Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 8 chicken tenderloins
Supplies
- air fryer
- whisk or fork
- small bowl
- medium bowl
- instant-read thermometer
Directions
Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees.
With a whisk or fork, beat an egg in a small bowl.
In a medium bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with the melted butter until well combined. Stir in the onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Next, working with one chicken tenderloin at a time, dip the chicken into the egg. Then dredge the chicken in the seasoned breadcrumb mixture, coating the strips evenly.
Place the tenderloins in the preheated air fryer. Depending on the size of your chicken tenderloins, it may be best to cook them in batches to avoid overcrowding your fryer. This will ensure you get crispy tenders.
Once the chicken tenderloins are in the basket of the fryer, cook them for 12 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees.
If cooking in batches, place the cooked chicken tenders on a plate and cover them with foil to keep them warm while the other chicken tenderloins are cooking.
Frying up some chicken tenderloins in an air fryer opens up a lot of exciting meal options. Whether you serve the tenders alongside a simple side dish, use them to create a dipping sauce pairing extravaganza, or turn them into a complex and delicious salad, the flavor of crispy, crunchy fried chicken is hard to pass up. Here are a few ways you can make your fried chicken tenderloins more unique.
Dipping Sauces
Fried chicken tenderloins are perfect for dipping. Here are a few dipping sauce options for this American comfort food:
- ranch
- honey mustard
- barbecue sauce
- sriracha honey
- 50/50 blend of barbecue sauce and ranch dressing
- Parmesan peppercorn dressing
- spicy mustard
- sweet and sour sauce
- Thai chili sauce
Try to serve at least a few sauce options so that your family members or guests may mix and match some of the flavors.
Side Dishes
Air-fried chicken tenders make for a tasty main course, and they’re quite easy to serve alongside equally delicious sides. Here are a few ideas for sides that are sure to delight:
- Enjoy your air-fried chicken tenders with a simple salad. Choose from some of these healthy salad toppings to make your meal more exciting.
- Prepare a refreshing potato salad to accompany your crispy tenders.
- Add a steamed vegetable medley to your dish for an easy, delicious, and healthy boost.
