Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

You would think that the three kids in my household are the chicken tender lovers, but it’s actually my husband. He has always gravitated toward simple flavors and easy recipes, which is why – when he’s doing the picking – these chicken tenders, baked buffalo chicken strips, and crispy baking sheet chicken nuggets show up often for our weeknight dinners. For these easy chicken strip tenders, I sneak in some more nutrition by using wholesome ingredients in the breading, including flaxseed meal and teff flour. It’s always a bonus that my whole family loves these tenders.

This recipe was created in partnership with Maskal Teff.

Ingredient Spotlight: Teff Flour

Ever since sharing this recipe for my Morning Glory muffins made with teff flour, I’ve been experimenting with new ways to use this wonderful gluten-free flour for baked goods and more. Teff flour is made from teff, the world’s tiniest grain, smaller even than a poppyseed. When milled, it turns into a nutty, versatile flour that can be used as a gluten-free substitute for all-purpose flour. In this recipe, I call for Maskal Ivory Teff Flour, which is not only gluten free, but also free of other allergens, including milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts, and tree nuts. 

Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.

My Expert Air Frying Method

Every time I use my air fryer, I love it just a little bit more. It’s such a handy small appliance for achieving a crispy texture on foods without actually frying them in oil. In an air fryer, hot air circulates around food, which is propelled by a small fan, similar to how a convection oven works. The hot air hits the food from all sides, resulting in nice and even cooking in less time and with less fat required than baking or oil frying methods. Some tips I’ve learned about air frying are: 

1. Never crowd the food. The food needs to be spaced out in a single layer in the air fryer basket in order for the hot air to circulate around it and get all sides crispy. So if you don’t have a large air fryer basket, it helps to cook food in a few batches.  
2. For the breading, less is more. For this recipe, the breading is on the lighter side. I dredge the chicken strips in an egg wash and then let any excess drip back into the bowl. Then I give the chicken a quick dip and turn in the breading mixture so it coats all of the sides, shaking any excess flax-teff mixture back into the bowl. Some recipes require a double-dip in the egg and breading, but in my opinion that can be too much and result in soggy chicken, which is definitely not what I’m going for. 
3. Use cooking spray. I use an avocado oil spray or olive oil spray to lightly miss the top of these chicken tenders, which helps achieve that ultimate crispy exterior. 

For serving size and the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below. All of our recipes include the nutrition analysis, listing calories (kcals), protein, carbohydrates/carb, fiber, sugar, sodium, cholesterol, and more per serving.

Ideal Side And Sauce Pairings

Lately I’ve been serving these crispy tenders over this kale caesar salad, which is such a delicious pairing and a nice veggie- and protein-rich meal. If not serving them over salad, I’ll often round out the meal with a seasonal veggie, such as roasted green beans, cooked asparagus, or sauteed broccolini.  

As for sauces, I think my simple honey mustard sauce is a match made in heaven for these chicken strips. My husband likes to dip them in BBQ sauce and my homemade buffalo sauce.   

Got Leftovers? No Problem

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I prefer these tenders served hot and crispy, so to reheat them, I toss them back into the preheated air fryer at 360℉ for 2-3 minutes or reheat them in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp on the outside again.

Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!

Name

Email *

GDPR Consent *

• I consent to receive emails from The Real Food Dietitians *

Sign me up!

Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders Recipe

I make crispy chicken tenders more nutritious with a wholesome, naturally gluten-free breading and air fryer method that results in a crunchy exterior and tender, juicy chicken on the inside. Try this simple family friendly protein that pairs well with veggies sides and salads. 

Prep: 10 minsCook: 15-20 minsTotal: 25 mins

Pin for Later Rate recipe

• Email Recipe

Print Recipe

Servings: 4 servings (8 strips) 1x

1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
• 2 tablespoons Maskal Ivory Teff Flour
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• ½ teaspoon fine salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large egg
• 1 lb. chicken tenders (or use boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 8–10 strips)
• Avocado oil spray or olive oil cooking spray
• Optional for serving: Honey mustard dipping sauce or any favorite dipping sauce

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Preheat an air fryer to 360℉.
2. In a shallow bowl, combine the flaxseed meal, teff flour, Parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine and set aside. 
3. In a separate shallow bowl, whisk the egg for the egg wash.
4. Coat each chicken tenders with the egg wash, then dredge them in the seasoned flour mixture. 
5. Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper or lightly mist the basket with cooking spray. 
6. Place breaded tenders (not touching each other) in the air fryer basket, spreading them out so they are not touching. (NOTE: Cook the chicken in batches, if needed.)
7. Mist the chicken strips lightly with a spritz of cooking oil spray. 
8. Air fry for 15-20 minutes, turning the chicken over after 10 minutes. The tenders are done when they appear crisp on the outside and reach an internal temperature of 165℉.
9. Transfer the chicken strips to a cooling rack. 
10. Serve with honey mustard or your favorite dipping sauce. 
11. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive so we can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.

Notes

For dairy free, omit the Parmesan and sub an additional 1 tablespoon teff flour.

Nutrition Information

• Serving Size: 1/4 lb chicken tenders
• Calories: 160
• Fat: 4 g
• (Sat Fat: 0 g)
• Sodium: 376 mg
• Carbohydrate: 5 g
• (Fiber: 1 g
• Sugar: 0 g)
• Protein: 28 g
• Cholesterol: 94 mg

Dietary

Egg-FreeGluten-freeNut-free

© The Real Food Dietitians

Recipe By: Stacie Hassing

The photos in this post were taken by Megan McKeehan.

This is a sponsored post. Although we received compensation for this post, the opinions expressed here are – as always – 100% our own. Thank you for supporting the great companies we work with thereby allowing us to continue creating high-quality recipes and content for you.

For ultimate success, we highly recommend reading the tips in the full blog post above. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish a recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words. Link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!