You are going to love making frozen chicken tenders in an air fryer. They are so easy to make in under 10 minutes and turn out perfectly crispy on the outside, yet moist and tender on the inside. You'll never need to order fast food again!
One of the best things about air fryers is how good they are at cooking food from frozen such as air fryer frozen onion rings, and today I am going to teach you how to air fry frozen chicken tenders!
Table of Contents
Why you will love this cooking method:
- It's so easy! It takes less than 10 minutes to cook frozen chicken tenders this way.
- The chicken strips turn out perfectly - nice and crispy on the outside, yet moist and tender on the inside.
- It's healthier to air fry chicken tenders than to deep fry them because it uses less oil.
- It's more affordable to cook chickens tenders at home compared to ordering chicken strips from a restaurant so it's a great way to save money on food.
If you love easy air fryer recipes you will also love making frozen burritos in air fryer and frozen egg rolls in air fryer.
Ingredient notes:
- Frozen chicken tenders or frozen chicken strips - You can use any brand of chicken tenders that you like including Tyson crispy chicken strips, Trader Joe's chicken strips, buffalo chicken strips, gluten-free chicken strips or even homemade chicken strips. You could also use chicken strips with no breading (also known as naked chicken tenders) if you prefer.
How to make frozen chicken tenders in an air fryer:
Preheat your air fryer to 380 degrees Fahrenheit and then place the frozen, raw chicken tenders in your air fryer. Cook for 8-10 minutes until they are golden brown. Let them rest in the air fryer for a few minutes to cool and tenderize the chicken.
Top Tips:
- For the crispiest chicken strips try and leave a little space around each chicken tender when you put them in the air fryer so that they can cook more evenly.
- Depending on the brand and the size of the chicken fingers you have you may need to adjust the cooking time (smaller chicken strips or chicken nuggets will take less time to cook).
- Depending on the size of your air fryer, and how many chicken tenders you have, you may have to cook the chicken strips in batches.
- If food tends to stick to your air fryer, give the chicken strips or tray a spray with avocado oil or another cooking spray before you air fry them.
Serving ideas:
You can eat chicken tenders on their own or pair them with your favourite dipping sauce such as homemade honey mustard sauce, ketchup, healthy bbq sauce, dairy free buffalo sauce, or plum sauce. I also love serving chicken tenders with air fried turnip fries or air fryer French fries.
Frozen Chicken Tenders in an Air Fryer FAQs:
Absolutely! Just note that frozen French fries take longer to cook than frozen chicken tenders, so once the chicken tenders are cooked, take them out of the air fryer and continue cooking the French fries until they are done.
No matter what type of chicken you are cooking, chicken is safe to eat when cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) when measured with a meat thermometer.
Store any leftover cooked chicken tenders in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To reheat chicken tenders in your air fryer, preheat it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook the chicken tenders for 3-5 minutes, until the chicken strips are warm.
Other air fryer recipes you will love:
Recipe
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Tenders
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 frozen chicken tenders
Optional
- spray oil
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 380F. Then place as many frozen chicken strips as you want to cook on your air fryer tray or in your air fryer basket. Cook for 8-10 minutes.
- Let the chicken strips rest in the air fryer for a few minutes before serving to allow the meat to become even more tender.
Notes
- Nutritional information will vary depending on the brand of chicken strips you are using. Please refer to the package you are using for more accurate counts.
- Don't overlap the chicken strips in your air fryer or they won't cook properly.
- Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the chicken strips and your air fryer.
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