These Air Fryer Chicken tenders without Breading are crispy and tender with a smoky, savory and salty flavor - perfect for adding to tacos, burritos, salads and burgers.
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What Temperature and how Long To Cook?
With simple ingredients and a cooking time of just 10-12 minutes this recipe cooks in the air fryer at 180 degrees C / 360 degrees F and is perfect for quick weeknight dinners the whole family can enjoy.
These chicken tenders are light, perfectly moist, savory, and a little bit smoky, with the spices creating a gentle crust on the outside for that delicious moreish mouthfeel. Also check out these Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets that are as delicious for adults as they are for kids, and these Honey Soy Air Fryer Chicken Wings - so good you won't believe they aren't lathered in oil.
Ingredients
Recipe Highlights
- Savory, smoky, salty flavors from the spice blend
- Minimal oil, no egg, no flour, and no bread crumbs
- Tender chicken with a crispy coating on the outside
- Quick to make with simple ingredients
You definitely do not need breading to get delicious crispy finger licking good air fryer chicken strips. A crispy texture can still be achieved using a small amount of olive oil or cooking spray.
Top Tip
Using a little spray oil creates a crispy exterior and prevents the chicken from drying out during the air-frying process, enhancing both flavor and texture!
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: I buy chicken tenderloins pre cut from the supermarket, however you can also use boneless skinless chicken breast cut into pieces (½ inch thick, 1 ½ inches wide 3 or so inches long)
- Onion Powder and Garlic Powder: This adds a lovely garlic and onion flavor and is the basis of the seasoning. It also the base of this savory spice mix. Note that onion salt and garlic salt should not be substituted for the onion and garlic powder as this will make the chicken extremely salty.
- Smoked paprika: this gives a smoky earthy flavor to the chicken and the deep golden red color of the crispy outside coating. If you don’t have smoked paprika, you can use regular or ground paprika but it won’t have the same flavor. I would avoid using sweet paprika as for me at least it tends to lack that same earthiness as the smoked paprika.
- Salt and pepper: I love to use sea salt and ground black pepper, however this is where you could substitute the sea salt for either garlic salt or onion salt in the same quantities if you want either a stronger garlic or onion flavor. Alternatively you could also try substituting sea salt with celery salt however you may need a little extra as its not as potent as regular sea salt. A bit of cayenne pepper also adds extra heat if that's what you like!
How To Make
- Preheat air fryer to 180 degrees C / 360 degrees F for 3 to 5 minutes
- Prepare seasoning: Add onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper to a small bowl and mix together.
- Season Chicken: Add chicken tenders to a large bowl and add the seasoning. Use fingers to rub seasoning onto the chicken, pressing into the meat to make sure the rub stays on
- Arrange and Cook: Lay chicken pieces into air fryer basket in a single layer flat side down, making sure not to overcrowd basket (this may mean you’ll need to do two cooks if basket is not big enough to take all chicken at once)
- Spray: Lightly spray tenders with oil (3 to 6 seconds) and cook for 15 minutes at 180 degrees F / 360 degrees F.
- Serve: Serve chicken tenders with your favorite dipping sauce such as healthy homemade smoky BBQ, homemade healthy ketchup, or sugar free sweet chili.
Recipe Tips
- Use Cooking Spray Oil: Even though you're not using traditional breading, a light coating of cooking spray oil can help achieve a crispy exterior. Spray the chicken tenders evenly before placing them in the air fryer basket to promote browning.
- Preheat the Air Fryer: Just like with an oven, preheating the air fryer is crucial for achieving an evenly cooked and crispy result. Preheat your air fryer for a few minutes before adding the chicken tenders. This ensures they start cooking immediately and get a nice sear.
- Arrange in a Single Layer: Avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket. Arrange the chicken tenders in a single layer with some space between each piece. This allows the hot air to circulate efficiently, promoting even cooking and crispiness.
- Monitor Cooking Time: Cooking times can vary based on the thickness of the chicken tenders and the specific model of your air fryer. Start with a recommended time and temperature, but be sure to check the tenders periodically to prevent overcooking. Adjust the time as needed for your desired level of crispiness.
Check out more of my Air Fryer recipes here!
Things That Might Affect Cook Time
- Fresh or Frozen tenders: Make sure the chicken is defrosted before applying the spic mixture so that it will stay on. Spicing frozen tenderloins doesn't tend to work too well and it ends up falling off.
- Thickness of the chicken: difference sizes of chicken pieces cooking together will result in undercooked or overcooked chicken tenders
- Preheating Air Fryer: definitely recommended to preheat to get a crispier chicken tender!
- Overcrowding: make sure not to overcrowd the basket as you want the air to evenly circulate around the chicken so it cooks all the way through. I have a Tefal XL Round Basket Air Fryer and I cooked 500 grams/1 pound of chicken in two batches)
Common Questions
Absolutely you can. Flour is not needed when cooking chicken in an air fryer. You can still achieve crispy chicken tenders without flour or breading, and instead just using a few spices and a little spray oil to create a thin crusty outside.
You can, but I don’t bother and I find that it doesn’t really make much of a difference so long as the air fryer is not overcrowded and air can circulate all around the chicken to cook it evenly.
Healthy Sauces that Go Well With Chicken Tenders
5 Ways to Use Chicken Tenders
- Wrap: Choose your favorite wrap, whether it's a low-carb tortilla or a lettuce wrap. Fill it with your preferred ingredients—I like red onion, grated cheese, and cos lettuce. Add a touch of mayo or yogurt dressing.
- Rice Paper Rolls: Create rolls with vermicelli noodles, grated carrot, cucumber slices, shredded mint, and coriander/cilantro leaves. Keep a bunch in the fridge for convenient weekday lunches.
- Salad: Make your own or grab a bag of store-bought salad mix. Mix in some microwave/minute rice, chicken, and healthy sweet chili sauce for a quick lunch or easy dinner.
- Taco: Shred the chicken, place it in a taco with slaw, and drizzle with creamy dressing for a simple and delicious dinner.
- Bowl: Combine microwave/minute rice, steamed (or microwaved) broccoli, and chopped chicken tenders for a well-balanced dinner.
More Air Fryer Recipes
These Air Fryer Chicken Tenders are a great way to get a head start on Make Ahead Meal Prep for the week as they provide the perfect starting point for naked burrito bowls, rice bowls, or even noodle bowls with a few veggies on the side.
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders (No Breading)
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 500 grams Chicken Tenderloins
- 1 teaspoon Onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons Sea salt
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- Oil Spray
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 180 degrees C / 360 degrees F for 3 to 5 minutes
- Prepare seasoning: Add onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper to a small bowl and mix together.
- Season Chicken: Add chicken tenders to a large bowl and add the seasoning, stirring through to coat.
- Arrange and Cook: Lay chicken pieces into air fryer flat side down, making sure not to overcrowd basket (this may mean you’ll need to do two cooks if basket is not big enough to take all chicken at once)
- Spray: Lightly spray tenders with oil and cook for 15 minutes at 180 degrees F / 360 degrees F.
- Serve: Serve chicken tenders with your favourite dipping sauce such as healthy homemade smoky BBQ, homemade healthy ketchup, or sugar free sweet chilli.
- Storage: Store chicken tenders in air tight containers for 2 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
Note: Sugars contained in this recipe are from naturally occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables or other natural sweeteners. Calories have been calculated for your convenience using My Fitness Pal and are based on the ingredients listed in the recipe card.
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