Easy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside—these Easy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders are a family favorite that combines a crunchy panko-Parmesan coating with a simple honey-mustard dipping sauce.
Servings: 4 servings
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Mixing Bowl
- Resealable Plastic Bag
- Shallow Baking Dish
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature is fine
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp paprika
Chicken Tenders
- 1 lb chicken tenders trimmed if needed
Coating
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan freshly grated preferred
- 1 Tbsp olive oil to help breadcrumbs brown
Dipping Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 3 Tbsp yellow mustard
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
- In a resealable plastic bag, combine buttermilk, Worcestershire sauce, and paprika. Add chicken tenders, ensuring each piece is coated. Seal the bag and marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.
- While the chicken marinates, stir together panko, grated Parmesan, olive oil, and 1 teaspoon salt in a shallow baking dish.
- Make the dipping sauce by mixing mayonnaise, yellow mustard, honey, and Dijon mustard in a small bowl. Adjust to taste and refrigerate until serving.
- Preheat air fryer to 390F. Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off excess. Dredge in panko mixture and arrange in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook for about 7 minutes, flip, and cook another 7 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For freezing, freeze cooked tenders on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months.