These air fryer chicken tenders are crispy, delicious, and completely reminiscent of the childhood classic!
Table of Contents
This recipe is…
To say that I love this recipe is an understatement. From an eater’s point of view, these tenders are literal perfection. They’re crispy, crunchy, and the chicken inside is moist and juicy (dried-out tenders are the worst!). The cornflakes lend a perfect crunch and paired with the spices, a really delicious flavor.
From a cook’s perspective, these tenders could *not* be easier. Because they’re cooked in the air fryer, they’re incredibly quick, and truly, the prep process is too.
I have a feeling that whether for a weekend lunch or a quick weeknight meal, these chicken tenders will be a recipe that you come back to time and time again! If you want a slightly different take or don’t have an air fryer check out this Chicken Finger and Fries sheet pan dinner recipe.
Chicken Tender Air Fryer Ingredients
The ingredients are simple. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chicken Tenders – to start, you’ll need 1½ pounds of chicken breast tenders.
- All-Purpose Flour – to make the breading on the tenders, you’ll need 1 cup of all-purpose flour (feel free to use a 1-for-1 gluten-free all-purpose flour — our favorite is King Arthur’s Measure-for-Measure flour.)
- Seasonings – to season the tenders, you’ll need 2½ teaspoons of salt (divided), 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, a ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper (don’t worry – this doesn’t make it too spicy!), and a ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper.
- Eggs – to help everything stick, you’ll need 2 whisked eggs and…
- Milk – 2 tablespoons of milk. Any milk will do just fine here!
- Cornflakes – now this is what makes these chicken tenders super special! 3 cups of crushed cornflakes make for the crunchiest, yummiest breading!
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
As mentioned above, the recipe for these air fryer chicken tenders is super simple + the cooking process is really fast! Here’s how you’ll pull it all together:
- Combine the flour + seasonings – to start, you’ll need to combine the flour, 1½ teaspoons of salt, paprika, garlic, onion, cayenne, and black pepper in a medium-sized bowl.
- Whisk together the eggs + milk – next, you’ll need to whisk together the eggs and milk in a separate bowl. This wet mixture will help the cornflakes stick!
- Combine the crushed cornflakes + salt – combine the crushed cornflakes and the remaining teaspoon of salt together in a bowl or on a plate.
- Coat the chicken tenders – press each side of the chicken tender into the flour, making sure both sides are fully coated with flour, then dip it into the egg mixture. When you pull the chicken tender out of the egg mixture, let the excess egg drip off of it, then transfer it to the cornflake mixture.
- Place in the air fryer basket – once coated in the flour, egg, and cornflake mixtures, set the tender in the air fryer basket, then repeat for each one, making sure they don’t overlap. You may need to work in two batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Air fry the tenders – air fry the chicken tenders for 7 minutes at 375°F, then flip the tenders and fry for an additional 2 minutes to crisp the other side.
- Serve + enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re talking fast-food chain tenders + nuggets, the difference will likely be the meat that the tenders/nuggets are made with. Chicken tenders are made with strips of breast meat, while nuggets can be made from different parts of the chicken that have been chopped and formed into a small round nugget.
When it comes to OUR recipes, though, the main difference between tenders and nuggets is size and breading. Chicken tenders (sometimes called chicken strips) are long, thin strips of breast meat, while nuggets are smaller chunks of chicken breast meat. As far as the difference in breading goes, our tenders utilize cornflakes for crunch, while our nuggets are breaded more traditionally and are slightly less crunchy!
You can! The air fryer will cook raw meat, but you’ll definitely want to make sure it is fully thawed first.
We’ve tested and recommend 2 different air fryers – the Cosori Max XL and the Ninja AF 101. Both of these models perform great! If you’re looking to save space, go with the Ninja. If you want a bigger air fryer that can make more food per batch, the Cosori is your best bet!
Good question! Our personal favorite is some form of potatoes. We have really yummy air fryer french fry and sweet potato fry recipes that pair really nicely with these tenders. As for dipping sauces, classic ketchup, creamy honey mustard, 5-ingredient ranch dressing, and homemade BBQ sauce are all really great choices!
More Favorite Air Fryer Recipes
Best Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
For the Chicken Tenders:
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt divided
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 3 cups cornflakes crushed
For the Hot Honey:
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Combine the flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, paprika, garlic, onion, cayenne, and black pepper in a medium-sized bowl.
- Whisk together the eggs and milk in a separate bowl.
- Combine the cornflakes and remaining teaspoon of salt together in a bowl or on a plate.
- Press each side of the chicken tender into the flour, making sure it is fully coated with flour, then dip it into the egg mixture. When you pull the chicken tender out of the egg mixture, let the excess egg drip off of it, then transfer it to the cornflake mixture.
- Set the tender in the air fryer basket, then repeat for each one, making sure they don’t overlap. You will likely need to work in two batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Air fry the chicken for 7 minutes at 375 F, then flip the tenders and fry for an additional 2 minutes to crisp the other side.
Nutrition
Seriously the best chicken tenders, gluten free or not! The whole family loves them and I always have to make a double batch. Thank you!
Seriously the best chicken tenders, gluten free or not! The whole family loves them and I always have to make a double batch. Thank you!
Thank you for taking the time to share with us, Alyssa! So glad the entire family enjoys. -Melissa
This recipe is seriously underrated!! These chicken strips really ARE the best ever! Also, you can switch out the cornflakes for potato chips and reduce the salt in the recipe as youll get plenty from the chips) I also like to sometimes add a little xtra seasoning with extra spice for more hotness to the crushed potato chips.
Great recipe and very good!
Hi Robbie! Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with us! I love all the modification suggestions too. Now I’m thinking I want to try using salt and vinegar potato chips! ~Melissa
These were soooo delicious! If you use raw chicken breast you should bump the temperature up to 400. Also, you will definitely need more corn flakes then what this recipe calls for.
Thanks for the notes, Andrea!
I’ve tried a lot of good recipes for air fryer chicken tenders, but I think this one is my new favorite! The breading stuck to the chicken really well, and they turned out perfectly crispy. My husband loves chicken tenders, so these are going on our regular dinner rotation!
That’s so great to hear, Erika! Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
Thank you for more air fryer recipes!
You’re welcome, Laura! We hope you enjoy this one!