Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders Recipe – Easy & Healthy Dinner
Crispy Ranch & Rotisserie-Spiced Chicken Fingers
Tender chicken strips tossed in a ranch and rotisserie seasoning blend, air-fried to golden perfection in under 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C).
- In a shallow bowl, whisk flour with ranch seasoning, rotisserie seasoning, a pinch of salt, and pepper.
- In a second bowl, beat eggs with milk and hot sauce until combined.
- In a third bowl, combine breadcrumbs with a small pinch of salt and pepper.
- Working one at a time, dredge each chicken tender in the seasoned flour, shake off excess, dip into egg wash, then press into breadcrumbs. For extra crunch, repeat the egg and breadcrumb step.
- Arrange tenders in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Lightly mist with cooking spray.
- Cook for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through and spraying again if needed for an even golden crust.
- Ensure internal temperature reaches 165°F. Let rest for 2–3 minutes before serving.
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Crispy Ranch & Rotisserie-Spiced Chicken Fingers
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken tenders
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ranch seasoning blend
- 1 tsp rotisserie chicken seasoning
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp hot sauce (optional, for a hint of zing)
- 1 cup plain breadcrumbs (Progresso or Trader Joe’s)
- Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C).
- In Bowl #1, whisk flour, ranch seasoning, rotisserie seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- In Bowl #2, beat eggs with milk and hot sauce.
- In Bowl #3, mix breadcrumbs with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Coat each tender: flour → egg wash → breadcrumbs. For an extra-crisp coating, repeat the egg and breadcrumb dip.
- Arrange tenders in a single layer in the basket; spray tops lightly.
- Air-fry 10 minutes, flipping halfway and spraying again if desired.
- Check for 165°F internal temperature, then let rest 2–3 minutes before serving.
Special Tips
- Double-Dip Magic: A second dip in egg and crumbs gives restaurant-style crunch.
- Rest & Crisp: Let the cooked tenders sit in the air fryer (turned off) for 2 minutes to lock in crispness.
- Breadcrumb Swap: Panko works beautifully for a lighter, airier crust.
Seasoning Flex: If you don’t have seasoning blends, stir 1½ tsp salt and a few grinds of pepper into both flour and crumbs.
Breadcrumbs: Trader Joe’s gives chunkier bits, Progresso is finer—but mixing them is a delicious hack when you run low!
