Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Best Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

Finally I've found a crispy, tasty, healthy breading for chicken fingers that I love and - most importantly - that the kids ask for again and again. You'll love the easy-to-find ingredients and appreciate my tips passed along after lots of trial and error.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fryer chicken fingers, air fryer chicken tenders, air-fryer recipes, chicken fingers, chicken tenders
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 278kcal
Author: Julie Germaine

Equipment

  • 1 Air-Fryer (you can also bake these in the oven just as easily)
  • 1 wax or parchment paper

Ingredients

  • .526 kg skinless boneless chicken breast, stir-fry cut (aprx 4 chicken breasts for 4 servings) (ask butcher to slice it for you thinly for best results)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 2/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
  • 1.5 tsp smoked Paprika
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 olive oil spray
  • non-fat Ranch salad dressing or your fav low calorie dipping sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees.
  • Dry chicken.
  • Beat eggs together, and in a separate bowl, blend breadcrumbs (including Panko), salt, Paprika, pepper, and garlic.
  • Line a baking sheet, large plate, or a cutting board with wax or parchment paper. (This will make clean up so much faster!)
  • Dip chicken strip into egg, and then coat both sides in the dry bowl. Place onto prepared baking sheet.
  • Repeat until all chicken strips are coated, or at least until enough to fill your air fryer are ready.
  • Coat chicken tenders evenly with olive oil cooking spray. Flip each piece over and spray again.
  • Remove air fryer tray and place on trivet (it will be hot). Transfer each piece of chicken onto the tray, leaving a little space in between.
  • Place tray into air fryer and cook for 8 minutes. Depending upon your machine, you may or may not need to flip halfway through.
  • While chicken tenders are cooking, you can prepare remaining pieces to cook next. Repeat until all pieces are coated, cooked, and ready to enjoy.
  • I love pairing this with nonfat Ranch, or choose your fav dipping sauce.

Notes

Recipe makes 4 servings
Per Serving (1/2 lb chicken breast): 278 kcal
Protein: 33.2g; 50% | Carb: 21.9g; 33% | Fat: 5g; 4% (Sat 1.2; Polyy .6; Mono 1.6)