This recipe for air fryer chicken tenderloins is the easiest and quickest way to make chicken, hands down. You can have juicy, flavor packed chicken in 10 minutes!
These delicious air fryer tenders are easy to make and packed with flavor. They’re a great lunch or easy dinner option or even a high-protein, keto-friendly snack. They’re easy and quick to make, tender and juicy, and packed with flavor. A slightly fancier and definitely healthier take on the deep-fried original.
You will love these naked air fried chicken tenders. Naked meaning they don’t have any bread crumb coating. But what they lack in carbs, they definitely make up for in flavor!
They’re a healthier and more adult take on the tenders we all love. They come together quickly and couldn’t be easier to make. And they are so much more versatile come lunch or dinner time.
These air fryer tenders are also perfect for some fancier sides. Think more Hasselback or Au Gratin Potatoes than french fries or mac and cheese. Those are GREAT with these too.
Why You’ll Love No-Breading Tenders
These chicken tenders are quick and easy to make with just a few simple pantry staples. It truly is an easy meal! They’re ready in 10 minutes.
This recipe is perfect for busy weeknight dinners and leftovers make great lunches.
The whole family will love these. Not only are they family and kid-friendly, but the kids can help make them as well.
You can customize these with a variety of sauces and seasonings. You can swap out the seasonings in the recipe for your favorites and still use the same cooking temperature and time.
Ingredients for Air Fryer Tenders
You only need a couple of simple ingredients to make these delicious air fryer chicken tenderloins.
- Chicken breast tenderloins – make sure you get the tenderloins and not just chicken breasts.
- Avocado oil
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Coarse kosher or sea salt
- Ground black pepper
- Cayenne pepper (optional)
Substitutions and Alterations to this air fryer chicken tenders recipe
You can replace the combination of seasonings with your favorite store-bought or homemade dry rub blend. Italian seasoning is a great option as well.
If you don’t want any spice or heat, you can omit the cayenne pepper entirely.
How to Make These Air Fryer Naked Chicken Tenders
The printable recipe card with the full measurements and instructions is listed at the bottom of this page.
- Pat the chicken tenderloins dry with some paper towels and set them aside.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the oil and all the spices. Mix to combine.
- Add in the chicken tenderloins and completely coat them with the mix on all sides.
- Place the chicken in the air fryer basket that’s been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Make sure they are in one even layer. Don’t overcrowd the basket.
- Air fry at 400ºF for 5 minutes.
- Open the air fryer basket, flip the tenderloins over and air fry for an additional 5 minutes. You need to cook them until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF when using a meat thermometer.
- Allow the chicken to rest 3-5 minutes before serving or cutting for the juices to re-release into the meat.
- Serve the cooked tenders with your favorite sauce and side for a complete meal.
Tips & Tricks for homemade chicken tenders
It’s important to remove the tendon from the meat before cooking. That’s the white piece running through the middle.
You can remove the tendon from the center of the tenderloins by grabbing it with a paper towel. Pull the tenderloin down on each side.
Make sure the tenderloins are fully coated with seasoning on all sides to give you the best flavor and result.
Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket. The air needs to circulate around the chicken to cook it properly. You also want to be sure the chicken is in a single layer and isn’t overlapping.
Let the meat rest for a few minutes after cooking. This allows all the juices to be rereleased into the meat.
No one wants raw chicken tenders! To make sure they’re done, check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer.
Instead of placing the seasonings and oil in a mixing bowl, you can also put them in a ziplock bag. Shake the tenderloins around to get them fully coated. You’ll save on dishes doing this too.
kitchen tools to make chicken tenderloins in the air fryer
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → How to Serve These Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Chicken tenders go great as part of a main meal with garlic butter hasselback or mashed potatoes with some vegetables.
They’re also great alongside sweet potato fries, potato wedges, or mac and cheese.
For an easy lunch option, serve them up in a wrap!
Chicken Dipping Sauce Recipes to Try
Eat them with your favorite dipping sauce or try any of these great dipping sauces with your tenders.
- Copycat WingStop Ranch Dressing
- Buffalo Ranch
- Greek Yogurt Tzatziki Sauce
- Honey Sriracha Sauce
- Honey Mustard
- BBQ Sauce
- Buffalo Sauce
How to Store Air-Fried Tenders
Store leftover tenders in a well-sealed, airtight container. Stored properly, they should be good for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
You can also freeze your leftovers. After the tenders have cooled completely, place them in an airtight, freezer-safe bag (or vacuum seal them for ultimate freshness). They are at their best for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Reheating Chicken Tenders in the Air Fryer
Reheat the tenders in the air fryer on 350° for about 4-5 minutes until they are warmed through.
Allow frozen tenders to thaw in the refrigerator or use the microwave to defrost. Then air fry them as directed above.
FAQs about air fried chicken tenderloins
It is completely safe to put raw chicken in the air fryer. Just be sure it is completely cooked all the way through before eating it. Clean your air fryer with warm soapy water after cooking raw chicken inside.
The tenderloin is a small underused muscle located along the inner underside of the breast. Because it’s an underused muscle, it is more tender and higher in fat than chicken breast.
Yes, tenderloins do cook faster than chicken breasts because it’s a smaller and thinner piece of meat.
Cook these chicken tenderloins in the air fryer at 400°F for a total of 10 minutes. You’ll want to flip them halfway through.
More Great Chicken Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, check out some of these other great chicken recipes:
- Boneless Chicken Wings
- Smoked Chicken Breast
- Crockpot Sweet Honey Garlic Chicken
- No Peek Chicken
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings
If you make this recipe and love it, we would love a 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating! It helps us continue to provide free recipes.
Share on Facebook
Share
Air Fryer Chicken Tenderloins
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast tenderloins
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- Pat the chicken tenderloins dry and set them aside.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the remaining ingredients. Mix to combine.
- Add in the chicken tenderloins and toss them until they are completely coated on all sides.
- Place the chicken in the air fryer basket that’s been sprayed with nonstick spray. Make sure they are in one even layer. Don’t overcrowd the basket.
- Air fry at 400ºF for 5 minutes.
- Open air fryer basket, flip the tenderloins over and air fry an additional 5 minutes.
- Allow the chicken to rest 3-5 minutes before cutting.
Video
Notes
- You can remove the tendon from the center of the tenderloins by grabbing it with a paper towel and pulling the tenderloin down on each side.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket. The air needs to circulate around the chicken to cook it properly.
- Make sure the tenderloins are fully coated with seasoning on all sides to give you the best flavor and result.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
