Chicken tenders are a favorite of kids and grown-ups alike. This makes them a fantastic…and easy way to make the entire family happy. If you’re looking for a quick and easy alternative to store-bought frozen chicken tenders, you’re going to want to my air fryer chicken tenders a try ASAP! With only 3 ingredients (or 4 if you like ’em spicy) you can have extra tender and flavorful chicken tenders on the table for the whole family lickety split!
If you’ve been around long, you know I’m pretty new to the air fryer game. It took me a while to jump on board. When I did, I bought this one from Walmart, and I love it! It’s one of those double capacity air fryers, so I can make this entire batch of air fryer chicken tenders all at once, instead of in two batches. It also happens to be really pretty! This air fryer also comes in a smaller size, if you’re not cooking for a crowd like I often am. Both are on sale at the time of this writing! If you’re late to the air fryer game or you’re looking for a new one, don’t miss out!
Chicken tenders have to be delicious, tender and crispy. And this recipe gets you delicious tender, and crispy air fryer chicken tenders! They do not have to be super high in fat and/or carbs like many store bought options. This recipe lands on the Honey, I’m Healthier page because once serving boasts, about 28g of protein for a little over 200 calories. With fat coming in under 5g and carbs coming in under 15g per 4 oz serving, you can save the fats and carbs for a little extra dessert!
Keys to Success
- Make sure to get Italian seasoned Panko breadcrumbs. Regular bread crumbs will be OK, but the seasoned Panko packs in the flavor and the crunch! If you’re working to stay gluten free, there are gluten free Panko options which also work well.
- Let ’em soak. I like to drop these chicken tenders in the buttermilk in the morning before work. The longer these soak in the buttermilk the more tender the tenders will be! Sometimes, we just don’t have time (or we forget….) if that’s the case, no worries, these are still great after a 30 minute soak. They’re just WAY BETTER after a few hours.
- Press the chicken into the breadcrumbs. It’s not hard to get the bread crumbs to stick to the buttermilk, but a little press into the breadcrumbs will get a much more even and full coating on the chicken. More breadcrumbs = more crunch!
3 Ingredient Air Fried Chicken Fingers
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
- 2 medium bowls
- 1 kitchen tong or fork
- 1 wire rack with sheet pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup fat free buttermilk
- 1 cup Italian seasoned panko bread crumbs
- 1 lbs chicken tenderloins
- OPTIONAL: for spicy chicken tenders, replace 1/4 cup of the buttermilk for your favorite hot sauce
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add the buttermilk (and hot sauce if going for spicy) and chicken tenders, cover and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to over night. The longer the better.
- When you're ready to cook the chicken tenders, remove them from the buttermilk one by one and place on a wire rack over a sheet pan to allow excess buttermilk to drain away.
- Add the panko breadcrumbs to a medium bowl. Using a fork or tongs, toss each tender in the bread crumbs until evenly coated. Place back on the wire rack.
- Set your air fryer timer to 400°F for 15 minutes. Allow the air fryer to pre heat until the timer ticks down to 12 minutes. Pause the time and add the tenders in a single layer. Spray the tops with your favorite nonstick spray.
- Restart the air fryer and cook the tenders for 6 minutes. Pause the air fryer, flip the tenders over, spray the with nonstick spray and finish the cooking time. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
Nutrition
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