Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Tenders

Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Tenders are a quick and easy weeknight meal or appetizer. They come out super crispy in the air fryer and are much healthier, since they're not fried in a bunch of oil. You could also make baked buffalo chicken tenders if you prefer to make them in the oven.

Ingredients

You likely already have most of these ingredients in your pantry, which makes these a simple dish to make.

Chicken: One pound of chicken tenderloins is the main ingredient in making Buffalo Chicken Tenders.

Breadcrumbs: A mixture of both whole wheat seasoned (or regular seasoned) and panko breadcrumbs.

Buffalo Sauce: Use your favorite buffalo sauce. You'll need it both for dredging the chicken before breading it and for drizzling on top when they're done. I like Frank's RedHot Buffalo Wings Hot Sauce.

Seasoning: Garlic Powder, Paprika, Cayenne, Salt and Pepper

Olive Oil: Use your preferred olive oil spray. This gives the tenders that nice golden color and crispy texture.

Step-By-Step Instructions

These are so quick to prepare - less than 10 minutes - then they're ready to air fry or bake!

1. Prepare the ingredients. Preheat the air fryer to 400° for 5 minutes. In a shallow bowl, add the breadcrumbs, panko, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper. Stir until combined. Set aside. In another bowl, toss the chicken with the buffalo sauce.
2. Bread the chicken. One by one, give each piece of chicken a light shake to remove any excess buffalo sauce that may drip off. Add the chicken tender to the breadcrumb mixture and gently toss until completely coated. Place on a plate, then repeat with all the chicken tenders. Spray both sides of the breaded chicken tenders with olive oil spray.
3. Air fry. You will likely need to cook the chicken in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer. Place the chicken in the air fryer basket in one layer. Air fry for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and cooked through.
4. Serve. These are crispiest served immediately. Drizzle with more buffalo sauce for serving.

Variations

Though these homemade air fryer buffalo chicken tenders are great as-is, here are some variations to consider.

• Bake in the oven. You can make baked buffalo tenders in an oven preheated to 400°. Bake for 16-20 minutes, flipping halfway, until crispy and cooked through. To make them even more crispy, you can place them under the broiler for the last 1-2 minutes of cooking.
• Leave out the buffalo sauce. Not crazy about buffalo sauce or spicy food? You can leave out the buffalo sauce. Instead of tossing the chicken tenders with buffalo sauce before breading, you can toss them with olive oil or a whisked egg. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
• Add more spice. Do you prefer them to be more spicy? Add more cayenne to the breadcrumb mixture, and drizzle plenty of buffalo sauce before serving.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve with blue cheese or ranch dressing for dipping.
• Makes a great appetizer, served with a side of carrot and celery sticks. Perfect for a game day gathering!
• These are a quick and easy dinner served with a side of fries, salad, mashed potatoes, or whatever other sides you prefer.
• Add these to a salad with crispy greens, cabbage, carrots, cucumber, and blue cheese or ranch dressing.

More Recipes

• Air Fryer Parmesan Crusted Chicken
• Baked Chicken Nuggets
• BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
• Bacon Cheeseburger Salad
• Baked Zucchini Chips with Sriracha Aioli

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