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These Air Fryer Chicken Tenders with no breading are juicy, well-seasoned, and lightly browned around the edges. You only need three ingredients, including sliced chicken breasts or chicken tenderloin strips, and there’s no flour, breading, or marinade to prep.
They’re an easy option for weeknight dinners, meal prep, salads, or dipping. For a different flavor, try my Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Tenders or Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Tenders. You can also browse my air fryer chicken recipes when you want more ideas for different cuts of chicken.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No breading needed: The chicken gets plenty of flavor from the seasoning, so there’s no need for flour or a coating.
- Quick and simple: Chicken tenderloins cook quickly in the air fryer, making this an easy option when you need dinner without much prep.
- Easy to use in different meals: Serve the tenders as a main dish, slice them over a salad, or add your favorite dipping sauce.
Ingredients Needed
You only need three ingredients for these air fryer chicken tenderloins. Check the recipe card below for exact amounts.
- Chicken tenders: Use chicken breast tenderloins or slice boneless chicken breasts into similarly sized strips so they cook evenly.
- Chicken dry rub: My homemade blend adds smoky, savory flavor without needing a marinade. It already contains salt, so no additional salt is needed.
- Avocado oil: Helps the seasoning coat the chicken and encourages browning. Olive oil also works as one of the best oils for air frying.
How to Make Chicken Tenders in the Air Fryer
Season the chicken
Pat the chicken dry, then add it to a bowl with the oil and chicken dry rub. Toss until the tenders are evenly coated with seasoning.
Arrange in the air fryer
Place the seasoned chicken tenders in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Leave a little room between them so the hot air can circulate.
Air fry until cooked through
Air fry at 400°F, flipping halfway through. The chicken should be lightly browned on the outside and reach 165°F in the thickest part when done.
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Recipe Tips
- Keep the pieces similar in size: Chicken tenders and sliced chicken breast can vary quite a bit in thickness. Similar-sized pieces will finish around the same time.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket: Give the chicken some space so the outside can brown instead of steam.
- Check smaller tenders early: Cooking time depends on thickness, so start checking the smallest pieces first.
- Use the internal temperature as your guide: Chicken is ready when the thickest part reaches 165°F.
- Skip extra salt: The chicken dry rub already contains salt, so you don’t need to add more.
- Remove the tendon if needed: If your chicken tenderloins have a noticeable white tendon running through them, removing it gives the cooked chicken a better texture.
Easy Flavor Variations
You can keep the same basic method and change the seasoning when you want something different.
- Cajun chicken tenders: Swap the chicken rub for my Cajun seasoning.
- BBQ chicken tenders: For seasoned tenders finished with barbecue sauce, use my Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Tenders.
- Buffalo chicken tenders: If you want them spicy and saucy, make my Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Tenders.
What to Serve With Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
These work as a simple main dish, but you can also use them as a starting point for several different meals.
- Chicken tender plate: Add Air Fryer Frozen Green Beans and your favorite easy side.
- For dipping: Serve them with Chick-fil-A Sauce for something creamy and tangy or Blue Cheese Dressing when you want a bolder dip.
- Chicken Cobb salad: Slice the tenders and use them as the chicken in my Chicken Cobb Salad.
- Crunchy side: For an easy chicken-tender dinner with plenty of texture, add keto coleslaw for a southern coleslaw option without sugar or vinegar coleslaw for a mayo-free option that still gives you the fresh crunch.
Storage & Reheating
- Store: Keep leftover chicken tenders in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.
- Reheat in the air fryer: Warm them at 350°F for a few minutes, just until heated through. Avoid cooking them too long or they can dry out.
- Reheat in the microwave: Microwave in short intervals until warmed through.
FAQs
Chicken tenders generally take about 10–12 minutes at 400°F, depending on their thickness. Start checking smaller pieces early and cook until the thickest part reaches 165°F.
Yes. Chicken tenderloins work especially well because they are already the right shape and cook quickly. You can also cut boneless chicken breasts into similarly sized strips.
Flipping the chicken halfway through helps both sides cook and brown more evenly.
Yes. Use the Air Crisp or air fryer function and follow the same temperature and doneness guidelines. Air fryer models can cook a little differently, so check the chicken toward the end of the cooking time.
More Air Fryer Chicken Tender Recipes
Once you have the basic method down, these are two easy ways to change the flavor:
- Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Tenders are finished with a quick buttery Buffalo sauce for a spicy version.
- Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Tenders use BBQ seasoning and barbecue sauce for a smoky, saucy option.
For even more options using chicken breasts, thighs, wings, drumsticks, bites, and other cuts, browse my air fryer chicken recipes.
If you try this recipe, please stop back and leave it a star rating and/or a review in the comments. Stay connected & share photos of your creations with me & others on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders No Breading
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Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chicken Tenders, raw, chicken tenderloins or chicken breasts sliced into strips
- 2 tbsp Best Chicken Dry Rub Seasoning, click for recipe, or use bbq seasoning
- 2 tbsp Avocado oil, or olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
- Pat the chicken tenders dry. Add them to a bowl with the avocado oil and chicken dry rub, then toss until evenly coated.
- Arrange the chicken tenders in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry for 10–12 minutes, flipping halfway through. Start checking smaller pieces early.
- Cook until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F. Serve immediately.
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Recipe Notes
- Seasoning: The chicken dry rub contains salt, so no additional salt is needed.
- Chicken breast option: Slice boneless chicken breasts into similarly sized strips if you don’t have tenderloins.
- Cook by size: Smaller or thinner pieces may finish sooner. Cook to 165°F.
- Don’t overcrowd: Leave a little space between the tenders so they brown properly.
- Oil: Olive oil can be used instead of avocado oil.
Nutrition Details
The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used.
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