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Air Fryer chicken tenders are an easy weeknight meal kids will love! These air fried chicken tenders are Keto, Whole30, Paleo and Gluten Free!
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
When I’m trying to create healthy dinners that are easy, I’m always looking for tricks or tools that will make it easier. The air fryer is my favorite tool to create delicious, crispy chicken that is healthy!
When I first got my air fryer, I started experimenting! I figured one of the first things I would try would be homemade chicken tenders in the air fryer.
It can be so easy to use frozen chicken tenders and while I do rely on convenience foods from time to time, I think finding a homemade healthy chicken tender recipe is sometimes an option. If you’ve ever wondered how to make chicken tenders at home, it’s actually quite simple.
This recipe is also a keto air fryer recipe! Whether you’re eating keto, paleo, Whole30 or a similar nutrition plan, these keto air fryer chicken tenders will be a healthy family favorite.
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If you’re an air fryer newbie, this article by Cooking Light might help you avoid some common air fryer mistakes!
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How to Make Chicken Tenders in the Air Fryer
You can make air fryer chicken tenders in a few easy steps with a few simple ingredients.
- Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees.
- I buy the pre-cut chicken tenders to make things easier. Salt & pepper your chicken tenders.
- A simple egg wash and dip in coconut or almond flour (I prefer almond!) and set aside on a plate.
- Place chicken tenderloins into the basket of the air fryer. Cook for approximately 12 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 165 degrees.
Air fryer FAQs
Does the air fryer really work?
Yes! It’s insane how easy the Air Fryer works. Literally you can set it and forget it. I loved how moist the chicken tenders were compared to oven baked.
Is the air fryer really healthy?
Yes! Since you are not immersing your food in oil and deep frying it, you are cutting down on a lot of unhealthy additives and non healthy fats.
Eating healthy is a lot easier when the food actually tastes good and you don’t feel like you are missing out on something!
Is the air fryer worth the money?
It depends on which air fryer you choose and how often you use it. There are some kitchen tools that I only use on occasion so I don’t purchase the most expensive model. However, if you are looking to use your air fryer quite frequently you may want to invest in a more expensive model.
How long do I cook frozen chicken tenders in the air fryer?
Anything frozen that you cook in the air fryer needs to be cooked longer. Try with adding two additional minutes (12 total) and be sure to use an instant-read thermometer to temp your frozen chicken tenders to 165F.
Are these air fried chicken tenders kid-friendly?
This air fryer chicken tender recipe is a great recipe to start to feed your family healthy recipes they will love. If you need some ideas, here are a few of my favorite tips for feeding kids healthy food:
- Keep trying! I know when I became a mom I wanted to feed my girls healthy food! But they are SO picky so I had to be creative and keep trying over and over!
- Small swaps make progress slow but steady. Getting kids to eat healthy is not for the faint of heart! But you can start with simple swaps like frozen chicken tenders to air fryer ones to reduce the amount of ingredients in kid food!
- Hide veggies. Another tip for getting kiddos to eat healthy food would be to disguise healthy food! An example of this would be – butternut squash air fryer french fries. My girls LOVE veggie french fries in the air fryer because they have no clue it’s actually good for them!
Here are a few of Momma Fit Lyndsey’s favorite healthy air fryer recipes:
- Air Fryer Salmon (Keto and Whole30 compliant)
- Chili Lime Shrimp in the Air Fryer (Keto and Whole30 compliant)
- Air Fryer Asparagus (Keto, Whole30 and Plant Based/Vegan compatible)
- Homemade Taquitos (Kid-friendly!)
- Keto Cheese Sticks
- Parmesan Crusted Air Fryer Chicken (Kid-Friendly!)
- Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts (Keto, Whole30 and Plant Based/Vegan Compatible)
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders (Kid-Friendly!)
- Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders - Keto Friendly
Air Fryer chicken tenders are an easy weeknight meal kids will love! These air fried chicken tenders are Keto, Whole30, Paleo and Gluten Free!
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken tenders
- 1/2 cup almond flour can also sub coconut flour
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
-
Spray Air Fryer Basket With Cooking Spray well. Chicken tenders may stick and breading will pull off if the air fryer basket isn't sprayed well.
-
Season Tenders With Salt & Pepper. Dip Chicken Tenders Into Flour, Then Egg, Then Flour Again.
-
Place Chicken Into Air Fryer Basket. Cook At 350 Degrees For Approximately 5 Minutes. Flip chicken tenders and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Cook until temperature reaches 165F.
Recipe Notes
You can also use coconut flour as opposed to almond flour. My personal preference is almond flour as it gives it a more vibrant, nutty flavor.
Also feel free to swap out garlic powder for your favorite seasoning blend. Adjust salt as necessary depending on salt in your seasoning blend.
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Meredith
I’m wondering if you think this turns out better with coconut flour or almond flour. I happen to have both on hand.
mommafitpgh@gmail.com
I like coconut flour better (just a taste preference) but almond would also be great!
Stevie
Still very raw after 10 minutes at 350. Will take at least 20 minutes. Seems like they will only cook evenly when in a single layer not stacked on top of each other
mommafitpgh@gmail.com
Every air fryer will cook differently but I would definitely recommend a single layer for cooking.
Jenn
Followed recipe but my breading fell apart. Is there a way to prevent this?
mommafitpgh@gmail.com
did it fall apart in the air fryer or before?
Jenn McMahon
When i took them out.
mommafitpgh@gmail.com
they may have had too much of the breading on making them too heavy. Maybe try using a little less next time.
Niki
Mine turned out a little to floury and dry.. but still edible! Will try to coat them less next time. I pounded a chicken breast to make it thinner and then cut strips. So 350 for 10 min might have been too much since they were thinner..
mommafitpgh@gmail.com
yep if they are thinner you will want to cut down the cooking time to maintain moisture.
Alison
How long if from frozen?
mommafitpgh@gmail.com
I would try at 390F for 12 minutes total, flipping halfway. Be sure to temp them with a meat thermometer to ensure doneness.
Connie Sue Otten
do not see a nutrition count nor a carb count is there one?
mommafitpgh@gmail.com
just added nutrition info!
Kayla
I was wondering if it was 5 carbs per tender or what?
mommafitpgh@gmail.com
per serving which would be about 1/4 of a pound of tenders