• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr

A Gouda Life

Simple ingredients, delicious results. Step by step recipes for the home cook.

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • APPETIZERS & BEVERAGES
    • SOUP
    • DINNER
      • Seafood
      • Chicken/Pork
      • Air Fryer
      • Mexican
      • Pasta Recipes
      • Slow Cooker
      • Grilled
    • SIDE DISHES
      • Potatoes
      • Rice/Risotto
      • Vegetables/Salads
    • DESSERTS
    • BREAKFAST/BRUNCH
  • About A Gouda Life
  • Recipe Index
  • Some Gouda Times

Air Fryer Recipes - What to cook in your air fryer! Chicken/Pork Dinner

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

  • Share
  • Tweet
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders – Southern buttermilk “fried” chicken made healthy in the air fryer! Crispy breading outside, juicy chicken inside. Cooks in under 15 minutes!

Have you ever wondered if it’s possible to make a meal meal that everyone likes? The struggle is real; the answer is yes!

The person that loves deep fried, the picky kids, the healthy eater. Am I missing anyone? They will all love these Air Fryer Chicken Tenders.

Enjoy them plain, dipped in ranch dressing, doused in spicy buffalo sauce or ketchup. They’re even ideal sliced and added to your favorite salad.

One meal for all. Can I get an Amen to that?

air fryer chicken tenders with crispy golden breading on black plate with ranch for dipping.

The recipe calls for buttermilk but don’t let that scare you off and please don’t make a special trip to the store for it. You can make your own buttermilk with just 2 household ingredients you probably already have. 

HOW to make buttermilk:

Whisk 1 cup of milk with 2 tablespoons of white vinegar OR 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in a bowl then let it stand 5 minutes or until it thickens. That’s it.

What’s in Air Fryer Chicken Tenders?

The marinade:

  • chicken tenders (or breasts sliced into strips)
  • buttermilk
  • salt
  • cayenne
  • garlic powder
  • paprika

The breading:

  • all purpose flour
  • baking powder
  • salt and black pepper
  • paprika 
  • cooking spray

air fryer chicken tenders - sliced open with white meat showing

How to make Air Fryer chicken tenders:

NOTE: for the best flavor marinate the chicken in buttermilk 15 minutes up to 2 hours. It makes the chicken tender and juicy and helps the breading stick for the ultimate crispy chicken tenders.

If you’re using chicken breasts, slice them into about 1 1/2″ wide strips.

Blend the marinade ingredients in a medium size bowl.

Add the chicken to the marinade then cover and refrigerate 15 minutes up to 2 hours.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper for easy cleanup then set aside.

Add the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and paprika to a shallow bowl then whisk to combine. 

Remove the tenders from the marinade one at a time shaking off any excess liquid then add them to the breading, pressing firmly to coat each one.

Transfer the breaded tender to the prepared baking sheet then repeat until all the chicken is breaded.

AIR FRYING THE CHICKEN:

Preheat the air fryer to 400° for 3 minutes, then generously spray both sides of the tenders with cooking spray.

Add the tenders to the air fryer basket cooking 10-12 minutes total or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°, turning halfway through.

Work in batches for the size of your air fryer without crowding them.

air fryer chicken tenders on black plate with side of ranch dressing.

What TO SERVE with Chicken Tenders?

potato salad recipe - overview view of blended potato salad garnished with dill
overhead view - loaded air fryer bakes potatoes
italian pasta salad ~ tortellini antipasto salad overhead view in colorful bowl
closeup of air fryer smashed potatoes with a dollop of sour cream on top

There are so many side dish options to serve with these chicken tenders – plus all your favorite dipping sauces! Here are few of my favorite sides:. Here are a few options:

Potato Salad – best, old fashioned Potato Salad with tender potatoes, hard boiled eggs and crispy bacon, blended with creamy mayonnaise.

Baked Potato – perfect crispy skin with fluffy soft potato inside. Steakhouse style baked potato cooked in the air fryer!

Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad – cheese tortellini + all the antipasto favorites: salami, pepperoni, cheese, peppers, olives and onions dressed in a simple homemade vinaigrette.

Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes – crispy smashed potatoes with tender insides and loaded with delicious garlic butter flavor.

MORE AIR FRYER RECIPES!

Crispy Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower – Crispy AIR FRYER Buffalo Cauliflower bites! Crazy good, boldly delicious air fried in minutes!

Air Fryer Sausage, Peppers and Onions – quick and easy weeknight dinner cooks completely in the air fryer in under 20 minutes!

Best Air Fryer Salmon – perfectly cooked salmon every time in the air fryer in just 10 minutes! Juicy inside, lightly crispy outside and loaded with healthy flavor.

Air Fryer “fried” Oreos – Oreo cookies wrapped in dough, air fried until golden then dusted with powdered sugar. Whip up this simple fair favorite at home without a drop of oil.

Crispy Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken – boneless Buffalo wings breaded, air fried to crisp and tossed in Buffalo sauce. The ultimate, crowd-pleasing appetizer or quick and easy dinner.

Air Fryer Quesadillas – the BEST way to make quesadillas! Air fried in just 20 minutes for an easy meal, snack or appetizer. Crispy tortillas filled with melty cheese and any other favorites: chicken, beef, shrimp, roasted veggies, beans – even leftovers!

Enjoy!

pinterest pin for air fryer chicken tenders

Do we share a love of easy, tasty recipes? LIKE ME on FACEBOOK, FOLLOW along on TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST and SUBSCRIBE ⇓ for all the latest. 

If you tried this Air Fryer Chicken Tenders recipe or any other on the blog then I’d love to hear from you with a comment or star rating!

crispy breaded air fried chicken tenders

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

Crispy, juicy buttermilk air fried chicken tenders in under 15 minutes!
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fried chicken tenders, air fryer recipes, chicken strips, chicken tenders, chicken fingers
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Marinate: 15 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

The Marinade:

  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders breasts may be used - slice into 1 1/2" strips
  • 1 cup buttermilk see post for How to Make Homemade Buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika

The Breading:

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • cooking spray
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • If you’re using chicken breasts, slice them into about 1 1/2″ strips then add the marinade ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine.
  • Add the chicken to the marinade then cover and refrigerate 15 minutes up to 2 hours.
  • Add the breading ingredients to a shallow bowl then whisk to combine. 
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Remove the tenders from the marinade one at a time then add them to the breading, pressing firmly to coat them. Transfer the breaded tenders to the waiting baking sheet then continue until all the chicken is breaded.
  • Preheat the air fryer to 400° then spray generously both sides of the tenders with cooking spray. Working in batches, add the tenders to the air fryer basket cooking 10-12 minutes total (4-6 minutes per side) or until the chicken is cooked through, turning halfway. Cooking times vary depending upon the air fryer and exact size of the tender.


4 Comments

Don’t miss any of this deliciousness!

Leave your email address below to get the NEW recipes sent directly to your inbox!

Previous Post: « BEST Honey Teriyaki Salmon
Next Post: Grapefruit Margarita »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rae says

    February 8, 2021 at 12:00 am

    Idk what I did wrong??? The batter stuck to my duo crisp basket and/or the flour did not brown. I am new to air frying. I’ll have to try again. I followed the recipe too!
    Thanks for your recipe though. The chicken was moist inside with buttermilk.

    Reply
    • Bernie says

      February 8, 2021 at 5:07 pm

      Oh Rae I’m so sorry the chicken tenders didn’t turn out for you! 🙁 First off – there was a learning curve for ME with my air fryer so I hope you won’t give up on it. I LOVE it now and it’s one of my favorite kitchen appliances. Now onto what can be done differently next time: the chicken tenders should be completely coated with the flour mixture so it’s all breading – no wet batter – before you place them in the AF. Second, you’ll want to spritz the tenders with cooking spray (or an oil mister) before cooking in the AF. Any of the flour breading that’s not spritzed with oil will stay as flour and won’t brown/crisp. I hope this helps – please feel free to reach out if you have other questions or issues with the recipe. I appreciate you taking the time to comment. ~ Bernie

      Reply
  2. imsen says

    February 3, 2022 at 8:51 am

    My family and I love it. I will definitely make again. Super easy and great flavor!

    Reply
    • Bernie says

      February 3, 2022 at 7:44 pm

      Oh I’m so glad! Thank you so much – I appreciate the kind words – and you taking the time to comment. – Bernie

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this recipe




Primary Sidebar

Find a recipe!

Midwestern food-obsessed woman behind the apron who runs with scissors and talks to strangers. You’ll find recipes with simple ingredients and delicious results. I’m grateful every day for this blog and everyone who gives me a chance to live a dream I didn’t know I had. Click to read more

Footer

You might also like

closeup of air fryer pillsbury cinnamon rolls with icing on gray plate

Air Fryer Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls

Muffin Tin Potato Stacks on black plate garnished with fresh thyme

Muffin Tin Potato Stacks

cranberry christmas margaritas in salt rimmed glasses garnished with fresh cranberries

Christmas Margaritas

black plate with sliced roast beef tenderloin and side of blue cheese sauce

Roast Beef Tenderloin

what to serve with clam chowder overhead view of clam chowder

What to Serve with Clam Chowder

Privacy Policy  •  Home

Copyright © 2023 · A Gouda Life - Customized by Brave Creative Design

7633 shares