No breading air fryer chicken tenders are the perfect easy meal with the best crispy outside and juicy inside taste and texture. This simple and flavorful meal is healthy, delicious, and quick to make in under 20 minutes!
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With a fraction of the oil of traditional deep frying methods, air-frying naked chicken tenders has become one of my favorite ways to cook chicken!
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders (instant Pot Air Fryer Lid)
Your family will love this meal as much as this air fryer crispy chicken breast, taquitos, air fryer Mexican pizza, and air-fried nuggets.
Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements and the notes below for substitution ideas.
A blend of garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, and onion powder is my go-to chicken seasoning. Taco, Greek, Ranch, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning would also work well.
Crispy Golden Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Below are step-by-step instructions for how to cook this recipe. The recipe card at the bottom shows the exact cooking time and temperatures.
Lay tenderloins on a plate or paper towels and sprinkle half the seasoning mix over the tenders. Rub in and flip. Season the other side and rub the seasoning in.
Air fry at 360F for 6 minutes before flipping and cooking for an additional 6 minutes. Use an instant-read thermometer for cooking tenders to 165F.
Breaded Air Fryer Chicken Tenders (video)
No breading chicken tenderloins can be reheated by air frying again for about 3-5 minutes at 360F until the internal temperature is 165F.
The time and temp for cooking raw chicken tenderloins will vary depending on how thick your tenders are and which air fryer you have.
Using an online calculator, we calculated 226 calories per serving (½ pound) of chicken tenders. Refer to the recipe card for further nutritional information.
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders Recipe
No breading air fryer chicken tenders are a great healthy option that has delicious flavor and texture. They're quick and easy to make and perfect for an easy weeknight meal.These Air Fryer Chicken Tenders are made with no breading, and are perfect for when you need something quick, easy and delicious for lunch or dinner!
No time to pan fry? Air fry instead! These Air Fryer Chicken Tenders are juicy, perfectly seasoned, healthy, and the quickest dinner or snack ever. Don’t forget the chipotle aioli for dipping!
I made these chicken strips without any breadcrumbs or a messy coating to keep the naturally gluten free recipe as quick and simple as possible. Plus, since they’re made in the air fryer, they make for a delicious and healthy meal you can serve for dinners, lunches, or family-friendly snacks.
Minute Air Fried Chicken Tenderloin
Once they’re cooked, layer the tenders over a loaded salad, cut them up for lettuce wraps, or pack them away for filling and healthy lunches. They’re the perfect protein to pair with broccoli, cauliflower rice, potato wedges, pasta, and more!
Step 2: Air fry the tenders. Next, lay the tenders in an even layer in your air fryer basket and cook. No flipping necessary!
Chicken tenders need to be air fried at 380ºF for 14 minutes. This may vary depending on the air fryer you use. If you aren’t sure if they’re cooked through, use an instant read thermometer to measure the internal temperature (chicken is safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches 165ºF).
Oven Baked Chicken Tenders Recipe (no Breading)
You can toss the chicken tenders in the seasonings and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 or 2 hours ahead of air frying.
Make these Air Fryer Chicken Tenders when you need something quick, easy and delicious for dinner! All you need are tenders and simple seasonings for this go-to meal.
Calories: 270 kcal | Carbohydrates: 3 g | Protein: 49 g | Fat: 6 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 145 mg | Sodium: 847 mg | Potassium: 895 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 1 g | Vitamin A: 570 IU | Vitamin C: 3 mg | Calcium: 26 mg | Iron: 1 mg
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Erin is the recipe developer, writer and photographer behind the healthy food blog, The Almond Eater. She's been blogging since 2014 and loves to create food for many different diets, including vegan, gluten free and/or Whole30 recipes.I love crispy chicken tenders as much as my kids do, but I like to limit my breading and carbs as much as possible. On occasion, I want to enjoy some juicy chicken tenders, but in a healthier way, so that’s how I decided to try to make air fryer chicken tenders with no breading/low carb. Boy, was I not sorry. You will not miss the breading when you make this simple chicken tenders recipe. They’re juicy with so much flavor! Even my kids love them! It’s a win-win. I get in my lean protein and my whole family is happy as well. It’s now become one of my favorite ways to cook chicken tenders.
For this easy air fryer recipe, there is no breading, no need for an egg wash, they’re just “naked” chicken tenderloins. This low carb version makes the cooking process even faster and easier than standard breaded chicken tenders. First I remove the tendon from the tenderloin. Watch my quick tip video on what I believe to be the best method to remove the tendon easily and efficiently on the tenders. I found that the best way to do this is to use sharp kitchen scissors to gently cut off the tendon, running it along the tendon kind of like you’re cutting wrapping paper without actually making the scissors open and close all the way.
Preheat your air fryer. If your air fryer does not have a pre-heat function, set it to 400 degrees for 3 minutes. Gently dab and dry off your chicken with a paper towel. Next, put all the tenders in a small bowl, add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive or avocado oil and toss all the chicken to coat it. Once it’s all coated add your seasoning blend which is a mix of the dry spices listed on the recipe card below. Toss it again making sure to get the dry rub all over the chicken. Once the air fryer is ready, gently place chicken tenders on the air fryer basket/rack in a single layer. If you have a large air fryer it can fit about 3/4 of the chicken in one cook, but if you’re using a smaller air fryer basket you might need to cook in 2 loads.
Air Fryer Naked Chicken Tenders No Breading
Make sure to check your chicken for proper doneness with an instant-read thermometer. You want the internal temperature of the chicken to be at least 165 degrees. After air frying, keep the cooked chicken warm in a pre-heated “warm” oven at about 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Yes, absolutely. You can cook many types of raw meat in the air fryer. This recipe is for air frying chicken from scratch, not reheating pre-cooked breaded strips. The beauty of the air fryer is that all that hot air is blowing all around your meat like a mini convection oven to cook it in less time. Cooking chicken this way makes for a speedy cook on your protein for a quick dinner.
You can use this recipe with different cuts of chicken like boneless chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken breasts. The exact cook time would differ based on the different sizes of chicken pieces. You could however cook them also at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Chicken thighs will not cook as evenly and will have more dry pieces. Chicken breast will cook better if it is slightly pounded out to a more uniform thickness. They would require about 15-20 minutes of cook time.
Baked Chicken Tenders No Breading
Yes, you need a little oil on the chicken to help keep it from sticking to the air fryer basket, but also to help the seasoning stick to the chicken. The air fryer does reduce the oil in most recipes, but the need for it is not completely eliminated.
This is definitely a healthy alternative compared to crispy chicken strips or chicken fingers. This delicious recipe is low carb, low fat, and high in protein! It’s a healthy main dish that can be served with your favorite vegetables for a healthy, easy meal. If you are needing to know nutrition facts you will see them below the recipe via Nutrifox. If you eat these tenders with French fries and your favorite dipping sauce, you’re obviously taking away the “health” factor, but that’s your call.
I am not a big fan of reheated chicken, so many times I prefer to use cooked chicken for cold dishes like a creamy chicken salad or cut it up into bite-size pieces and add it to almost any salad for a protein-rich lighter lunch option. Also, you can use this chicken to make your own lettuce wraps or chop it up into tacos, quesadillas, top on nachos or anything you would normally add chicken to.
Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
If you have leftovers and
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