Air Fryer Chicken Tenders (No Breading)

We made this chicken tenders no breading recipe to see if it was as delicious as the frozen ones we bought for years. OH MY were they so much better! If you too are looking for an easy air fryer recipe that’s egg free without breadcrumbs, this is it.

You may have already tried cooking frozen chicken nuggets for your kids this way. I mean that is fine but homemade is so much better. You can get the same great flavors and a bit of crisp without all of the extra carbs on the outside and we will show you how right here. 😉

You only need a few items to make these homemade chicken strips cooked in hot air like this or for our Oven Baked Chicken Tenders No Breading too. Super quick and easy meal that is family friendly.

You’re probably looking for more flavor and healthier choices too huh? Well if you want an entire air fryer KFC chicken you can, but finger foods are kinda’ fun and this one needs no flour!

Let’s talk about a few specifics, and the kitchen appliances we have at home. We have both the Ninja Foodi (which you would use the lid attached), AirWave and Cosori and with air fry they all work the same way. Only difference is the size of the basket and how many you can fit.

Ingredient Notes

As for the cut of meat you are going to want fresh chicken tenders. You can buy them already sliced into this size and shape or do so yourself with breasts. For chicken tenderloins you would want to decrease the cook time by about 1-2 minutes since they are thinner.

Can you make tenders with chicken breasts?

Yes! I mean technically it is not the same thing as the tender is from a different area but nobody would really know if you sliced a breast.

You are going to want some extra virgin Olive oil cooking spray will help it not stick to your air fryer basket. It will keep them moist too. Avocado oil would be a good alternative to this.

You can make homemade barbecue sauce, or use bottled. It is recommended that you do not use one labeled honey, with lots of sugar, as it will likely get too brown.

As far as the sauce goes that is up to you though this is a simple combination you can mix together. Teriyaki works well too. Or you can use this teriyaki air fryer marinated chicken recipe instead of this bbq sauce.

This is a gluten free version since we’re skipping the breadcrumbs. NO flour, Panko, or almond flour are used in these. That makes them really quick to throw together and are a much healthier air frying recipe to boot.

How Long to Cook Chicken Tenders (No Breading) in Air Fryer

You can cook these to tender inside with just a bit of crispy on the edges of each piece all in just 10 – 12 minutes time!! Of course it will vary slightly depending on the size and thickness of each piece but typically 10 minutes does the trick.

I will tell you that my girls loved these maybe more than the laborious process of whisking an egg, dipping into several different shallow bowls to coat the outside, and then cooking. I would try them both and see which you prefer. Then you’ll be ready to air fry everything like us! My oven is crying now, I hardly use it anymore except for cakes!

FAQ

8 is typical without overlapping, smaller tenderloins can be closer to 12 depending on how large your basket is. You can fit 2 chicken cutlets in air fryer too. Key is to give them just a bit of room in between each one so the hot air can rotate to get it crispy.

Almost always the answer is yes. The only time I wouldn’t is if there is a type of breading that may fall off if moved around too much. I have yet to encounter that yet though. The whole philosophy on why you do this is simple. This machine works to make food crunchy because of the hot air circulating around the food.

Yes, we do that here with bbq sauce. You could alternatively marinate in teriyaki sauce instead. Either way you want to choose a type that isn’t honey style as the higher sugar content may cause the sauce to burn before the meat is cooked thru.

You want them to cool completely and then store in a freezer bag. Push all of the air out so they stay as moist as possible. Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

You will want to brush sauce all over the outside first. Then I would microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute until warmed for the best results so they don’t get dry.

How to save leftovers

You always want to wait for food to cool to room temperature first. I like using freezer bags and suck all the air out. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Then the best way to warm again is I use a bit of sauce on top when reheating chicken in an air fryer.

I bet you’re thinking “man Zopago blog has a lot of Ninja Foodi chicken recipes!” You would be correct.