These air fryer chicken tenders are crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and so quick and easy to make, they're about to be your new go-to dinner that everyone in the family will love!
Like my restaurant style french fries and these crispy chicken thighs, these air fryer chicken fingers have all the flavor with none of the grease. Whether you're looking for a healthier version of your kid's favorite dinner or you just enjoy chicken strips for added protein on simple salads like this romaine and vinaigrette or my apple and strawberry chopped kale salad, this recipe is quick and easy with a unique flavor that's so incredibly satisfying!
Chicken tenderloins are coated in a flavorful pecan, parmesan cheese, and panko breadcrumb coating, which provides an tasty combination of savory flavors. Once coated, they're tossed in the air fryer for 20 minutes until golden, crispy, and ready to enjoy! When you make chicken tenders in the air fryer, it's a flavor game changer!
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Why This Recipe Works
1. Homemade air fryer chicken tenders are super simple and take just 15 minutes to prep and 20 minutes to cook. They make the perfect, quick dinner for any weeknight meal!
2. Forget boring plain tenders, these chicken tenders are coated with the most flavorful ingredients, making them an exciting dinner on their own or as a topping for salads or in sandwiches!
3. You'll love both the crunchy texture on the outside, as well as the tender and juicy chicken on the inside.
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: I use EVOO, but you can use any light oil or even an olive oil spray (just not "cooking spray"). Use a minimal amount to lightly grease the air fryer basket to prevent the breading from sticking.
- Chicken Tenderloins: this is a lean and tender cut of chicken, ideal for quick cooking in the air fryer, and for the nostalgic chicken finger shape.
- Mayonnaise: acts as a binding agent for the pecan and breadcrumb coating while also adding moisture and extra richness to the chicken.
- Whole Grain Mustard: for a tangy and slightly spicy flavor.
- Pecans: adds a nutty flavor and crunchy texture to the coating, making the chicken tenders more flavorful and giving them a unique twist.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: Japanese-style breadcrumbs are larger and lighter than traditional breadcrumbs, giving the coating a crispier texture.
- Parmesan Cheese: adds a savory, slightly salty flavor to the coating and helps to form a golden crust when cooked.
- Parsley: adds a burst of color and a fresh, herby flavor to the breadcrumb mixture. Use fresh if you can get your hands on it.
- Salt and Pepper: enhance the flavors of the chicken and the breading.
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!
📋 Variations
- 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 this breading.
- If you don't have an air fryer, you can also bake these chicken tenders in the oven.
- For best results, grate a block of fresh parmesan cheese instead of using pre-shredded.
- Similar to the sweetness in this honey garlic chicken recipe, try drizzling on some honey! The salt and sweet flavors pair amazingly well!
🔪 Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions
Step 1: Start by placing the raw chicken tenderloins onto a plate and then seasoning them with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Set aside.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tip - I find it helpful to just use my fingers to take a big pinch of salt and pepper and then sprinkle it evenly over the pieces of chicken.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise and whole grain mustard. Set aside.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, combine the chopped pecan chips, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and chopped parsley. Stir together all the dry ingredients until well combined.
Step 4: Using a pair of tongs, pick up a raw chicken tender and dip it in the mayonnaise and mustard mixture until covered. Do this for each piece of chicken ensuring each side is well coated.
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Step 5: Using the same pair of tongs, coat each chicken tender in the pecan breadcrumb mixture, flipping the pieces on both sides, until the entire piece is thoroughly covered. Put them on a plate and set aside.
Step 6: Next, preheat the air fryer to 360°F. Using a basting brush, spread a very small amount of extra-virgin olive oil on the bottom of the air-fryer basket. Allow the air fryer to preheat for 2-3 minutes.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tip: For even cooking, place the tenderloins in the basket in a single layer. Ensure there is no overlap.
Step 7: Once preheated, place each piece of chicken in the basket and air fry at 360°F for 20 minutes.
Step 8: 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!
In a little over 30 minutes, this quick and easy recipe for air fryer chicken tenders will be ready and on the table for the whole family to enjoy! Serve them with a side of creamy homemade macaroni and cheese or buttery mashed potatoes for a comforting and satisfying meal at home.
🍲 The Best Dipping Sauces
While the traditional dipping sauces like ranch, honey mustard, ketchup, and blue cheese work wonderfully with these air fryer chicken tenders, it's easy to have fun and explore new flavors with dips!
My homemade bbq sauce dip is amazing with its tangy and sweet flavors. And this homemade basil pesto sauce adds a delicious earthy flavor that complements any meat. Both of these dips taste great with these pecan crusted chicken strips, as well as my regular breaded chicken strips, grilled bbq chicken wings, and turkey nuggets!
🙋 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.
Chicken tenderloins have a white tendon running in the middle of the meat that needs to be removed. 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.
Yes! This easy chicken tender recipe can easily 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.
💭 Expert Tips
- Use at least a 5.8-quart air fryer to feed a family of 4-5 people. If you're air fryer is smaller, you'll have to work in batches, so the tenders don't overlap.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 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.
- These air fryer chicken tenders make an amazing freezer meal! Just place the completely cooled leftover tenders in a freezer-safe container in a single line. Freeze for up to 3 months and reheat directly from frozen.
🍽️ More Air Fryer Recipes You'll Love!
If you made these air fryer chicken tenders or any other recipes on my website, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below. I love hearing from you! And, please leave a 🌟 rating while you're there!
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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. If you're air fryer is smaller, you'll have to work in batches, so the tenders don't overlap.
- Don't use cooking spray, such as Pam, to spray the bottom of the basket. It will leave a residue that is hard to remove. Olive, grape seed, or avocado oil is the best. 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 this breading.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 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.
- These air fryer chicken tenders make an amazing freezer meal! Just place the completely cooled leftover tenders in a freezer-safe container in a single line. Freeze for up to 3 months and reheat directly from frozen.
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Jamie
I love easy, quick yet delicious recipes like this. I can eat this any time of the day!
Amanda Mason
Glad you enjoyed!!
Savita
The Pecan-Crusted Air Fryer Chicken Tenders are a game-changer that recently graced my dinner table, and they are a delightful twist on the classic chicken tenders.
Amanda Mason
So glad you liked them so much and that they were a hit!!
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!