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by Diane
Buy our air fryer e-cookbooks today These air fried chicken strips are crispy and amazing. Homemade and always a favorite, these air fryer chicken tenders are always a favorite for kids dinner or snack.
Best Air Fried Chicken Strips or Tenders
Crispy chicken tenders cooked in the air fryer come out so crispy and with much less oil! You guys, we’re all so obsessed with these air fired chicken tenders and your kids will love it. The hot circulating air of the air fryer makes the chicken tenders so crispy and perfect. All it takes is some oil spray and the chicken strips cook much healthier than deep frying. When we tested these in the regular conventional oven, they still don’t come out as crispy as the air fryer.
Video: Air Fried Chicken Strips Recipe
Tips on How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Strips or Tenders
- You can use either boneless skinless chicken breast or boneless skinless chicken thighs. Chicken breast is the most popular, but the chicken thighs have so much more flavor.
- Don’t cut the strips or chicken slices too thick. The thicker they are, the longer they take to cook.
- Even cuts: make sure to have all your cuts about the same size so they cook evenly. If you have thick and thin slices, the thin slices will burn before the thick slices are cooked through.
- Season the chicken liberally as this adds so much more flavor.
- Add your own favorite spices!
Different types of breading and don’t let it burn
- There’s different types of breading you can enjoy: italian bread crumbs or japanese panko are two popular options. One of our favorites is Panko because they’re super flaky and crispy. Just make sure to spray enough oil on the panko so it doesn’t fly around and burn on the air fryer heating element.
- For low carb and keto breading, you can use crushed pork rinds or almond flour. Pork rinds is our favorite because of the flavor of the pork and it cooks light and crispy.
- What ever you use, don’t let it burn in the air fryer! The hot circulating air will blow around the dry breading, which will touch the heating coils and burn. So it’s important that you spray enough oil on the bread to hold it to the chicken. Also, enough oil spray will make the chicken crispy. If you miss oiling any breading spots, they will cook dry and hard, not crispy. Hope you enjoy our air fried chicken tenders!
Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Strips
Yield: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 15 minutes mins
Total Time: 30 minutes mins
There are so many options for the breading that come out crispy and accommodate different dietary choices. We love them all, each giving slightly different texture and flavor. Lots of factors influence how the chicken strips cook. They all vary in size and thickness, so you’ll have to adjust timing. All air fryers are different and some cook much hotter than others. Once you cook your first batch, you’ll know more of what works for your model of air fryer and size of food. These recipes were tested on basket style air fryers.
Make sure to spray the tenders to completely coat all the dry spots of breading or else is may cook up dry and crunchy instead of crispy. Want to know what oils and sprayers are best for an air fryer? This article is a great write up.
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Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 g) chicken tenders , or boneless skinless chicken breast, tenders, or thighs
- 1-2 cups (240-480 ml) breading of choice - breadcrumbs, panko, crushed pork rinds or almond flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) kosher salt , to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) black pepper , to taste
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) paprika
- Cooking Spray
Equipment
Instructions
Preheat the Air Fryer at 370°F/188°C for 4 minutes.
Cut chicken into strips (not necessary if using chicken tenders). Make sure they are even sized so that they cook evenly. The thicker they are, the longer they will take to cook. Combine the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Season chicken strips with the spices. Set aside.
Put the breading in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, beat the eggs until smooth.
Dredge chicken cutlets strips in egg, then breading of choice. Press chicken cutlets into the bowl of breading so that they completely coat the chicken cutlet. Repeat this process for all chicken pieces. Generously spray both all sides of all the coated chicken with oil spray to coat all dry spots.
Air Fry at 370°F/188°C for 8-14 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of your tenders. After 6 minutes, flip the chicken tenders. Lightly spray any dry spots then continue cooking for the remaining time or until they are crispy brown or internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F/74°C.
Serve chicken strips with your favorite dip: ketchup, mustard, bbq sauce, etc.
Notes
Air Frying Tips and Notes:
Make sure to spray with oil to completely coat the breading.
Shake or turn if needed.Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket.
If you don’t want to pre-heat the air fryer, just add a couple minutes to your first batch.
Recipes were tested in 3.4 to 6 qt air fryers. If using a larger air fryer, the recipe might cook quicker so adjust cooking time.
Remember to set a timer to shake/flip/toss as directed in recipe.
Video
Nutrition Information per Serving
Calories: 281kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 178mg, Sodium: 952mg, Potassium: 532mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 433IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 71mg, Iron: 2mg
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: Air Fryer
Calories: 281
Why is your air fryer smoking? Read our troubleshooting guide.
- Check out more of our–> Air Fryer Appetizer Recipes Here
- Baked Chicken Tenders or Chicken Strips
- Crispy Fried Chicken Tenders with Panko or Breadcrumbs
- Asian Chicken Strips with Garlic Chili Sauce
- Read this —>Best oils and sprayers for Air Frying.
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posted in: 30 Minute Recipes, 300+ Easy Meals, Air Fryer, Appetizers, Chicken | Turkey, Game Day | Party, Kids Menu, Paleo 11 comments
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Courtney — Reply
I couldn’t believe how easy this was to prepare! Thanks for the recipe. -
Sheridan — Reply
The kids LOVE these. I used to buy frozen ones, but making them fresh is so much better tasting and actually a lot cheaper too. The chicken came out really tender. -
Jen B — Reply
This was my second recipe using my new air fryer. They turned out perfect! I used a mix of half pork rinds and half gluten free panko. Thanks for the recipe!-
Best Recipe Box — Reply
That’s awesome Jen! Love the pork rinds for a lower carb version. Thanks for sharing!
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Gina — Reply
So perfect! I used the full two cups of GF panko crumbs and dried the chicken first (bought chicken tenders from Costco – evenly sized cutlets – easy!). The seasoning was perfect and the panko coated so perfectly that I did not have to spray with oil. Cooked them 6 minutes per side and they could not have been better!! Great texture, perfectly tender and tasty! THANK YOU!-
Best Recipe Box — Reply
Yay! Thanks Gina and glad you enjoyed them. And thanks for letting us know about the GF panko crumbs.
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Stacy — Reply
I’m in love with how crispy this came out. Thanks for the awesome recipe. -
Kelly — Reply
This made the best quick snack for the kids during the Summer. Air fryer was really the way to go. -
Pam — Reply
I love how crispy the air fryer makes them. I’m in love. -
Charlotte — Reply
This is way better than the frozen stuff. The kids are totally loving this recipe. -
Lisa — Reply
This recipe is great for the kids. Air fryer was the best to cook chicken strips.
