Crispy Air-Fried Chicken Tenders (Printable)

Juicy chicken strips coated in a seasoned crunchy crust and air-fried until golden and crisp.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.1 lbs chicken tenders or boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips

→ Breading

02 - 3/4 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs
03 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
04 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
05 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
06 - 1/2 tsp onion powder
07 - 1/2 tsp dried oregano
08 - 1/2 tsp salt
09 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Coating

10 - 2 large eggs
11 - 2 tbsp low-fat milk
12 - Olive oil spray

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes.
02 - Pat the chicken tenders dry with paper towels.
03 - In a shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and low-fat milk.
04 - In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper.
05 - Dip each chicken strip into the egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off, then coat thoroughly with the breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently to adhere.
06 - Place the coated chicken tenders in a single layer in the air fryer basket and lightly spray both sides with olive oil spray.
07 - Air fry the chicken tenders for 10 to 12 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden brown and an internal temperature of 165°F is reached.
08 - Serve hot with your preferred dipping sauce.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They're genuinely crispy on the outside without a deep fryer's worth of oil weighing you down.
  • The Parmesan and paprika do something magical that makes plain chicken taste like you actually knew what you were doing.
  • You can make them in 12 minutes, which means weeknight dinner stress just vanishes.
02 -
  • Don't skip the drying step—I learned this the hard way when soggy chicken ended up steaming instead of crisping, and it was a disappointing discovery halfway through cooking.
  • The oil spray is crucial but easy to overdo; light bursts are all you need, not a heavy coating that pools in the basket.
  • Flipping halfway is non-negotiable if you want even browning on both sides, even though it means opening the basket and letting heat escape.
03 -
  • Don't move them around in the basket; let them sit undisturbed for the first half of cooking so the bottom can get properly golden before you flip.
  • If your breading mixture is looking a little sparse, add an extra egg dip—the coating is what separates these from just plain baked chicken, so commit to it.
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