When I ask my readers what is the biggest challenge for them in the kitchen, so often the answer I get is: cooking for picky eaters. Making dinners for picky eaters can feel so draining. This is one of the reasons I’m always trying to create and post recipes that will tempt even the fussiest of eaters. Tonight, you should put these Air Fryer Chicken Tenders on your table. They are made with a homemade breading that is full of seasoning. It is flavorful enough that you will enjoy it, but not so over the top that your critical dinner companion will notice. Additionally, this great chicken tender recipe is made in the air fryer, so it crisps up perfectly without being deep fried. It is the healthy and wallet friendly alternative to fast food.
How to Make Chicken Tenders in the Air Fryer
How Long to Cook Chicken Tenders in Air Fryer
When cooking your chicken tenders at 400 degrees in the air fryer, they will take about 8 to 10 minutes to cook. It is important that they are in a single layer to get that nice crispy exterior.
How to Bread Chicken
Breading chicken can feel like a daunting task, but it really only takes about 10 minutes. Work in batches, adding chicken tenders to the air fryer while you are still breading to speed up this meal. I like to do all of this two or three chicken tenders at a time because it speeds things along nicely.
Cooking in Batches
As mentioned above, in order to get that nice crispy exterior we are going for without deep frying, we want to have the chicken tenders not touch each other. Most air fryers aren’t huge, so you will need to work in batches. My suggestion is once you have finished breading five or six chicken tenders, throw them in the air fryer while you finish breading the rest. This is what helps keep this a 30 minute meal.
Making Chicken Tenders in the Oven
If you don’t have an air fryer but want to still enjoy this amazing recipe, cook these on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken registers 165 degrees.
Dipping Sauce for Air Fryer Chicken Strips
I have three recommendations for sauces to go with these chicken strips.
Chick Fil A Sauce: This recipe is incredibly popular because it tastes just like the real thing and is perfect for dipping. If you’ve never had it, it’s like a creamy honey mustard bbq sauce. BBQ Sauce: You will love my bbq sauce recipe on everything, and especially these tenders. Ranch Dressing: Call us crazy, but my youngest and I love to dip everything in ranch!
What to Serve with Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
There are so many great side options for this dinner, but here are a few of our favorites:
Sweet Potato Fries: Keep things lighter with these amazing fries. They are my favorite. Baked Potato Wedges: If you need a super simple side dish, these three ingredient potato wedges do the trick. Italian Pasta Salad: This pasta salad fills out the dinner table very nicely. Parmesan Roasted Broccoli: Add some vegetables with this broccoli recipe; all of my kids love this recipe.
