These Air Fryer Chicken Tenders are crispy and full of flavor. They’re easy to make and everyone loves them. Also, I’m sharing our best honey-mustard sauce recipe for dipping, and it only needs five ingredients!
We’re obsessed with the air fryer these days — try some of our other favorite air-fried recipes like these Southwest Egg Rolls or this Honey Mustard Chicken Sausage and Veggies.
Not sure about Air Fryers? Check out our Air Fryer Guide!
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Wow! If this recipe doesn’t convince you that having an air fryer is one of the best uses of kitchen space, I don’t know what will! I mean, maybe this Air Fryer Pizookie already convinced you?! These chicken tenders come together so easily and are cooked ridiculously fast in the air fryer. They’re crispy, crunchy, and loaded with texture and flavor.
However, if you don’t have an air fryer, don’t leave just yet; you can make these in the oven too! They’re slightly less crispy and take just a bit longer, but I’m certain you’ll still be pleased with the outcome!
Let’s Talk Chicken Tenders
Ok, first things first. We use chicken tenders for this recipe. You can use chicken breasts, but you’ll need to cut them into thin strips — so they’re the size of tenders. Depending on the breast size, you can get 3-4 tenders from one breast.
To prepare the chicken tenders, you’ll need to remove the tendons. This may seem like a tedious task (I used to hate it), but wait till you see and try this easy hack!
There are two options at this point:
- Marinate the chicken tenders. There are few things as tasty as buttermilk-marinated chicken tenders! The buttermilk acts as a tenderizer and will make the chicken ultra juicy and flavorful. Even as little as 20-30 minutes can make a difference! We’ve also marinated tenders in coconut milk before which yields very tender juicy chicken. There is a hint of coconut flavor though (which pairs so nicely with coconut flakes if you want to add those to the breading).
- Use as is. If you want to skip the marinating, no problem, we’ll still get you crispy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders! Pat the chicken tenders well with a paper towel and proceed with the recipe.
Air Fryer Chicken Tender Breading Notes
Once the chicken is prepped (either marinated and dried or just dried with a paper towel), it’s time to dredge it in the batter, then the breading, and then throw it in the air fryer. Here’s a quick breakdown of the batter and breading in this Air Fryer Chicken Tenders recipe:
First, the batter:
- Egg and mayo. These two ingredients contribute flavor and are the main components of liquid in this batter.
- Dijon mustard. Here we use Dijon because it’s less intense. If you want to cut down an ingredient though, yellow mustard (used in the sauce) works here too; the flavor is just slightly more pronounced.
- Flour. A little flour thickens the breading to ensure it stays on the chicken.
- Spices. I like to add the spices to the batter, not the breading, to ensure the chicken gets that spice blend all over it. We use pretty standard spices here — paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt & pepper.
Then, the three-ingredient breading:
- Panko. Panko bread crumbs are similar to regular bread crumbs, but they create a much crunchier result. Here’s an article to explain it further. I use panko as opposed to breadcrumbs in pretty much every recipe on this site — you can use leftovers from this package in this Turkey Meatloaf, these Chicken Parm Stuffed Shells, or this baked Chicken Tortellini.
- Cornmeal. Our favorite to use is Alber’s® Yellow Cornmeal. It’s got a great fine-ground consistency and adds a perfect flavor and texture to the chicken. We got this idea from a good friend — Carlsbad Cravings!
- Flour. We use regular all-purpose white flour for this breading.
Quick Tip
Once all the tenderloins are battered and breaded, they need to be generously sprayed with cooking spray. This promotes crisp, even browning in the air fryer.
Dipping Sauce Tips
The sauce is a must-have for these Air Fryer Chicken Tenders — it’s got so much flavor and truly makes the chicken unforgettable! I have a few tips to share:
- Use good mayo. I highly recommend real, full-fat mayo for the best possible dipping sauce. Hellmanns/Best Foods® is my favorite brand (not sponsored).
- For this sauce, we’re using yellow mustard, not Dijon–which won’t taste quite right here.
- Sweeten to taste. I wouldn’t consider this sauce overly sweet, but it does have a touch of sweetness. If you’re concerned about that, add the honey slowly and to taste.
- Don’t forget to season. A little pinch of salt and pepper goes a long way in rounding out flavors and balancing ingredients.
- Add a flavorful honey BBQ sauce. We like Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey BBQ® sauce best in this recipe (not sponsored).
Air Fryer Chicken Tender Sides
- Nothing hits the spot quite like French fries, so why not throw some in the air fryer while it’s out? If you make fries this way, I recommend cooking them before the chicken and then adding them back in to warm through for another 1-3 minutes. Alternatively, grab a bag of frozen fries from the freezer section of the grocery store — most of them now have directions for air frying! We love Alexia’s® sea salt sweet potato fries (not sponsored).
- Some quick roasted veggies are a nice balancing side. We love this Roasted Broccoli or this Roasted Asparagus. Again, either of these veggies can also be thrown in the air fryer.
- A quick salad is another nice balancing act. This cucumber salad, Italian salad or Olive Garden salad would make a nice pairing.
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders FAQs
Yes absolutely! It’s a quick and efficient way to cook chicken.
After the chicken has been breaded and generously sprayed with cooking spray, add it to the air fryer. Cook for 7-8 minutes, flip the tenders, spray the other side with cooking spray, and cook for another 6-8 minutes or until golden brown and a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F (carryover heat will bring it up to 165 degrees F).
Layer the chicken in one even layer– don’t stack tenders on top of one another. You may need to cook the chicken in batches if you can’t fit it all in at once.
The time will vary depending on a few factors:
- You exact air fryer model
- The actual size of chicken tenders (they can surprisingly vary quite a bit)
- How much chicken is in the air fryer
Once you’ve done tenders a time or two in your air fryer, you’ll know the exact cooking times, but until then I do recommend checking them a few times near the end by inserting a meat thermometer. A meat thermometer removes any guesswork on your end!
Yes! Totally can do! Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Follow the recipe exactly as written, but instead of air frying, add all the breaded (and sprayed with cooking spray) tenders to a wire rack. Place the rack on top of a baking sheet and place in the fully preheated oven. Bake for 10 minutes, flip and bake for another 7-10 minutes or until cooked through (160 degrees F).
More easy chicken recipes
- Chicken Melts with Cheddar cheese on French bread
- Chicken Chili made in the slow cooker
- Rotisserie Chicken Tacos super-fast prep!
- Chicken Shawarma Wraps with a speedy Tzatziki sauce
- Chicken Ramen Noodles with broccoli and a quick sauce
Quick Tip
I use, love, and recommend this air fryer (affiliate link). Air fryers do vary a bit from brand to brand, so timing may need to be slightly tweaked for your specific model when making these chicken tenders
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins see note 1
- 1 cup buttermilk optional
Chicken Batter
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons mayo divided
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
- 1-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1-1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs see note 2
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Chicken Breading
- 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 cup flour
- cooking spray
Dipping Sauce
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons honey barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Optional Marinade: Pat chicken tenders with paper towel, trim fat, and remove tendons (try this easy hack!). Place tenders in a large container or bag, pour buttermilk over, and seal. Marinate in the fridge for 20-30 minutes (or up to overnight). Discard leftover buttermilk and pat tenders dry with paper towel.
- Whisk together 2 tablespoons mayo and the remaining “Chicken Batter” ingredients in a shallow bowl. In a second shallow bowl, Stir all “Chicken Breading” ingredients together. Use tongs to coat all tenders in batter, then dredge them generously in breading. Generously spray one side of tenders with cooking spray.
- Set air fryer to 400°F. Place tenders in a single layer in the basket (cook in batches if needed). Cook for 5–8 minutes, flip, spray other side, and cook another 5–8 minutes until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 160°F (carryover heat will bring it to 165°F). Check smaller tenders sooner to avoid overcooking.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Place breaded, sprayed tenders on a cooling rack on top of a baking tray. Bake for 10 minutes, flip tenders, spray the other sides, and bake for 7–10 more minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160°F.
- Combine mayo with all “Dipping Sauce” ingredients, adding salt and pepper to taste. Whisk and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Serve tenders hot with sauce for dipping! These don't stay crispy when stored, so I recommend cooking only enough for one meal.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These are hella great!
Ahh yeah!! Thanks Aaron! 🙂
will be making this soon can i use mushrooms as am a vegetarian can i use oven as i dont have an air fryer at home perfect for my office snacks will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
Sorry I meant Cant wait for me to make this soon for me can i use tofu i never had air fryer chicken tenders before perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work