Quick, easy, and healthy air fryer boneless chicken tenders that the whole family will enjoy! Lightly breaded using a chicken batter powder, dipped in some milk for creaminess, and air fried to perfection. Try these air fryer chicken tenders on a sandwich, as a salad topper or serve as is – don’t forget to spice it your way.

Spicy food is my current craving. All things spicy – especially a spicy chicken burger. I could eat a chicken burger every day if I could. Air fryer boneless chicken tenders came to life quickly one evening as we were preparing dinner.

Given I am the only one who really loves spicy food, I added some hot sauce to mine – because let’s be real, my air fryer chicken tenders went on a sandwich loaded with hot sauce, mayo, lettuce, and tomato… y’all if I didn’t feel bloat after the first few bites of my meals in the evenings, I would’ve had another.

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INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HEALTHY AIR FRYER BONELESS CHICKEN TENDERS

To make these healthier chicken tenders you will need just a few ingredients. If you are new around here, I am all about simple, easy and quick when it comes to making healthier meals/dishes.

Ingredients:

• Chicken Batter or Chicken Powder (used for cooking/frying)
• Milk – Buttermilk or 2%
• Fresh Chicken Breast, halved/butterflied
• Spray Oil

*You can purchase chicken batter/powder usually in the bulk food section at your local grocery store.

HOW TO MAKE AIR FRYER BONELESS CHICKEN TENDERS

To make the best air fryer boneless chicken tenders you will want to make sure you follow these simple steps for the best crispy texture.

1. Prepare your chicken breast by cutting them in half or butterflying them.
2. Measure out your batter/powder and pour it onto a large dinner plate.
3. Measure out your milk and pour it into a soup bowl.
4. Dip your chicken in the milk, toss the chicken in the batter with a fork evenly coating.
5. Pre-heat the air fryer for 2 mins, at a temp of 380F.
6. Remove and spray the basket of your air fryer with spray oil, evenly.
7. Place battered chicken in the warm basket, 4-5 chicken breast halves.
8. Place the basket back in the air fryer, set temp to 380F and time 8 minutes, remove once the timer goes off, flip the chicken and place back in for another 8 minutes.
9. Repeat until all chicken is cooked.

*NOTE: make sure chicken breasts aren’t overlapping, to prevent uneven cooking.

*NOTE: some of the batters may end up inside the air fryer from the pressure of the air, just simply clean the inside of your air fryer with a damp cloth when done cooking and the machine has cooled.

• WHAT KIND OF SEASONING MAKES HOMEMADE CHICKEN TENDERS
  • The best seasoning to use to make air fryer boneless chicken tenders is chicken batter or powder. This will give your chicken tenders the best texture and flavour.

WHAT TEMPERATURE DO YOU COOK BONELESS CHICKEN BREAST IN AN AIR FRYER

To cook these homemade air fryer boneless chicken tenders you will use a temperature of 380F. Please note, that air fryers do differ slightly when it comes to cooking temps. I encourage you to read your manual. However, it shouldn’t differ by very much.

HOW TO MAKE NAKED AIR FRYER CHICKEN TENDERS

If you can’t find chicken batter or you don’t have anything on hand for a batter, simply skip the milk and just season the chicken breast using salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Cook the naked air fryer chicken tenders the same way and serve them the same way, spicy or just plain.

Don’t forget they make a great salad topper and a tasty chicken burger.

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST HEALTHY CRISPY AIR FRYER BONELESS CHICKEN TENDERS

Some tips to remember when making the best healthy crispy air fryer boneless chicken tenders are as follows:

• Preheat your air fryer.
• Evenly cut your chicken, so everything cooks through and pieces do not under or overcook.
• Use cooking spray so the batter doesn’t stick.
• Use thawed/fresh chicken breast not frozen.
• Flip the chicken tenders halfway thru cooking.
• Be sure NOT to overlap chicken in the air fryer.
• Cook these air fryer boneless chicken tenders in advance for quick, easy and healthy meal prep.

WHY IS THIS AIR FRYER BONELESS CHICKEN TENDER RECIPE CONSIDERED HEALTHY

The thing with an air fryer is that you are eliminating all of the oils that coat your food when frying. The circulating hot air in the air fryer will crisp your food as it cooks, in a very similar way to a fryer. The best thing about the air fryer is getting to enjoy the texture of fried foods without the added calories and fat.

NOTE: all air fryers differ a little. Some will suggest pre-heating, others will not. Get to know your air fryer and how it works. I find pre-heating mine for a minute or two before starting the cooking process makes a difference. You can find my favourite air fryer HERE.

PS. If you are looking for some other recipes to try, be sure to check these out:

• Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll Soup
• 3 Cheese Slow Cooker Lasagna
• Healthy Tomato Bisque Soup
• Warm Creamy Potato Salad
• Low-Calorie Cinnamon Rolls

PPS. If you are looking for some family favourite recipes, be sure to check out our eBook’s:

• Healthy Balance eBook
• Salad’s eBook

PPPS. If you haven’t subscribed to our email list yet, make sure you do, you don’t want to miss out on our FREE family-friendly meal plan – subscribe HERE!