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5 from 15 votes

Easy Air Fryer Chicken Tenderloins (Shake and Bake)

These air fryer chicken tenderloins are crispy on the outside yet tender and juicy on the inside. You will love this easy recipe.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time24 minutes
Total Time29 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Method: Air Fryer
Servings: 3 Servings
Calories: 307kcal
Author: Corinne Schmitt

Equipment

  • Air Fryer
  • ziploc bag

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chicken tenders 6-9 count
  • 2.5 ounces shake and bake one packet
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1-2 stems of green onion for garnish

Instructions

  • To remove the tendon from the chicken, place the tender on a cutting board, grip the tendon with a paper towel, place a knife edge on the tendon forcefully against the cutting board and pull the tendon away from the chicken. Do this to all the tenders.
  • Rinse the tenders with water, set them on paper towels, and pat them dry.
  • Add your shake and bake to a gallon bag with 1 tablespoon of oil; this will moisten the crumbs and help them stick to the tenders, and prevent drying out the chicken while cooking.
  • Place 2-3 tenders in the bag and seal the bag with some air. Roll the top of the bag and trap the air creating a ballooned space in the bag. Shake vigorously to fully coat each tender; roll the mix and tenders as you shake.
  • Remove breaded tenders and place them in the air fryer basket that’s been sprayed with oil.
  • Repeat until all tenders are breaded and placed in the air fryer basket.
  • Spray the tenders with oil, and cook at 400°F for 15 minutes, flipping the tenders at 9 minutes.
  • Remove tenders and let cool.
  • Garnish and enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce for tenders.

Notes

  • Removing the tendon takes a little effort, but it's worth it in my opinion as the tendon can be tough and chewy.
  • Spraying the chicken with oil before air frying helps to ensure that it will get crispy and not dry out.
  • Make sure to shake the bag vigorously so that each tender is fully coated in the shake and bake. 
  • Be careful to not overcrowd your air fryer basket, you want the air to move freely around the tenders.
  • You may need to cook them in batches depending on the size of your air fryer. If you are making chicken nuggets instead of tenders, you will need to reduce the cooking time by about 3 - 4 minutes.
  • Make sure that the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the chicken tender.

Nutrition

Serving: 2Tenders | Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 348mg | Potassium: 606mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 45IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 2mg