Heres What Im Going To Teach You In This Post:
- How to make the best unbreaded chicken tenders in the air fryer
- What to serve with naked chicken tenders
- How to cook frozen chicken tenders in the air fryer
- Tips for making the best air fryer chicken tenders with no breading
The air fryer gets these gluten-free tenders crispy on the outside while keeping them wonderfully juicy on the inside. Plus, theres no egg, no breadcrumbs, and no flour, which means no mess. This meal couldnt be easier to prep.
And if youve been looking for keto air fryer chicken tenders, this recipe is perfect for low-carb eating. Compared to grilled, blackened, or baked chicken that can turn out dry, these healthy air fryer chicken tenders win by a mile!
If you love this recipe, youre going to love our list of other 60Keto Air Fryer Recipes!
I made this recipe using the 5.8 QT Cosori Air Fryer. Its square basket makes it the perfect size for our family of 4.
Cutting Your Own Chicken Tenders
If your grocery store doesnt sell chicken tenders, you can make your own from a chicken breast. Slice a boneless, skinless chicken breast lengthwise into strips .
- Eggs. Helps the breadcrumbs adhere to the chicken tenders.
- PankoBreadcrumbs. Panko provides a lighter breadcrumb coating that crisps up perfectly in the air fryer.
- Whole Wheat Breadcrumbs. Regular breacrumbs help fully coat the chicken tenders in breading, filling in any gaps that the Panko might leave behind.
- Paprika. Adds a mild, savory earthiness.
- Garlic Powder. For necessary garlicky goodness.
- Salt + Pepper. The essentials.
- Honey Mustard. Try the honey mustard dipping sauce from my Pecan Crusted Chicken.
- Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip. This lightened-up version tastes just as good as the original.
- Honey. My childhood fave! Its sticky and sweet.
- Buffalo Sauce. An easy way to enjoy buffalo chicken flavor. This is Bens fave !
- Sweet ChiliSauce. Sweet, tangy, and a little spicy.
- Basil Dipping Sauce. Try the light and fresh basil dipping sauce from my Zucchini Fries.
- Sweet and Sour. Its *almost* like having takeout.
Best Frozen Chicken Fingers In Air Fryer
Take a stroll down your grocery store freezer aisle and youll find many brands offering frozen chicken fingers, strips and tenders to cook at home in your air fryer.
In the US popular frozen chicken finger brands include Costco, Tyson, Perdue, Good & Gather,, Great Value, Applegate, Foster Farms and Bell & Evans.
In Canada we love frozen chicken fingers made by Presidents Choice, Maple Leaf Prime Chicken, Maple Lodge Farms, Janes and Deli Express.
If youre looking for specialty frozen chicken fingers, tenders or strips be sure to visit the health food aisle in your grocery store where youll find gluten free chicken fingers, frozen organic chicken tenders, keto friendly chicken strips and more!
Recommended Reading: Tyson Buffalo Chicken Strips Air Fryer
Why We Love This Recipe
- Healthy recipe. An easy chicken recipe that makes a really healthy dinner, much healthier than fast food, that is low in fat and calories but packed with protein which will keep you full longer.
- Easy to meal plan/meal prep. You can make a lot of these air fryer chicken tenderloins at once and plan recipes to use it through out the week.
- Eat them with your hands. You can eat these frozen chicken strips with your hands if you are eating them alone. Just pick em up and dip em in your favorite sauce like bbq sauce.
- Family friendly. Kids love them because they are plain and dont have any weird flavors.
- Easy meal. This is easy and quick to make.
PRO TIP! If you dont like the tendon that comes in fresh chicken tenders, pull it out before you put them into the freezer. Place the chicken tender flat on a surface with the tendon side facing up. Place a fork upside down and with a paper towel grab a hold of the tendon and pull it through the fork while pressing the fork down. It will pull the whole tendon out of the tenderloin.
Or you can also just snip as much of the tendon as you can from frozen tenders with scissors or a knife.
How To Cook Chicken Tenderloins In Air Fryer
To better prepare your dish, Ill share my chicken tenderloin recipe with you so you may learn from my mistakes and improve your own.
- Fork-beat an egg yolk in a small basin.
- If preferred, add bread crumbs and Panko bread crumbs to a separate bowl.
- Toss the chicken tenders with your preferred seasonings, including flour, in a bowl and set aside.
- Spiced chicken Tenders are then dipped in a beaten egg and bread crumbs.
- When youre finished, use nonstick spray to coat the air fryer basket. To avoid spraying, go for an olive oil spray with a more excellent flavour.
- Next, add your chicken tenderloins to the Air Fryer to finish cooking them. Distribute olive oil over each individual piece before placing it in basket.
- In your air fryers timer, cook for ten min at 360 .
- You must respray the chicken Tenderloins after flipping them, so if youre cooking them for 10 minutes, change the timer after 5 minutes.
- The internal temperature of your chicken tenderloins should be 170 degrees Fahrenheit before you serve them to your guests
Now you have a chicken tenderloin recipe that you can serve with various sauces and condiments.
Also Check: Best Fried Chicken In Los Angeles
Instructions On How To Cook Frozen Chicken In An Air Fryer
As with all frozen foods, the steps involved in cooking frozen chicken strips and chicken tenders are very simple. The chicken is already cut and packaged in a bag. All you need to do is to take them out of the bag and you are ready to cook. If you are cooking perfect frozen chicken in an air fryer then find the some of our recommendations that we have!
Steps to Follow:-
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breast
This easy method for Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breast turns a frozen chicken breast into a tender and juicy part of lunch or dinner in just 30 minutes or less. Great for any air fryer or Ninja Foodi!
Most people think you cant put frozen meat in the air fryer, but thankfully thats not true! One of the easiest ways to prep food for a healthy lifestyle is to use your air fryer.
Not only can you put frozen chicken breast in the air fryer, but it both thaws AND cooks there with the right time and temperature.
Tender and juicy chicken breast cooked straight from frozen in the air fryer can be used in salads, wraps, pasta dishes, or eaten on its own with your favorite side dishes.
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Ways To Serve Crispy & Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Tenderloins
How tasty is chicken Tenderloins is a side note. But when eaten with different sources, it tastes dubious. And foods become more avid, and they can not live without giving praise. I will inform you of some more flavourful eating ways that you try for food. In which the food by dipping made the mouth watery.
- Homemade BBQ Sauce
Chicken Tenders Serving Ideas
One of my favorite ways to eat these chicken tenders is inside a delicious sandwich. My favorite combination is a delicious burger bun, lettuce, sliced tomato, mayonnaise, and sometimes an extra condiment like BBQ sauce or ranch dressing.
There are loads of condiments that will match nicely with chicken. My favorite is a delicious homemade ranch dressing. However, plenty of other condiments go great with the chicken, such as mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, ketchup, garlic aioli, buffalo sauce, honey mustard sauce, and so many more.
If you are cooking for a crowd, some delicious side dishes will go perfectly with the chicken. My favorite is some delicious steak fries, but something like sweet potato fries, potato salad, Tater Tots, and so many more will work great.
The recipe below will take you through all the steps to cooking frozen chicken tenders perfectly in the air fryer. If you have feedback, please leave us a comment at the bottom of this page.
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How To Clean Air Fryer
Clean after each use: This will make your air fryer cleaning much easier in general as you wont have to work as hard to clean off residue, sauce and grease.
Always unplug and allow to cool before cleaning your air fryer.
Using a paper towel, hand wipe any crumbs out of the air fryer basket and pullout drawer.
You can also use a paper towel to hand wipe any excess grease from the air fryer basket and pillow drawer.
Clean with warm soapy water: Be sure to she a soft non abrasive sponge or cloth. You dont want to harm the non stick surface.
Use a toothpick to poke out any food stuck in holes of basket.
Clean inside of air fryer: Set basket and drawer you the side. Again, issuing damp sponge or cloth dipped in warm soapy water, gently wipe inside clean. Check heating element for any excess debris.
Wipe exterior with damp sponge or cloth.
Easy Air Fryer Chicken Tenderloins No Breading
Have you hopped on the air fryer bandwagon yet? We purchased an air fryer a little over a year ago, and I am just now sharing our first recipe. Now, that doesnt mean this is my first time using our air fryer! In fact when we first got it I was using it all the time! I love cooking chicken wings in the air fryer, as well as quick roasting veggies.
However, the thing we cook most in our air fryer are these naked chicken tenderloins! This is a simple recipe that only requires some seasoning and lime juice. You could also use lemon juice if you dont have lime. Simply coat the chicken tenders in lime juice and oil. Then season liberally! Please note that this recipe is full of spice. If you cant handle the heat feel free to adjust the chili powder and pepper to your own preference.
These air fryer chicken tenders are juicy, flavorful and have a nice crispy outer coating. Its amazing how close you can get to a fried chicken tender without breading and without skin with an air fryer! Plus with no breading, these naked chicken tenders are low carb and gluten-free!
Recommended Reading: Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs Baking
What To Serve With Chicken Fingers
The classic french fries and chicken finger combo will never be beat but if youre looking for a healthier and complete meal, feel free to serve with instant pot carrots or even green bean casserole.
Serving these air fryer chicken tenders with mashed potatoes would also be the perfect quick weeknight dinner.
You can also dip these air fryer chicken strips in your favorite sauce. My family and I prefer my homemade dairy-free and Whole30 ranch but some people like ketchup or burger sauce!
How Do You Store Leftovers
You can store leftover chicken fingers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You should let your chicken tenders cool completely before storing. I recommend placing a paper towel in the bottom of your container to catch any excess moisture.
Another thing you can do with leftover chicken is chop it up and top it on salads. Crispy chicken topped on a simple salad is the perfect easy lunch idea. And, you dont even need to reheat the chicken!
Recommended Reading: How Long To Cook Chicken Thighs Oven
Rule Of Thumb To Convert Oven To Air Fryer Cooking Time
The above cooking instructions are a general guideline for cooking frozen chicken tenders and nuggets. You can also read the oven cooking instructions on the product packaging and adjust the cook time and temperature for the air fryer. To do that, follow this general rule of thumb:
A good general rule of thumb when converting a conventional oven recipe to an air fryer recipe is to reduce the temperature by 25 °F and reduce the cooking time by about 20%.
So for example, if a bag of chicken tenders calls for a cooking temperature of 375°F in the oven, set your air fryer for 350°F. If the cooking time is 15 minutes in the oven, expect to cook your food about 12 minutes in the air fryer. However, I recommend that you start checking at the halfway point, at around 7-8 minutes, because some air fryers run very hot.
Adjust the temperature and cook time if your chicken is getting too dark too quickly.
Why You Will Love This Recipe:
- Its quick! Frozen chicken tenderloins take just 15 minutes in the air fryer!
- The air fryer is one of the best ways to cook frozen chicken. No need to turn on the oven or stove!
- Its simple! This recipe requires only a few ingredients. No breading or egg.
- There are so many ways to enjoy chicken tenderloins! They are perfect for lunch, dinner, meal prep, snack,salads, and wraps!
- No need to thaw. You can cook these straight from frozen which will save you a ton of time.
Also Check: How Long Do I Cook Chicken In The Air Fryer
Choose Best Quality Air Fryer For Chicken Tenderloins
While many people use different types of Air fryers for cooking chicken tenderloins, they prefer the cosmetic bright 5.8 quarts Air Fryer, which can crisp up fresh and frozen items in a matter of minutes. The app and voice commands may be used to control the device with a simple cooking oil spray. We may quickly change the temperature on the net by using the touch screen..
When it comes to air fryers for novices, the Cosori clever quart air fryer is my top pick. Fast and easy meals may be made using an Air Fryer.. The Air Fryer comes in two distinct varieties. There are two types of Air Fryer, oven and basket.
Both have their individual qualities and properties. Because it is bumpier and larger, oven air fryers provide better airflow for the batter. Your health will benefit more if you make a large number of dishes at once. Chips, fries, and other snacks can be made quickly and easily. It continues to work in the basket Air Fryer. Cooking chicken Tenderloins should go according to plan. In the end, whether or not you choose to cook chicken tenderloins in an Air fryer is a matter of taste.
What To Serve With Chicken Tenders Or Nuggets
The entire family will love these crispy, juicy air fryer chicken tenders or nuggets. You can serve them with your favorite dipping sauce like ketchup, honey mustard, Ranch dressing or barbecue sauce.
Since the air fryer will be on, you can heat up some sweet potato fries, French fries or tater tots to eat with your chicken. You can also try my Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes or Perfect Air Fryer Asparagus.
You can also make baked beans, corn on the cob, a salad or roasted vegetables like my Perfect Oven-Roasted Vegetables. My Mac and Cheese with Roasted Cauliflower is also a nice side- and a great way to get your kids to eat veggies!
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Air Fryer Chicken Tenderloins
Chicken tenders are seriously versatile food that doesnt really get enough credit for all that they can do. In our home, we love them because they are quick and easy to cook up plus we can add as much flavor as we want.
For these air fryer chicken tenders no breading, we are ditching the typically breading option to make a light yet super flavorful option. Often we are eating them right out of the air fryer, but when we can restrain ourselves, you will find us chopping them up for a salad, adding them to a wrap, and even serving them alongside our favorite appetizers.
Why We Love Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Make air fryer chicken tenders without the mess of deep frying in hot grease.
- I like making air fryer chicken tenders with flour coating instead of frozen, but if Im pressed for time I can grab the frozen breaded tenders instead. Total lifesaver on busy mornings packing lunches.
- The air fryer gives the chicken tenders a crispy coating with juicy and tender meat.
- If youre making a small batch you can throw some potato wedges in at the same time and have your meal done all at once!
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How Does The Air Fryer Work
Air Fryer work using a heating element and a fan that blows hot air that in turn cooks the foods in the air fryer. The “trick” is that it tastes just like deep fried foods, but they’re much healthier.
TIP: When making this chicken recipe, the time is going to be dependent on the thickness of your chicken breast. Please note that if you use the cooking time for a thicker chicken breast and your chicken breast is thin, you’re probably going to end up with a dry piece of meat. Make sure to see the cooking times for the thickness in the recipe card below.
Make sure you have a meat thermometer on hand to ensure the chicken is fully cooked before removing it from the air fryer basket.