You can't beat crispy chicken when it comes to comfort food and these Air Fryer Chicken Tenders are about as easy as comfort food gets. Ready in just 15 minutes, it is as simple as coating the chicken in our seasoning blend and then the breading, which is something a little different. Golden brown and juicy chicken every time!
About these air fryer chicken tenders
What's the secret breading? Sure, you could use panko breadcrumbs to make chicken tenders in the air fryer, but did you know that crushed up cornflakes make the best breading? So deliciously crunchy, with large crispy flakes and perfect for when you have run out of breadcrumbs.
Kids of all ages will love these air fried chicken tenders with their favourite dipping sauce and you can feel good about serving them up as they are much better for you than store bought ones.
Just the chicken, seasoning and "breading" is all that goes into this chicken tenders recipe. Plus, cooking them in the air fryer means less oil is needed and they aren't greasy like deep fried ones.
Looking for other air fryer chicken recipes? Try our easy Air Fryer Whole Chicken, kid favourite Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets or our versatile Air Fryer Chicken Breast?
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken - You want to use skinless and boneless chicken breasts to make chicken tenderloins in the air fryer. You just won't get the long strips by using chicken thighs. You can buy pre-cut chicken tenders in the supermarket, but it's much cheaper to just buy chicken breast and slice your own.
- Flour - This is important as it goes on the chicken first and gives the egg something to cling to. We just used plain flour.
- Egg - This gives the breadcrumbs something to stick to, otherwise they would just come right off.
- Cornflakes - This is what we used for the crunchy breading, however you could use panko or regular breadcrumbs.
- Seasoning - Here is where you can really adapt these air fryer chicken strips. We used a Mexican seasoning, as we wanted it spicy. But, you could leave it out if making these for kids, or use something milder like paprika or garlic granules.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
How to make air fryer chicken tenders - Step by step
One: Slice the chicken breast into tenders - four per breast. Pat the chicken dry before dredging it, as it will help everything stick to it.
Two: Whisk the egg in a bowl, put the flour in another bowl and the cornflakes in a third. Divide the seasoning between the flour and cornflakes and combine.
Three: Coat the chicken in the flour, then dip into the egg, then coat in the cornflakes.
Four: Repeat with all the chicken tenders.
Five: Put the coated chicken into your air fryer. Spray with a little oil and cook at 200°C for 5 minutes.
Six: Flip the tenders over and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Top tip
When dredging the chicken, make sure you use one hand for putting the chicken in the flour and then putting it in and out of the egg mixture and then another hand for tossing it in cornflakes.
This is to make sure the breading hand doesn't get covered in egg and clumps of breadcrumbs. You can also use tongs to prevent messy fingers.
Serving suggestions
Sauce - You have GOT to have something to dip these in. My personal favourite is ranch, and our Healthy Ranch Dressing is epic! But, you could keep it more traditional with our Healthy BBQ Sauce or Homemade Ketchup.
Fries - Chicken and fries is a winning combination. Got a dual air fryer? Make our Air Fryer Fries at the same time as the air fryer chicken tenders. For something spicy, try our Peri Peri Fries or Parmesan Truffle Fries for something a bit more indulgent.
Slaw - We love some slaw alongside this and would recommend our Best EVER Coleslaw or our No Mayo Coleslaw for something a bit lighter.
We have use these chicken tenders in our Air Fryer Chicken Tacos recipe
Storing air fryer chicken tenders
Store: You can store leftovers, however they will loose their crispiness when stored in the fridge so we recommend eating these air fryer chicken tenders right away if you can. They will get a little bit crispy again when reheated, but nowhere near as freshly cooked. Leftovers should be cooled quickly and then put into an airtight container in the fridge and they can be stored for up to 3 days.
Freeze: These freeze really well and can be frozen before or after cooking. Put them on a baking tray and in the freezer until frozen (flash freezing). You can then transfer them to a freezer bag and keep for up to 2 months. We always keep some stocked in the freezer.
Defrost: No need to defrost uncooked tenders. You can cook uncooked chicken tenders from frozen for 30-35 minutes until cooked through.
Reheat: You can reheat these in the air fryer for 5 minutes of they can go in the oven again. You can also eat them cold. Avoid using the microwave as it can make them soggy.
Leftovers tip
If you have leftovers, then they are really good chopped up into our Healthy Chicken Caesar Salad, Chicken Pasta Salad or in our Leftover Chicken Pasta.
Frequently Asked Questions
We really can't rate the Ninja Foodi Max Dual highly enough. It has a huge 9.5 litre capacity, it allows you to cook two different things at once and it has 6 different cooking functions. It is 65% more efficient than an oven and uses 75% less fat than traditional cooking. It is also dishwasher safe.
Yes, you can - you will just need to adjust the cooking time.
This dish cooks in the air fryer for around 8-10 minutes, but the exact cooking time will depend on your air fryer. The best way to ensure that it is cooked through is to use a meat thermometer. Chicken is cooked when it has an internal temperature of 75°C/167°F at the thickest part of the meat.
Extra tips
• Make sure your chicken tenders are in a single layer in the air fryer, so there is enough space in between them so they get nice and crispy.
• If you need to cook these in batches, then you can keep the cooked ones warm in the oven on a low heat until the rest are ready.
• For some added crunch, and a little extra indulgence, why not add some grated Parmesan to your cornflakes/breadcrumbs. It melts really well and gets nice and crunchy.
• You can cook these in the oven. They will take about 20 minutes at 200°C and need flipping halfway.
• The thickness of your chicken tenders will vary the cooking time, so make sure to check they are cooked through before serving.
More chicken recipes
If you’ve tried this air fryer chicken tenders recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 360 g (12.5 oz) Chicken Breast - (about 180g/6.25oz per breast)
- 1 Egg - whisked
- 2 tablespoon Flour
- 50 g (1.75 cups) Cornflakes - crushed
- 2 tablespoon Mexican seasoning
Instructions
- Slice 360 g Chicken Breast into tenders - four per breast.
- Whisk 1 Egg in a bowl, put 2 tablespoon Flour in another bowl and 50 g Cornflakes in a third.
- Divide 2 tablespoon Mexican seasoning between the flour and cornflakes and combine.
- Coat the chicken in the flour, then dip into the egg, then coat in the cornflakes.
- Repeat with all the chicken tenders.
- Put the coated chicken into your air fryer. Spray with a little oil and cook at 200°C for 5 minutes.
- Flip the tenders over and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Recipe tips
- Make sure your chicken tenders are in a single layer in the air fryer, so there is enough space in between them so they get nice and crispy.
- If you need to cook these in batches, then you can keep the cooked ones warm in the oven on a low heat until the rest are ready.
- For some added crunch, and a little extra indulgence, why not add some grated Parmesan to your cornflakes/breadcrumbs. It melts really well and gets nice and crunchy.
- You can cook these in the oven. They will take about 20 minutes at 200°C and need flipping halfway.
- The thickness of your chicken tenders will vary the cooking time, so make sure to check they are cooked through before serving.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Carrie Robinson
I just love how quick and easy these are to make! Perfect dinner idea for a busy weeknight. :)
Ann
I love the idea of freezing these for quick kid friendly meals. Thanks!
Kris
The breading on these was so good! Crispy, crunchy, and not at all greasy!!! YUM!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
The cornflakes make these chicken tenders so crispy and much cheaper than panko too.
Lauren
Using cornflakes to coat the tenders is such a great idea! The children love these :-)