Air Fryer Chicken Tenders with a Pecan Crust are cooked in only 10 minutes! They come out perfectly moist and cooked, with a sweet and savory crispy breading. Follow the recipe or make your own breading and air fry them with this same easy method. Chicken tenders can also be marinated instead of breaded.
There really are no tricks to making chicken tenders in the air fryer. It's a no-fail way to cook chicken, whether you're making breaded tenders or marinated tenders.
In the air fryer, chicken tenders come out perfectly cooked and moist at the right temperature and time. They cook quickly- in just 10 minutes!
And you don't need to flip them halfway through to get an evenly cooked, crispy breaded chicken tender. For marinated tenders, the same applies.
Air frying chicken tenders is one of the best ways to cook all of your chicken recipes, guaranteed!
Pecan crusted chicken tenders are one my favorite ways to make chicken with a deep-fried crispy taste, but that hasn't been deep fried at all! This recipe has a mildly sweet taste due to the nuts, yet it's savory from the spices. The breading is made with only 4 ingredients.
Feel free to use this tasty roasted pecan flavored breading or make your own and follow the same method to create crispy, golden brown chicken tenders.
More Air Fryer Recipes You'll Love
- Barbecue Cheddar Meatloaf
- Rosemary Herbed Baby Potatoes
- Easy Meatball Parmesan Sub
- Mediterranean Spinach and Feta Quesadilla
- Lemon Drop Cookie Balls
- Tomato Basil Mozzarella Flatbread
To make breaded chicken tenders in the air fryer, first make the breading. Then set up the breading station. In 1 bowl put a beaten egg, in the 2nd bowl put breading, and in the 3rd bowl put flour. Dip the tenders first in the flour, then egg, then breading.
To make marinated chicken tenders, sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, then coat in your marinade of choice. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.
Then bake, deep fry or air fry the breaded or marinated tenders.
In the air fryer, chicken tenders cook between 10 and 12 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on how thick the chicken is. This applies to both breaded or marinated chicken tender recipes.
Yes! Using panko breadcrumbs and/or crushed or chopped nuts will yield a crispy breading. Spraying the chicken with oil prior to cooking gives the chicken a good crisp and turns it golden brown.
Air fried chicken tenders are healthier than their deep-fried counterparts because you are not cooking them directly in a pot of oil. However, the chicken tenders will only be as healthy as your marinade or breading. So while eliminating the extra fat and calories by not frying them in a whole bunch of oil, make sure to watch the ingredients you use for breadings and marinades.
Ingredients
To make the pecan-crusted chicken tenders you see here you need:
- Chicken tenders: also called tenderloins
- Panko breadcrumbs: substitute with homemade or regular bread crumbs for a finer breading
- Pecans: crushed or chopped
- Paprika
- Salt, pepper
- Olive oil: this is to lightly spray the chicken after it's breaded, which results in a crispy, golden brown crust
Serving Suggestions
Serve crispy chicken tenders with a flavorful sauce, such as ketchup, honey mustard, yellow mustard or hot sauce.
For dinner, you may enjoy pecan-crusted chicken tenders along with:
- Air Fryer Baby Potatoes
- Twice Baked Potatoes with Cheddar and Chives
- Garlic Broccoli Cauliflower with Red Onions & Lemon
- Easy Mashed Cauliflower
- Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes
They are great on their own as a light lunch, too. And kids love them, most likely with french fries!
Step-By-Step Directions
To make this delicious air fryer pecan crusted chicken tender recipe:
- Combine the pecans, panko bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and paprika. Set up 2 bowls and add the flour to 1 bowl and beat the egg in the other.
- Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper (this prevents too many crumbs from falling through the basket).
- Coat the chicken tenders in the flour, then egg, then pecan crumb mixture. Place chicken in the air fryer basket and spray each piece lightly with olive oil.
- Set the air fryer to 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove to a serving dish when done and garnish with parsley if desired. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce, such as mustard, honey mustard, or hot sauce.
*There is no need to flip the chicken tenders half way through cooking.
Spraying the tenders with oil prior to air frying will help the breading become crispy, as if they were deep fried in oil. It also adds an even more golden brown color to the finished chicken in a healthier way than when deep frying.
Enjoy!
How to Store
Fridge: store your air fried chicken tenders in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Reheat in the toaster or air fryer to maintain crispiness. They can also be quickly reheated in the microwave but will lose some of the crisp.
Freezer: store in the freezer sealed tightly in baggies for around 6 months.
Defrost in the toaster, microwave, or overnight in the fridge.
If you enjoyed this recipe, make sure to give it a star rating and let me know what you thought in the comments! And follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for more delicious recipes!
Recipe
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders (Pecan Crusted)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 chicken tenders
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ cup flour
- 1 egg
- olive oil spray
Instructions
- Combine the pecans, panko bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and paprika. Set up 2 bowls and add the flour to 1 bowl and beat the egg in the other.
- Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper.
- Coat the chicken tenders in the flour, then egg, then pecan crumb mixture. Place chicken in the air fryer basket and spray each piece lightly with olive oil.
- Set the air fryer to 400° F for 10 minutes. Remove to a serving dish when done and garnish with parsley if desired. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce, such as mustard, honey mustard, or hot sauce.
Beth
I love using my air fryer! My family is going to love these! Excited to make these for dinner tonight!
Eliza from BENSA Bacon Lovers Society
This recipe looks divine, and I love that's it's such a healthy preparation cooked in the air fryer. My family will love this, but I can also see serving the pecan chicken for a dinner party. Thank you for another great recipe!
Biana
Yum! This chicken looks so delicious, and I love that it doesn't take long to make it in the air fryer.
Angela
LOVE that you added pecans to the coating. It adds the perfect crunch. YUM!
Bintu
My kids love chicken tenders and I love how quick and easy these are to make! That pecan crust is oh so good!