Quick and easy, these air fryer chicken tenders are crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and just simply delicious! If you love chicken tenders, this recipe cuts the grease without losing any of the incredible flavors!
Jump to:
- ✔️ Quick Recipe Overview
- ℹ️ Here's Exactly Why This Recipe Works
- 🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
- 🐔 How To Remove The Chicken Tendon
- 📋 Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions
- ⏲️ Preheating The Air Fryer
- ✍️ Oven Baked Instructions
- 🙋 Frequently Asked Questions
- 🔥 Storage and Reheating
- 💭 4 Major Success Tips
- 🍲 The Best Dipping Sauces
- 🍽️ More Air Fryer Recipes You'll Love!
- Pecan-Crusted Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
✔️ Quick Recipe Overview
Why These Are The Best Air Fryer Chicken Tenders: Golden and juicy, these chicken strips are homemade and super simple to make. Full of delicious flavor, this is the perfect quick dinner for any weeknight meal!
How Long It Takes: 35 minutes
Equipment You'll Need: air fryer
Get ready to make the best air fryer chicken tenders on the planet! These homemade chicken strips are so much healthier than the traditional fried version. These breaded chicken tenders are coated in a flavorful pecan, parmesan cheese, and panko breadcrumb coating which provides an incredibly tasty combination of flavors.
Just like my Mexican chicken casserole with tortilla chips, this is super easy and quick for any weeknight meal. These air fryer chicken strips are super crispy and made with minimal oil. Simply baste on a thin layer of extra-virgin olive oil to the bottom of the basket and that's all you need to make each piece moist on the inside with a crispy coating on the outside. Made with a few simple ingredients, this easy recipe is perfect for a quick dinner!
ℹ️ Here's Exactly Why This Recipe Works
1. These chicken tenders are coated with the most flavorful ingredients, which is what sets this recipe apart from any other chicken fingers out there.
2. They're crunchy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside.
3. It only takes 15 minutes to prep and 20 minutes to air fry!
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
What makes these air fryer chicken tenders stand out from the other recipes is the ingredients used for the breading. Using panko instead of breadcrumbs provides a lighter coating that crisps perfectly when air fried. The breading for these tenderloins consist of mayonnaise and whole grain mustard as the base. From there, simply roll each raw chicken tender into the chopped pecans, shredded parmesan cheese, and panko breadcrumb mixture.
Unlike fried chicken tenders, you don't need a lot of oil. The air fryer is an amped up convection oven that works by circulating hot air around food. Basting a couple of teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil on the bottom of the basket is all that's needed to add additional moisture while air frying. The technology transforms these breaded chicken tenders into crispy yumminess using minimal oil. We're talking moist, crispy, crunchy, and unforgettable flavor in every single bite!
🐔 How To Remove The Chicken Tendon
Chicken tenderloins have a white tendon running in the middle of the meat. They are inedible and should be removed. The tendon can be difficult to remove. In this Asian sesame chicken recipe, I provide a trick to help remove the tendon. For a quick and easy way to remove the tendon from the chicken, place the end of the tendon in the prongs of a fork, grip the tendon with a paper towel and pull. This method easily removes the tendon without you cutting away a lot of meat.
📋 Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions
Start by basting 2 teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil on the bottom of the basket. From there, seasoning the raw tenderloins with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
Expert Tip - take a big pinch of salt and sprinkle it on the chicken. Repeat the same process with the ground black pepper.
In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise and whole grain mustard.
Next, combine the chopped pecan chips, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and chopped parsley in a shallow bowl. Stir together all the dry ingredients until well combined.
Coat each raw chicken tender in the mayonnaise and mustard mixture until each piece is well coated on all sides.
From there, take a pair of tongs and coat each chicken tender in the pecan breadcrumb mixture, flipping to both sides, until the entire piece is thoroughly covered. Put them on a plate and set aside.
⏲️ Preheating The Air Fryer
Preheating helps ensure the chicken not only turns out moist, but also very crispy. To preheat the airfryer, set it to the temperature you plan to cook the food based on the recipe. There is no need to remove the basket. From there, turn the empty fryer on for 2-3 minutes.
Once it has preheated, place each pecan crusted chicken tenderloin in the basket, reset the cooking timer, and close.
Expert Tip: For even cooking, place the tenderloins in the basket in a single layer. Ensure there is no overlap.
Set the fryer to the chicken setting or if your fryer doesn't have pre-programmed food settings, set the temperature to 360°F.
Set the timer to 20 minutes and let them cook.
When done, the timer will go off. Pull the handle and remove the basket. Inside will be the most delicious golden brown tenders waiting for you.
These pair perfectly with these french fries in the air fryer and this cabbage and okra. In a little over 30 minutes, this quick and easy recipe for chicken tenders will be ready and on the table for the whole family to enjoy!
✍️ Oven Baked Instructions
This easy chicken tender recipe can also be cooked in the oven! Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place each breaded chicken tender on an aluminum foil covered baking sheet. Cook for 16-18 minutes, turning halfway until done.
🙋 Frequently Asked Questions
After the air fryer preheats for 2-3 minutes, it only takes 20 minutes to fully cook the chicken. To ensure the meat is cooked all the way through, insert a digital meat thermometer into the center of the thickest piece to ensure the meat has reached 165°F.
Yes! It's the perfect gadget to cook both raw and frozen chicken!
Store the cooked tenders in an airtight container with a lid for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
🔥 Storage and Reheating
- Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container with a lid for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Reheat: It's best to reheat the cooked tenders in the oven at 350°F for 7-10 minutes or in the air fryer for 5-7 minutes or until warm and crispy on the outside.
- Freeze: Place the completely cooled leftover tenders in a freezer safe container in a single line. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat directly from frozen.
💭 4 Major Success Tips
- Use at least a 5.8 quart air fryer to feed a family of 4-5 people.
- Don't use cooking spray, such a Pam, to spray the bottom of the basket. It will leave a residue that is hard to remove. Olive, grapeseed, or avocado oil is the best to use. You can even make a homemade EVOO spray.
- You can use chicken breasts instead of tenderloins by slicing them into ½-inch thick strips. Or, air fry the entire breast. Chicken thighs are also a great substitute and taste amazing in the breading.
- To ensure the meat is cooked all the way through, use a digital thermometer to make sure the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
🍲 The Best Dipping Sauces
I love to dip chicken strips, grilled bbq chicken wings, and turkey nuggets into my favorite different sauces. My homemade bbq sauce dip is amazing with its tangy and sweet flavors. And I love dipping just about anything in a good basil pesto sauce! Don't forget about the traditional dipping sauces like ranch, honey mustard, ketchup, and blue cheese!
🍽️ More Air Fryer Recipes You'll Love!
For more air fryer recipes that are easy, you can quickly learn how to air fry baked potatoes, ravolis, and even snack crackers! And these air fried chickpeas are great for a healthy snack. Another really quick and easy dinner recipe to try are these mouthwatering air fryer panko chicken thighs. Juicy and delicious, This recipe is easy to prep and will be done in 20 minutes
Want more amazing chicken recipes? From baked to grilled to roasted, I've got all kinds of dishes your family is going to love!
Pecan-Crusted Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 chicken tenderloins, uncooked
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablsepoons whole grain mustard
- ½ cup pecans, finely chopped
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs,
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 2 Tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
- pinch salt
- pinch pepper
Instructions
In The Air Fryer
- Start by basting 2 teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil on the bottom of the basket.
- Next, seasoning the raw meat with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise and whole grain mustard. Set aside.
- In a shallow bowl, mix the chopped pecan chips, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and chopped parsley. Stir until well combined.
- Using tongs, coat each raw tenderloin in the mayonnaise and mustard mixture until each piece is well coated on all sides.
- Using the same tongs, dip each tenderloin in the pecan breadcrumb mixture, flipping to both sides, until the entire piece is thoroughly covered. Put them on a plate and set aside.
- The next step involves preheating the air fryer. Do not remove the basket. Set it to 360°F and let it preheat for 2-3 minutes.
- Once it has preheated, put each pecan crusted piece of chicken in the basket, reset the cooking timer, and close.
- For even cooking, place the breaded tenderloins in the basket in a single layer. Ensure there is no overlap.
- Set the air fryer to the chicken setting. If your fryer doesn't have pre-programmed food settings, set the temperature to 360°F.
- Set the timer to 20 minutes.
- When done, the timer will go off. Pull the handle and remove the basket. Serve immediately with dipping sauce.
In The Oven
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Follow the same instructions in steps 2-6 above.
- Put each breaded tenderloin on an aluminum foil covered baking sheet.
- Cook for 16-18 minutes, turning halfway until done.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use at least a 5.8 quart air fryer to feed a family of 4-5 people.
- Don't use cooking spray, such a Pam, to spray the bottom of the basket. It will leave a residue that is hard to remove. Olive, grapeseed, or avocado oil is the best to use. You can even make a homemade EVOO spray.
- You can use breasts instead of tenderloins by slicing them into ½-inch thick strips. Or, air fry the entire breast. Thighs are also a great substitute and taste amazing in the breading.
- To ensure the meat is cooked all the way through, use a digital thermometer to make sure the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Nutrition
- Recipe inspired by Whiskey In A Teacup
- Update Notes: This post was originally published in February 2019, but was re-published with updated step-by-step instructions, pictures, and expert tips in July 2022.
Daisy Reddy
Hi.
Would love to try this recipe but i don't have a air fryer. What are my alternatives, if any
Thank you so much.
Amanda Mason
Hi Daisy! You can make these in the oven. Just cook them on 350°F for 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 165F. LEt me know how you like them!
Morgan
My kids and hubby are bothered by mustards, do you think egg would work in place of the mayo and mustard step? They sound so delicious!
Amanda Mason
Hi Morgan!
Yes -you could totally skip the mustard and use egg. I used a mustard because I love that dijon mustard taste, but if you substitute egg, it should 100% still work and taste delish! Let me know how it turns out!
Kari Heron | Chef and Steward
Would have never thought of nuts on chicken tenders but this looks very yummy especially served with a dipping sauce!
Amanda Mason
It's beyond delish!!! Let me know how you like it!!
Heather
This is such an easy, delicious meal and adding the pecans is BRILLIANT! Great crunch and super flavorful .. very creative way to kick up chicken and a great meal for any busy weeknight 🙂
Amanda Mason
yes - it's an amazing dish!