Air Fryer Breaded Chicken Tenders

Say hello to Air Fryer Breaded Chicken Tenders – juicy, golden brown, and delicious! This easy main dish is made with a simple breading and is perfect for salads, wraps, or just dunking in ketchup! Make-ahead and freezer friendly!
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For the times when good old basic unbreaded chicken tenders just won’t cut it – here are my super easy Air Fryer Breaded Chicken Tenders!

For these tenders, I wanted a simple breading, different flavors than my other basic Italian tenders, golden brown exterior, and super juicy chicken. I say mission accomplished!

No it’s not the most crispy chicken ever – that would involve a wet batter which I wanted to skip here. Wet batter = more mess = not a quick weeknight meal in my opinion.

What I’ve got here is delicious juicy chicken, crispy edges, breading that STICKS, and a simple, versatile recipe. I hope you enjoy it! 

What are the ingredients in these Air Fryer Breaded Chicken Tenders?

This is a simple recipe with staple ingredients you might already have on hand! Here are the ingredients I used in my simple Air Fryer Breaded Chicken Tenders recipe:

• boneless skinless chicken breast – I always have boneless skinless chicken breasts in the freezer so that’s what I used for this recipe. You can also use chicken tenderloins if that’s what you prefer (slightly different cuts of meat but otherwise the same).
• eggs – This is what keeps the breading stuck to the chicken. If you have super large eggs, you can use one egg. Otherwise two makes it easiest to get all the strips of chicken well coated.
• plain bread crumbs – Bread crumbs are going to make up our breading, along with the spices below. You can also use panko, but I like regular bread crumbs better, as they seemed to stick to the chicken the best and mixed well with the spices.
• paprika – Did you know paprika is made up of various kinds of dried peppers? I think it gives this chicken the best kind of mild but delicious flavor. If you don’t have paprika, you can switch this spice out with things like cajun, bbq spice, jerk seasoning, or something else. I would leave the other spices in the recipe though.
• garlic powder, onion powder & sea salt – These are my favorite spices for chicken that always come through on flavor and go with most other flavor profiles you might use. Swap out the paprika if you want, but leave these!
• avocado oil spray – This is essential for getting the outside of the chicken tenders looking golden brown! Any spots not sprayed will look dry and less appealing.

How do you make these Air Fryer Breaded Chicken Tenders?

The first step is to prepare the chicken. Place the raw chicken breasts on a cutting board and pat dry using a couple paper towels. Use a sharp chef’s knife to slice the chicken breasts into uniform strips about 1 inch thick.

For this recipe, I’m using my Misen Chef’s Knife (affiliate link!)! Depending on the size and thickness of your chicken breasts, you should get 8-12 chicken tender slices from one pound of chicken.

Each chicken breast should make 4-6 strips. If your chicken breast is on the thicker side, make 4-5 slices closer together. If your chicken breast is thinner, make 3-4 slices a bit farther apart. 

Next, we’re going to set up a breading station. Find two small flat-bottomed bowls, like I’m using in the pictures, and two forks. In one bowl, add both eggs and whisk. In the other, add the breadcrumbs and all the spices. Use a fork to mix.

First, add each raw chicken tender slice to the egg and coat all sides well. After that, move each piece of chicken, one a time, to the breading bowl and coat with the crumb mixture. Use the fork to press the coating on to the raw chicken.

Once the piece of chicken is fully coated in breadcrumbs, gently set it on a plate (or directly into the air fryer basket) and repeat the process with each piece of chicken. 

If not already, place the chicken into the air fryer basket, in a single layer, not touching if possible. If you can’t fit all the chicken, cook in two batches instead of stacking.

Next, take the avocado oil spray and coat all the chicken with a solid spray of oil. It should be a decent amount of oil, but not dripping off the chicken. This should make the breading look wet and cover any dry spots.

Air fry the chicken tenders at 380F for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through. When you flip the chicken, give any dry spots a quick spritz of oil, then continue cooking for the remaining time.

The breaded chicken tenders are done when the internal temperature reaches 165F, the exterior is golden brown, and the edges are darkening.

Can I use chicken tenderloins instead of chicken breasts?

Yes, you can use chicken tenderloins or chicken breasts for this recipe.

I always have boneless skinless chicken breasts on hand from my Butcherbox (affiliate link!) meat delivery service, so that’s what I prefer to use for this recipe. Using high quality chicken will give you a more juicy and flavorful result after cooking.

You can also use pre-cut chicken tenderloins from the store if you want. I prefer to cut my own chicken and I hate dealing with the giant tendon in the middle of each store-cut tenderloins, so I use breasts!

Can I use panko bread crumbs instead of regular bread crumbs?

Yes, you can use panko bread crumbs instead of regular bread crumbs.

However, during testing, I found they fell off the chicken more easily than the regular breading. I also noticed that all the spices fell down to the bottom of the bowl (because of the larger pieces of panko) and less spices ended up on the chicken.

Testing notes for these Air Fryer Breaded Chicken Tenders

Some things I noticed while testing this recipe:

• Bread crumbs: I found the panko breadcrumbs fell off the chicken more easily than the regular breading. I also noticed that all the spices fell down to the bottom of the bowl (because of the larger pieces of panko) and less spices ended up on the chicken.
• Dredge: I opted to skip the additional dredging in flour because it always ends up a lot more messy to me. I kept it simple with a one step breading.
• Oil spray: Don’t spray TOO much oil or it will drip down and end up in the air fryer basket. Don’t spray while on the plate – the breadcrumbs fly everywhere. Instead, spray after the chicken is in the basket.

How do you meal prep these chicken tenders?

Here are three ways to meal prep this recipe:

• Fridge: Cook the chicken as the recipe instructs, and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Use the chicken for various recipes over the next 3-4 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 350F for 7-10 minutes, until hot and sizzling, or enjoy cold.
• Freeze uncooked/raw: Freeze uncooked breaded tenders in an airtight container for up to 3 months. To avoid a big chunk of frozen chicken, freeze flat on a sheet pan for 4 hours, then transfer to a freezer safe bag. Place frozen uncooked tenders in the air fryer and cook at 350F for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through. Make sure to check the internal temperature reads at least 165F with a meat thermometer.
• Freeze cooked: Freeze cooked breaded tenders in an airtight container for up to 3 months. To avoid a big chunk of frozen chicken, freeze flat on a sheet pan for 4 hours, then transfer to a freezer safe bag. Place frozen cooked tenders in the air fryer and cook at 350F for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Are Air Fryer Breaded Chicken Tenders freezer-friendly?

Yes, these Air Fryer Breaded Chicken Tenders are freezer-friendly, whether they are cooked or raw!

To avoid a big chunk of frozen chicken, freeze flat on a sheet pan for 4 hours, then transfer to a freezer safe bag and store for up to 3 months. Reheating instructions below.

Do not freeze raw chicken that has previously been frozen. In that case, it is better to cook the chicken, and then freeze.

How to serve these breaded chicken tenders:

Here are a few ideas for serving these Air Fryer Breaded Chicken Tenders:

• By themselves, dipped in ketchup, with potato wedges or tater tots as the sides
• On a salad! This chicken is a great addition to grocery store salad kits, particularly to the kale caesar version 🙂
• On a wrap or a pita with veggies and melty cheese
• On a burger bun with melty cheddar, tomatoes, and pickles!

Alternative customization ideas:

To change up the flavors of this chicken, leave out the paprika, and substitute with one of these other ideas:

• cajun seasoning
• Ranch seasoning powder
• bbq rub
• chili powder + cumin
• lemon pepper

Another option is to completely change the breading, and try something random like crushed corn flakes or potato chips!

What kind of air fryer do you recommend?

The air fryer I have currently, and the one that is pictured in this post is the Cosori XL 5.8 qt Air Fryer (affiliate link!). If you’re going to invest in an air fryer to cook things for 2 or more people, you should opt for a larger size like this one, in my opinion!

I previously had a slightly smaller Philips Air Fryer with a metal grate basket which I liked, but I prefer the larger Cosori model with the nonstick coated basket.

If you have a smaller air fryer, I would recommend cooking the chicken tenders in two batches.

How to Store, Freeze and Reheat:

To Store: Place leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To Freeze: Wrap cooked or uncooked tenders tightly and place in an airtight or vacuum sealed container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To Reheat from the fridge: Place cold cooked tenders in the air fryer and cook at 350 for 5-7 minutes or until the tenders are hot. 

To Reheat from the freezer: Place frozen cooked tenders in the air fryer and cook at 350F for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through. Place frozen uncooked tenders in the air fryer and cook at 350F for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through. Make sure to check the internal temperature reads at least 165F with a meat thermometer.

Did you make these Air Fryer Breaded Chicken Tenders? I want to see how they turned out! Tag me in your social media post and use #projectmealplan when you share!