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Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

Recipe Author: Sara McCleary
Wash away the excess oil from your diet with these crunchy Air fryer chicken tenders. With their golden crunchy coating, you won't believe they weren't deep-fried!
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Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Belly Rumbles Original
Servings 4
Calories 440 kcal

Special Equipment

  • Air Fryer

Ingredients

  • 500 grams (1 lb) chicken tenders
  • plain flour | enough to coat the chicken tenders
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon (4 teaspoons) olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons (8 teaspoons) fresh thyme for egg coating | finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup dried breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup cornflake crumbs
  • 3 tablespoons (12 teaspoons) fresh thyme for crumb coating | finely chopped

Instructions
 

  • Place chicken tenders in a zip lock bag with enough plain flour to coat.
  • Zip the bag shut and shake to cover the tenders completely with flour.
    You could also use a container with a tight lid. The shake method saves your fingers getting messy.
  • In a medium bowl mix egg coating ingredients, whisking well with a fork.
  • Mix the crumb coating in a large bowl until evenly combined.
    (I use shallower bowls than mixing bowls as it makes crumbing and coating easier.)
  • Using a fork remove a chicken tender from the zip lock bag, shaking excess flour off.
    Coat the chicken thoroughly in the egg coating. Let any excess coating drip from the tender.
  • Place the chicken tender in the crumb coating. Using your hands cover the tender completely in the mixture, pressing the coating on.
    Place coated chicken on a plate while you crumb the rest of the chicken.
  • Place crumbed chicken in the air fryer basket, leaving space around each piece.
    Cook at 190°C (374°F) for 4-6 minutes.
    Time will vary depending on the size and thickness of the tenders you use.
  • After 4-6 minutes turn the chicken over and cook a further 4-6 minutes.
    All up cooking time should be around 8-12 minutes total.
    Cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of the chicken pieces you are using.
  • Remove from the air fryer and place chicken tenders on a wire rack while cooking the remaining chicken.
    Chicken can be kept warm in the oven on a low temperature.
  • Serve with garden salad as a main and/or with honey mustard dipping sauce.

Notes

OVEN COOKING METHOD
This recipe can also be made using an air-forced oven. The results won't be quite as crunchy as the air-fried version, but will still have some crunch and be just as tasty.
  1. Pre-heat oven 190°C (375°F).
  2. Line a flat baking tray (cookie sheet) with baking paper.
  3. Follow the instructions for crumbing in the recipe walk through section.
  4. Place crumbed chicken tenders on the lined tray, leaving space between each piece of chicken.
  5. Place chicken tenders in the oven on a middle shelf. Bake for 15 minutes.
  6. After 15 minutes turn the chicken tenders over and bake a further 10-15 minutes until cooked.
 
GENERAL COOK’S NOTES
All oven temperatures are for a conventional oven, if using fan forced lower the temperature by 20 Deg C (70 Deg F).
All measurements are Australian tablespoons and cups. All measures are level, and cups are lightly packed unless specified;
  • 1 teaspoon equals 5ml
  • 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml (Nth America, NZ & UK use 15ml tablespoons)
  • 1 cup equals 250ml (Nth America use 237ml)
  • 4 teaspoons equals 1 tablespoon
  • I use the below unless specified in my recipes;
Herbs are fresh | Vegetables are of a medium size | Eggs are roughly 60 grams in weight (large) 
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION BELOW IS A GUIDE ONLY

Nutrition

Calories: 440kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 39gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 173mgSodium: 684mgPotassium: 718mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1917IUVitamin C: 37mgCalcium: 261mgIron: 14mg
Keyword healthy crumbed chicken, low fat fried chicken, schnitzel
Did You Make This Recipe?I do a happy dance when people share how they went. Tag me on Instagram or Twitter @bellyrumbles & #bellyrumbles