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Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Chicken

Air Fryer Cornflake Chicken Tenders

Apr 24, 2025 · Written by Dannii Martin · This post may contain affiliate links which earn us commissions if purchases are made · 5 Comments

81 shares
Diet: High Protein / Low Fat
Jump to Recipe
Air fryer chicken tenders with a text title overlay.
Air fryer chicken tenders with a text title overlay.

You can't beat crispy chicken when it comes to comfort food and these Air Fryer Cornflake Chicken Tenders are about as easy as comfort food gets. Ready in just 15 minutes, with a few ingredients. Cornflake chicken in the air fryer is as simple as coating the chicken in our seasoning blend and then the breading with cornflakes, which is something a little different. Golden brown and juicy chicken every time!

A plate of coated chicken tenders on a plate with a bowl of dip.

These are EXTRA crispy air fryer chicken tenders, because we have used cornflakes. 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 with their favourite dipping sauce and you can feel good about serving them up as they are much better for you than store bought frozen 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 quick Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas, easy Air Fryer Parmesan Crusted Chicken, kid favourite Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets or our versatile Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks?

Jump to:
  • Ingredients and Substitutions
  • How to Make Air Fryer Cornflake Chicken Tenders - Step by Step
  • Top Tip
  • Serving Suggestions
  • Storing Air Fryer Cornflake Tenders
  • Leftovers Tip
  • Tips For Making The BEST Air Fryer Cornflake Chicken
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • More Chicken Recipes
  • Recipe
  • Feedback

Ingredients and Substitutions

All the ingredients needed for this recipe each with a text overlay label.

A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

  • 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. The seasoning blend already has salt, so you don't need to add extra.

More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.

How to Make Air Fryer Cornflake Chicken Tenders - Step by Step

A chopping board with sliced chicken breast on it.
  1. Step 1: Slice the chicken breast into tenders - four per breast. Pat the chicken dry before dredging it, as it will help everything stick to it.
A bowl of seasoned flour, seasoned cornflakes and whisked egg.
  1. Step 2: 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.
Raw chicken tenders being dredged in egg, flour and cornflakes.
  1. Step 3: Coat the chicken in the flour, then dip into the egg, then coat in the cornflakes.
Eight coated chicken tenders on a blue plate.
  1. Step 4: Repeat with all the chicken tenders.
Uncooked coated chicken tenders in an air fryer basket.
  1. Step 5: Put the coated chicken into your air fryer basket. Spray with a little cooking spray/oil and cook at 200°C for 5 minutes on the air fry setting.
Cooked chicken tenders in an air fryer basket.
  1. Step 6: 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

Cornflake coated chicken tenders with chopped herbs sprinkled over them.

Storing Air Fryer Cornflake Tenders

Store: You can store leftovers, however they will loose their crispiness when stored in the fridge so we recommend eating these 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.

Tips For Making The BEST Air Fryer Cornflake Chicken

  • 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 cheese 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.
A plate of cornflake coated chicken tenders in front of a striped towel.

Frequently Asked Questions

What air fryer do you recommend?

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.

Can you cook frozen chicken tenders in the air fryer?

Yes, you can - you will just need to adjust the cooking time.

How do I know when the chicken is cooked?

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.

More Chicken Recipes

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    Creamy Chicken Orzo
  • Air fryer chicken katsu in a bowl with rice and katsu sauce.
    Air Fryer Chicken Katsu
  • A baking dish containing Easy Chicken Enchiladas
    Easy Chicken Enchiladas
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    Air Fryer Chicken Kebabs

If you’ve tried this air fryer chicken tenders recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

Recipe

Air fryer chicken tenders on a plate with a bowl of creamy dip.

Air Fryer Cornflake Chicken Tenders

By: Dannii Martin
What's the secret ingredient in these Air Fryer Chicken Tenders? Get the answer and find out how to make the perfect comfort food in 15 minutes.
A circular logo saying HP.
High Protein
the words low fat in a white circle.
Low Fat
5 from 8 votes
Pin Print Save recipe Saved!
Course: Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep: 5 minutes mins
Cook: 10 minutes mins
Total: 15 minutes mins
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 378kcal
Allergens:
An illustration of a cracked egg.
Eggs
An illustration of a cow's head.
Meat

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 on the Air Fry setting at 200°C/400°F 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

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 197mg | Sodium: 444mg | Potassium: 740mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2089IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 11mg

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.

As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.

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Comments

  1. Carrie Robinson says

    November 03, 2023 at 12:30 pm

    5 stars
    I just love how quick and easy these are to make! Perfect dinner idea for a busy weeknight. :)

    Reply
  2. Ann says

    November 03, 2023 at 12:11 pm

    5 stars
    I love the idea of freezing these for quick kid friendly meals. Thanks!

    Reply
  3. Kris says

    November 03, 2023 at 11:53 am

    5 stars
    The breading on these was so good! Crispy, crunchy, and not at all greasy!!! YUM!

    Reply
  4. Amanda Wren-Grimwood says

    November 03, 2023 at 10:20 am

    5 stars
    The cornflakes make these chicken tenders so crispy and much cheaper than panko too.

    Reply
  5. Lauren says

    November 03, 2023 at 9:09 am

    5 stars
    Using cornflakes to coat the tenders is such a great idea! The children love these :-)

    Reply
5 from 8 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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My name is Dannii. Here you will find easy family recipes with a healthy twist.

Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

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