Buffalo Chicken Tenders in the Air Fryer
Enjoy crispy perfection with these Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Tenders, coated in crunchy panko crumbs. Perfect for dipping in your favorite ranch or blue cheese dressing, these spicy tenders are a game-day favorite. Quick and easy to make in the air fryer, they are sure to be a hit at any party or gathering.
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins (approximately 8 small to medium tenders)
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Sauce (or your favorite buffalo sauce)
- blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing (or your other favorite dipping sauce) optional
- celery sticks/carrot sticks optional
Instructions
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Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F.
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Dry chicken tenderloins with paper towel, removing white tendon if necessary.*
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In a gallon size ziploc bag, combine flour paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Add chicken tenders and shake to fully coat.
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In a shallow bowl, beat eggs. Set aside.
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In a second shallow bowl add panko crumbs. Set aside.
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Spray an air fryer safe cooking spray (or lightly brush a little oil) over the bottom of the air fryer basket. (I used olive oil spray.)
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Dip both sides of floured chicken tender in egg to fully coat . Then dip inpanko crumbs and coat generously. Place in air fryer basket.
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Repeat with additional chicken tenders until your air fryer basket is full in a single layer without overlapping. (You may need to cook in batches. )
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Cook for 5 minutes, then flip. Cook another 3 minutes.**
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Place tenders in a large bowl. Gently coat in buffalo sauce.
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Place tenders back into the air fryer and cook another 2-3 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius). Repeat if necessary.
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Serve immediately with blue cheese or ranch dressing and celery or carrot sticks, if desired.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
*To remove the tendon from a chicken tender, you can use a sharp knife to carefully cut along each side of the tendon and then pull it out. Removing the tendon helps make the chicken tender more tender and enjoyable to eat.
**Like a saucy buffalo tender? Skip last step of cooking in the air fryer with sauce on and instead cook for approximately 2 minutes longer (or until internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit) before coating in buffalo sauce.
If preparing in batches, dip and coat your chicken right before placing them in the air fryer for best results.
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. These numbers are for the chicken tenders only and do not include any dressing or veggie sides.