Homemade Air Fryer Chicken Tenders taste so much better than frozen tenders. They are tender inside and crunchy outside and so easy to make.
I always have a bag of chicken nuggets in the freezer for emergency kid snacking. But I’ve never really found a good frozen chicken tender. Once again, my air fryer has come to my rescue. Now I can make chicken tenders at home. And feel good about feeding them to my kids. They are surprisingly quick to assemble. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – the air fryer works magic on protein. Chicken, fish, steak, pork, shrimp, ground beef. My air fryer cooks it all perfectly. And these Air Fryer Chicken Tenders are no exception.
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What you need for Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
I decided not to use flour for my breading. I had a box of corn flakes in my pantry leftover from this recipe for Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies. It had a recipe on the box for fried chicken, breaded with corn flakes. Plus I remembered America’s Test Kitchen mentioning that corn flakes make a delicious, crunchy coating for chicken.
- Chicken Tenders
- Corn Flakes
- Smoked Paprika
- Salt
- Eggs
- Mayonnaise
- Lemon Juice
Are Air Fryer Chicken Tenders Healthy?
They are so much healthier than deep fried chicken tenders. Less calories and less fat. But this recipe still gives you tender chicken with a flavorful and crunchy exterior. They are perfect for making a Fried Chicken Salad. Which is one of my favorite things to order out.
What to serve with Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Homemade ranch dressing is a must for dipping these chicken tenders. Here’s a recipe for homemade ranch that I really like. And here’s some more recipes to help make Air Fryer Chicken Tenders into a meal.
- Oven Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Homemade Biscuits
- Garlic and Bacon Green Beans
- Copycat KFC Coleslaw
- Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Kitchen Tips
- My Philips XXL Air Fryer tests all my recipes
- Always use a digital meat thermometer to test for doneness – chicken must be at least 165 degrees F for safe eating
- Use a rolling pin to crush your corn flakes – or process them in a food processor
- Use wide, shallow bowls for your egg batter and cornflake coating
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Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 12 chicken tenders boneless, skinless
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 cups corn flakes
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Pat the chicken tenders dry with paper towels. Trim them of any visible fat if necessary.
- In a wide, shallow bowl whisk together the eggs, mayonnaise and lemon juice until completely smooth.
- Place the corn flakes, smoked paprika and salt in a heavy duty, zippered bag. I had to use two bags so they didn't rip. Use a rolling pin to crush up the corn flakes and shake the bag to evenly distribute the seasonings.
- Dump the seasoned corn flake crumbs into another wide, shallow bowl.
- Dip each chicken tender in the egg batter to coat. Then dip the coated tenders into the seasoned corn flake crumbs, pressing on the crumbs to make sure they stick to the chicken.
- Place the coated chicken tenders into the air fryer, being sure they aren't touching. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you might have to cook the tenders in two batches.
- Cook the tenders at 400 degrees F until they are at least 165 degrees. This took 12 minutes in my air fryer. There is no need to flip the tenders halfway through cooking time.
Dannii says
This chicken looks perfectly crispy. I can’t wait to give it a try.
foodtasticmom says
I think you’ll love it!
Jeannette says
Any frozen food that can be made fresh is SO worth it. Thanks for sharing such a family friendly recipe!
foodtasticmom says
So true. You’re welcome!
Christian Guzman says
Another fantastic air fryer recipe! I made this tonight and it’s so easy and super tasty! I like to dip my chicken tenders in honey mustard. Yum! I’ll make this again when my niece and nephews come to visit.
foodtasticmom says
Glad to hear this. Thank you for taking the time to comment!
Elizabeth says
These are SO good! I’m guilty of mostly pulling out my air fryer when I want to reheat something or cook something packaged, and I’m trying to use it more for regular cooking. This recipe was PERFECT and my sons both loved it too!
foodtasticmom says
I’m so glad you all enjoyed these chicken tenders. Thanks for the rating!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
These look so crispy as if they had been deep fried! Great idea using cornflakes too for that extra crunch.
foodtasticmom says
They really are amazingly crunchy. Cornflakes for the win!
Maggie says
Made this tonight and it was fantastic! Didn’t have paprika so used a Penzey’s spice blend called Forward that is similar. This is a definite “make again” recipe.
foodtasticmom says
I am a fan of Penzey’s spices! Thanks for sharing your substitute and taking the time to comment. Happy you enjoyed these chicken tenders!
Rose says
Before I make these, can you share the nutritional info please? Thanks 😊
foodtasticmom says
I updated the post to include the nutrition information. In two chicken tenders, there are approximately 231 calories, 10g carbs, 23g protein and 11g fat.