Chicken Tenders (Air Fryer)

Air fryer chicken tenders are family-friendly and an easy-to-get-on-the-table meal. This recipe uses a buttermilk marinade to infuse the chicken with both flavour and moisture, while a breading of panko and Parmesan cheese is blasted to golden and crispy perfection in the air fryer. If you only have chicken breasts on hand, go ahead and use those and cut into strips about 1" thick. Serve them alongside an easy vegetable side dish, with any dipping sauce you like for a satisfying weeknight meal.

5 chicken strips, boneless (~ 1 lb)
¼ buttermilk
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
¾ cup Panko breadcrumbs or unseasoned dry breadcrumbs
½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

To Serve:
Honey Mustard, Chipotle Sauce, BBQ Sauce or Ranch Dressing

In a zip-top plastic bag, combine the chicken tenders, buttermilk, sea salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Seal and massage the buttermilk mixture into the tenders. Let marinate for 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours, in the refrigerator.

Preheat air fryer to 375°F (190°C) on air fry setting.

Whisk the egg in a medium bowl.

In a separate shallow dish combine panko and Parmesan.

In a medium bowl add chicken strips, oil, salt, pepper to taste and seasoning. Coat well to combine.

Dip the chicken strips in the egg mixture to coat, then place the chicken into the Parmesan/panko mixture, coating completely. Pour the mixture with your fingers if needed.

Carefully transfer the chicken strips onto air fryer tray/basket. Give them some space. Do not overlap. Work in batches if needed.

Air fry for 10-12 minutes, flipping the chicken on the other side half-way through. Or until internal chicken temp reaches 165°F, breading is golden brown and crispy.

Serve with a dipping sauce of your choice.

Makes 4-6 servings.