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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.

The best Air Fryer Chicken Tenders are golden, crispy, and juicy on the inside. They are budget friendly and easy to make at home and so much healthier in the air fryer!

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.

Easy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders are so simple to make at home and give you that perfectly crispy texture with moist chicken inside.

What to Serve With Chicken Tenders:

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Air Fryer Chicken Tenders served in a basket with dipping sauce.
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4.80 from 48 votes

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

Author: Lauren Allen
The BEST Air Fryer Chicken Tenders recipe that's flavorful and juicy and perfectly crisp on the outside without deep frying.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Marinate: 30 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Servings: 6

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

  • 2 lb raw chicken tenders
  • 1/2 cup pickle juice
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 large eggs

Breading:

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

Freezing Instructions: Freeze cooked chicken tenders in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in air fryer at 380 degrees until golden, crispy, and warmed through.
Healthier Chicken Nuggets: leave out the powdered sugar, and use wheat flour or panko instead of all-purpose flour.
Gluten-Free: Use gluten free flour or breadcrumbs.
Spicy Chicken Tenders: add 1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper to the flour mixture.
Oven Baked Chicken Nuggets: prepare the same, and bake on a baking tray at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until cooked through.
Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets

Nutrition

Calories: 295kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 129mg, Sodium: 690mg, Potassium: 679mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 521IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 57mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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I originally shared this recipe January 2022. Updated August 2025.

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About The Author

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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4.80 from 48 votes (41 ratings without comment)
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Erika
5 months ago

3 stars
Usually your recipes are a sure thing, but this one just isn’t for. I had to increase the flour mixture by 2 and the breading kept coming off in the air fryer. I do like the taste of the pickle juice in the chicken though.

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