One of our family favorites is this Air Fryer Chicken Tenders recipe that’s crispy, easy to make, and ready in minutes without the mess of deep frying.
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders have no business being this good!
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders have no business being this good!These Air Fryer Chicken Tenders are not just for the kids! I love how much healthier they are and that I can skip the deep fryer and still get that satisfying crunch with just a little oil and a quick cook time. I serve them on top of salads, in chicken wraps or the traditional “chicken tenders basket” way, with french fries.
Serve them with baked or air fryer french fries and any favorite dipping sauces, like BBQ sauce, ranch dressing, ketchup, or Chick-fil-A sauce!
Don't miss my other air fryer recipes like Air Fryer French Fries, Air Fryer Grilled Cheese, Air Fryer Meatballs, or Air Fryer Salmon Bites!
How to make Chicken Tenders in the Air Fryer:
Prep Chicken: Marinate chicken tenders in pickle juice for 30 minutes. In one bowl, whisk together milk and egg. In a ziplock bag, combine flour, powdered sugar, paprika, black pepper, chili powder, salt, and baking powder. Dip marinated chicken in the egg mixture, then add to the bag of dry ingredients, seal, and shake to coat.
Air Fry: Preheat the air fryer to 360°F and spray the basket with nonstick spray. Arrange chicken tenders in a single layer, spray the tops generously, then flip and spray the other side. Air fry at 360°F for 6 minutes, flip, spray again, increase temperature to 400°F, and cook for another 2–3 minutes until crispy and cooked through.
What to Serve With Chicken Tenders:
- Dipping Sauces: BBQ Sauce, Ranch, Chick-fil-A Sauce, or Ketchup
- Baked Sweet Potato Fries or Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Fresh fruit or Applesauce
- Veggie Tray and Dip
- On a Salad
- In a wrap.
- Roasted Vegetables
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Recipe
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lb raw chicken tenders
- 1/2 cup pickle juice
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 large eggs
Breading:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Marinate: Place chicken tenders in a bowl or ziplock bag with the pickle juice and marinate for 30 minutes.2 lb raw chicken tenders, ½ cup pickle juice
- Make Breading: Add flour, powdered sugar, paprika, black pepper, chili powder, salt, and baking powder to a ziplock bag.1 cup all-purpose flour, 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking powder
- Prep Egg Mixture: Add milk, and egg to a separate bowl and mix. Preheat air fryer to 360 degrees.½ cup milk, 1 large eggs
- Coat the chicken: Remove chicken from pickle marinade and add to the bowl with the egg mixture. Spoon out tenders, letting any excess egg mixture drip off, and place them in the ziplock bag with the dry seasonings. Seal and shake bag to evenly coat all of the chicken tenders.
- Air Fry: Spray the bottom of the fry basket with nonstick cooking spray. Remove tenders from bag, shaking off excess flour and place in a single layer in the bottom of the fry basket (you will likely need to do two batches). Space them out so they don't stick together. Generously spray the top of each piece of chicken with cooking spray so that flour is not visible. Then flip the chicken over in the fry basket and spray the other side.
- Air Fry the chicken tenders at 360 for 6 minutes. Open air fryer, flip chicken tenders to the other side, spray tops again with cooking spray. Increase air fryer temperature to 400 degrees and cook for 2-3 more minutes, or until crisp and cooked through. (Exact cooking time will vary depending on the size of your tenders, your air fryer, etc.).
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe January 2022. Updated August 2025.
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I liked the ease of this recipe and your instructions were very clear and appreciated! The spices on the other hand did not hit the mark. Having read the previous comments I added what I thought would help, but it still came out a bit bland, I’ll have to tweek a little more. I wasnt sure about the powdered sugar, so I only used 1 tɓsp, I will leave it out all together next time. The tenders came out nice and crispy and using the pickle juice was really helpful in getting the chicken tender! All in all it was a successful afternoon treat, thank you for sharing!!
Unfortunately this was not a favorite for our family. The chicken was tender however, the flavor was bland.
wasn’t crispy enough and the flavors didn’t come across the way I thought they would
Hi Lauren
I follow and make lots of your recipes and this Chicken tenders looks amazing but please tell me what you mean by pickle juice. Is that a mixture of vinegar water and salt and in what quantities?
Thanks
Hey there! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes! Yes, pickle juice in the chicken tenders recipe refers to the liquid that pickles are stored in, straight from the jar. There’s no need to mix anything extra—just use 1/2 cup of the juice from a jar of dill pickles. It adds a fantastic flavor and tenderizes the chicken.
I really appreciate your adding the oven directions!! I got so excited when I found them. Thanks!
Can I use almond flour instead?
We’re an egg free house. Any suggestions on substitutes for the egg?
Try heavy cream!
Love this and the touch of sweetness! My new favorite.
These were delicious! Crispy and tender. So easy.
SOOOOO good! Will definitely be using this recipe again