy-Chicken-Wings_EXPS_TOHFM25_263460_P2_MD_02_13_9b.jpg"},{"post_title":"Air-Fryer Chicken 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chicken","text":"Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, set aside. Set up three bowls. In the first bowl, combine the bread crumbs, garlic powder and paprika. In the second bowl, whisk the eggs really well until completely incorporated. Leave the third bowl empty. Using your less dominant hand, dip a chicken tender into the egg wash, shake it off and then place into the bowl with the bread crumbs. Use your dominant hand to toss additional breadcrumbs from the bowl on top of the tender, and then lightly press them onto the chicken so they adhere. Place the chicken in the empty dish at the end and start again. Editor's Tip: By only using one hand to handle the raw chicken and egg, the other remains clean and able to toss the breadcrumbs easily.","image":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Air-Fryer-Chicken-Tenders-FT23_274860_EC_113023_2.jpg?fit=700,467"},{"@type":"HowToStep","name":"Fry the chicken","text":"Place the chicken in a single layer on a greased tray in the air fryer basket. Spray the top of the chicken with cooking spray. Cook seven to eight minutes before flipping the tenders over and repeating on the other side. The goal is a golden brown coating and no pinkness left in the chicken. If you test a tender and find pinkness, return the tenders to the fryer for another one to two minutes per side.","image":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Air-Fryer-Chicken-Tenders-FT23_274860_EC_113023_3-4.gif?fit=700,461"}],"recipeYield":"4 servings","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Amanda Blum"}],"nutrition":{"@type":"NutritionInformation","calories":" 161 calories","fatContent":"2g fat (0 saturated fat)","cholesterolContent":"87mg cholesterol","sodiumContent":"618mg sodium","carbohydrateContent":"7g carbohydrate (1g sugars","fiberContent":"1g fiber)","proteinContent":"29g protein. Diabetic Exchanges<\/b>: 3 lean meat"},"aggregateRating":{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"AggregateRating","ratingValue":5,"reviewCount":1,"worstRating":1,"bestRating":5},"review":[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Review","datePublished":"2025-02-11","author":{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Person","name":"tammycookblogsbooks"},"reviewBody":" This is the recipe I will use for any chicken strip\/tender\/nugget I am making. Salt was adjusted to our tastes. Chicken breast worked great. For half the bread crumbs crushed saltines were subbed in. I used the air fryer in the oven & didn't have to turn them over.<\/p>","reviewRating":{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Rating","ratingValue":5,"worstRating":1,"bestRating":5}}]},"video":{"data":{"status":204},"message":"No shortcode found in recipe"},"rms_legacy_id":"274860","romance_copy_dek":"When we crave crispy chicken tenders but don't want to deep fry at home, there's only one method that can compare (and cut out a lot of grease!): air-fryer chicken tenders.","enhanced_recipe_title":"Air-Fryer Chicken Strips","rms_legacy_data":{"RecipeCategories":null,"Ingredients":[{"CampaignId":"","IsBrandedIngredient":false,"Ingredient":"1 pound chicken tenderloins","IngredientText":"1 pound chicken tenderloins"},{"CampaignId":"","IsBrandedIngredient":false,"Ingredient":"3\/4 teaspoon salt","IngredientText":"3\/4 teaspoon salt"},{"CampaignId":"","IsBrandedIngredient":false,"Ingredient":"1\/4 teaspoon pepper","IngredientText":"1\/4 teaspoon pepper"},{"CampaignId":"","IsBrandedIngredient":false,"Ingredient":"1\/2 cup panko bread crumbs","IngredientText":"1\/2 cup panko bread crumbs"},{"CampaignId":"","IsBrandedIngredient":false,"Ingredient":"1\/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs","IngredientText":"1\/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs"},{"CampaignId":"","IsBrandedIngredient":false,"Ingredient":"1\/2 teaspoon garlic powder","IngredientText":"1\/2 teaspoon garlic powder"},{"CampaignId":"","IsBrandedIngredient":false,"Ingredient":"1\/2 teaspoon paprika","IngredientText":"1\/2 teaspoon paprika"},{"CampaignId":"","IsBrandedIngredient":false,"Ingredient":"2 large eggs, room temperature","IngredientText":"2 large eggs, room temperature"}],"FeaturedImage":"https:\/\/tmbidigitalassetsazure.blob.core.windows.net\/rms3-prod\/attachments\/37\/1200x1200\/Air-Fryer-Chicken-Strips_EXPS_FT23_274860_EC_113023_7.jpg","RecipeId":274860,"AttachmentSourceId":null,"AttachmentSource":"Taste Recipes","PhotoCredit":"Air-Fryer Chicken Strips Recipe photo by Taste Recipes","VideoCode":null,"RecipeAttachmentFileName":"Air-Fryer-Chicken-Strips_EXPS_FT23_274860_EC_113023_7.jpg","ContributorId":null,"Firstname":"Taste Recipes","Lastname":"Test Kitchen","City":"Milwaukee","StateDescription":"Wisconsin","IsCommunityCook":false,"TimeCallout":"Prep\/Total Time: 30 min.","MinimumServingQuantity":4,"MaximumServingQuantity":4,"Yield":"4 servings.","DigitalTitle":"Air-Fryer Chicken Strips","SubmittedTitle":"Air-Fryer Chicken Strips","RecipeTypeId":1,"AverageRating":5,"WebPublishedDate":"2\/2\/2024 2:40:10 PM","ContestPlacementId":null,"FbImage":"FB_FT23_274860_EC_113023_6.jpg","PreparationTimeInMinutes":15,"CookTimeInMinutes":15,"TotalTimeInMinutes":30,"ServingDescription":null,"IsTestKitchenCertified":true,"IsContestWinner":false,"IsCommunityRecipe":false,"PublishedProjectTitle":"Air-Fryer Chicken Strips","OriginalSourceProject":"Air-Fryer Chicken Strips","ContestPlacement":"","Trailer":null,"Metadescription":null,"DigitalHeadnotes":null,"FreezerDirections":"","FreezerDirectionsTitle":"","HTMLTitle":null,"RecipeVersionNumber":null,"WorkflowStatusId":9,"Directions":[{"Direction":"Preheat air fryer to 400\u00b0. 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Diabetic Exchanges<\/b>: 3 lean meat, 0.500 starch.","NoOfRatings":1,"GoogleImage16x9":"https:\/\/cdn3.tmbi.com\/toh\/GoogleImages\/Air-Fryer-Chicken-Strips_EXPS_FT23_274860_EC_113023_7.jpg","GoogleImage4x3":"https:\/\/cdn3.tmbi.com\/toh\/GoogleImagesPostCard\/Air-Fryer-Chicken-Strips_EXPS_FT23_274860_EC_113023_7.jpg","DefaultImageYn":false,"NativeRecipeTemplate":false,"IsMsn":false,"PinterestImage":"","CarouselImages":[],"SponsorLogoImage":"","SponsorID":"","GlobalCookingTips":[],"RecipeSpecificCookingTips":[]},"breadcrumb":[],"meta_data":{"enhanced_fields":{"enhanced_recipe_title":"Air-Fryer Chicken Strips"}},"analytics":[],"yoast_head":"\nAir-Fryer Chicken Tenders Ingredients<\/h2>\n
Taste Recipes<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\n
Directions<\/h2>\n
Step 1: Prepare the air fryer<\/h3>\n
Step 2: Prepare the chicken<\/h3>\n
Taste Recipes<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Step 3: Fry the chicken<\/h3>\n
Taste Recipes<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Air-Fryer Chicken Tenders Recipe Variations<\/h2>\n
\n
How to Store Air-Fryer Chicken Tenders<\/h2>\n
How to Freeze Air-Fryer Chicken Tenders<\/h2>\n
Air-Fryer Chicken Tenders Tips<\/h2>\n
Taste Recipes<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
How can you make sure the air-fryer chicken tenders are crispy?<\/h3>\n
What can you serve with air-fryer chicken tenders?<\/h3>\n