Spicy Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders Recipe
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If you want some crispy and juicy chicken tenders like Popeye’s but without all the oil, this Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders recipe will satisfy those cravings in a healthy and accessible way!
Watch How to Make Popeye’s-Style Air Fryer Chicken Tenders Here:
Are you a fan of Popeye’s chicken? It’s become my favourite spot to get some crispy fried chicken now, and when I drive past the one nearest to my home, I can’t resist getting some! Recently, in Canada, you can now get the spicy chicken tenders on their own and not in a wrap. I have to say that these tenders are actually spicy, which is great since when I look for “spicy” chicken I actually want it spicy!
The problem with my Popeye’s obsession is that this can get expensive, plus having all of this fried chicken is not very good for your health! As a result, to satisfy my cravings for spicy crispy chicken tenders, I decided to share this air fryer recipe! As I mention in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!!, going out to eat can inspire you to recreate those restaurant - or fast-food! - favourites right from home. I certainly love chicken tenders, and I’ve made my version of Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders in the past if you want to check that out. However, the problem with deep frying at home is that it’s a truly involved process and an entire production in itself to get the oil ready and to deep fry. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun, but not easy to incorporate into a daily dinner!This version is accessible to everyone so you can make chicken tenders whenever you’ve got the craving! If you’ve always wanted to replicate your own Popeye’s chicken tenders at home, then check this off your bucket list as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge!
To solidify the concepts we discuss in this post to ensure you get the best possible results when you air fry your chicken tenders and to prevent all the mistakes that could lead up to some questionable results, be sure to watch the video! It would mean a lot to me if you could also please subscribe to my YouTube channel, and be sure to hit the bell button to be notified when all my latest video recipes go live! Let's get air frying!
Questions You May Have!
Why Make Crispy Chicken Tenders in the Air Fryer?
Easier to make than deep frying
Minimal cleanup
Significantly less oil is needed than deep frying
Tastes better than Popeye’s chicken tenders!
Nutritional Information
These Popeye’s crispy air fryer chicken tenderloins are way more nutritious than the real deal! Here’s what you’ll like about them:
High in protein
Less breading than the traditional version, making it lower in carbs
Minimal refined oil compared to the original
Lower in calories
Can be gluten-free if you use gluten-free flour
Let’s also compare the nutritional information of our chicken tenders in the air fryer compared to Popeye’s.
The Performance Check
Comparing the home-cooked standard against the fast-food baseline (3-piece serving).
| Nutrient | Air Fried | Fast Food |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 220 kcal | 450 kcal |
| Protein | 28g | 25g |
| Total Fat | 6g | 28g |
| Carbohydrates | 12g | 30g |
| Sodium | 450mg | 900mg |
What Kind of Chicken Should I Get?
I’m using packaged chicken tenders from my grocery store. You can buy just the tenders, or you can cut the tenderloin from the chicken breast.
What if I Don’t Have Buttermilk?
To be honest, if you want Popeye’s chicken, then you need buttermilk since that’s what Popeye’s does! If you don’t have it, you could one of three things:
Bread the chicken with egg and Panko breadcrumbs, such as the method I follow in my Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets or in Chicken Parmesan. However, you won’t achieve the same result like Popeye’s, because Popeye’s uses a buttermilk marinade.
Use saltwater brine to tenderize and flavour the chicken, and then bread in a similar way to the method I show here with the seasoned all purpose flour and baking powder. The problem here is that you’ll miss the tartness and creaminess that comes with the buttermilk. Furthermore, there won’t be enough of the thick buttermilk creamy texture to create a craggly crust that gives the satisfying crunch in the final product.
A hybrid approach where you brine chicken first, then coating it with egg and Panko breadcrumbs. This creates a juicy interior with a crispy crust, though the final texture will still be different from a traditional buttermilk-fried chicken tender.
So with all this being said, why would you NOT want buttermilk (air fried!) chicken tenders! You clicked on this recipe, right?
How Do You Prevent the Breading from Falling Off the Chicken?
Whether you are using chicken tenders that have been marinated in buttermilk, such as in this recipe, or if you’re going the traditional route where you dredge the chicken in flour, egg, and then Panko breadcrumbs, the idea stays the same. When doing the final coat, you need to make sure you lightly press the breading (the flour mixture or the Panko breadcrumbs, respectively). This helps ensure that the moisture that’s on the chicken is fully utilized and the breading stays on to give you that even crispy crust.
What Are Fryer Are You Using?
As I have been using for pretty much the past year now, I’m using the Cosori Air Fryer 6 Quart 9-in-1 air fryer. This is the second air fryer I’ve owned, and the first one was the Ninja Dual Basket 6-in-1 air fryer. At the time, the appeal of that air fryer was to have the two baskets so that I could make two different dishes at the same time. It was also super convenient that I could set the two baskets at different cook times and temperatures. Although super handy, unfortunately its downfall was because one of the baskets stopped working, so I couldn’t really use the air fryer since all I was left with was one fairly small basket. It didn’t even last a solid year! I didn’t see the point of keeping it since it didn’t fulfill its purpose, and I didn’t believe it had any sale value so I had to toss it away. If you want to learn more about the end of that air fryer, be sure to watch this video. My Cosori air fryer really is excellent, and I highly recommend it because of the size of the basket, it’s got plenty of useful settings, and it’s not too loud. For more information with a full review, check out this video.
How Do You Get these Air Fryer Chicken Tenders to be Ultra Crispy?
The key is to spray oil on both sides of the chicken tenders before air frying. Oil is a non-negotiable, and without it you’re likely to get burnt and dry chicken tenders since the spices don’t have a protective coating from the hot air that’s circulating in the air fryer.
How Do You Get How Do I Know the Chicken is Cooked?
This will be based on the cooking time of the chicken. If you follow this method, you’ll have completely cooked chicken tenders. You can see that they’re fully cooked because the inside will be completely white inside with no visible pink. The internal temperature of cooked chicken is 165F.
Tools Needed to Make Popeye’s Air Fryer Chicken
Ingredients for Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
The FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD, which can be found by scrolling down to the or press the “Jump to Recipe” button for all ingredients and their quantities listed, and you can save the recipe for later. The recipe card will also allow you to scale the recipe based on how much chicken you’re working with. By default, if you’ve got 2 pounds of chicken, you’ll have about 18 tenders.
For the marinade
Chicken tenders: Alternatively, you can use boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 2/3 inch strips.
Spices: Cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder,onion powder, salt, and white pepper to season the chicken before adding the buttermilk.
Hot sauce: I’m using Frank’s original RedHot. You can use your favourite hot sauce or buffalo sauce.
Buttermilk: The main component of the marinade. Buttermilk will make the chicken really tender.
For the breading
Flour: All-purpose flour or bread flour will work here.
Baking powder: To add the iconic fluffiness and airiness to the breading.
Spices: Paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, white pepper, along with salt and pepper to taste.
Vegetable oil: Transfer it into a spray bottle for air frying.
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
In a large bowl, combine the chicken tenders, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, white pepper and hot sauce. Mix well to coat the spices all over the chicken.
Pour buttermilk over the chicken and add enough to completely submerge the chicken. Mix lightly to coat each side.
Marinate for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.
In a large casserole or container add flour, baking powder, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, white pepper, salt, and black pepper and mix well.
Add 2–3 tbsp of the buttermilk marinade into the flour mixture and mix lightly to create small craggy bits for extra crispy texture.
Working in batches of 3-4 pieces, toss each piece with the flour. Press lightly to ensure you get crusting and layers of flours over the marinated chicken. Alternatively, lightly coat the pieces of chicken with the flour, cover the container and shake to get the desired "craggy" texture.
Preheat the air fryer at 375°F.
Place the breaded chicken in the air fryer basket in a single layer and spray each side generously with vegetable oil.
Air fry at for 10 minutes.
Flip the chicken halfway through and spray any dry spots with more oil if needed.
Increase the temperature to 400°F and cook for another 3–4 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
Enjoy!
Common Mistakes You Might be Making and How to Troubleshoot!
If you’re not careful, you could end up with a disaster instead of crispy chicken tenders that are better than Popeye’s! Here’s what to look out for and what to do instead!
Not seasoning the chicken before marinating: For the chicken to be tasty, you need to season it before marinating it in buttermilk! We’re also going to be adding in some hot sauce to the chicken for the it to get that spiciness we’re going for.
Skipping the buttermilk: Making buttermilk chick tenders really is the key to the goodness here! The buttermilk makes the chicken extremely tender, and the longer you marinate, the better the results will be.
Not seasoning the breading mixture: Just as it was crucial to season the chicken for marination, you’ll also need to marinate the breading mixture to get maximum flavour! We’ll be using a similar flavour profile that was in the marinade to get ultimate deliciousness. Here’s what you’ll end up with if you don’t season your breading mixture and bread it incorrectly.
Improper breading technique: If you don’t bread the chicken properly, then you are likely to have the breading fall off the chicken, and you’ll end up with some sad chicken tenders. Ensure to really press the breading onto the chicken, and shake off any excess.
Not adding oil: Oil is always a non-negotiable ingredient. Of course deep frying uses a substantial amount of oil to get that crunchy texture and golden brown colour, we will need a little bit to achieve similar results combined with the air fryer’s hot air. I like to put my oil in a spray bottle so I can cover more surface area using less. You’ll need to spray on both sides of the chicken tenders before air frying. See below for the before and after of the plain chicken tender that we didn’t add oil to.
Not preheating the air fryer: Preheating the air fryer seems like an insignificant step, but it’s actually very important! Preheating allows the air fryer to heat up and come to the correct temperature, just as an oven preheats. When it’s fully preheated, that means you can just add your food to the basket, and it will cook immediately. Otherwise, you’re losing precious time because the air fryer is heating up and not cooking the food, leading to inconsistent cook times and overall results.
Overcrowding the air fryer basket: Overcrowding is a mistake I always discuss in my air fryer recipes, because this seems innocent, especially when you’re very hungry, but if you do this, you’re going to waste more time than if you had just been patient and cooked your air fryer chicken tenders in batches! It’s essential to place them in a single layer, with enough space between each tender so the air can properly circulate around the chicken tenders and cook them evenly and perfectly.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
How to Store
You can definitely store your cooked chicken tenders in the fridge. While they will always be the crispiest and most delicious fresh, if you do have extras, then there’s no problem at all! Transfer them into an airtight container and store for about three to four days. In addition, you could also keep the chicken in the marinade for 2 to 3 days in the fridge. The longer you marinade, the more tender and the more flavour the chicken tenders will have!
Freezing
If you really need to, you can freeze your cooked chicken tenders. I would keep them in the freezer for no longer than three months to prevent freezer burn.
Reheating
Reheating air fryer chicken tenders is really easy! All you need to do is put them in the air fryer basket and this will set the temperature at 390 F for five minutes. You can reheat the chicken tenders from frozen, however, it will take a little longer. Keep heating until the crust is crisp again and the inside of the chicken is completely warmed through.
Best Ways to Serve Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Dipping Sauces
Meal Ideas
Some delicious side dishes to mix and match to make your air fryer Popeye’s chicken tenders into a complete meal!
Other Fun Serving Suggestions for Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Rustic Platter: Arrange tenders on a wooden board or large plate with small bowls of your dipping sauces (Spicy Aioli, Ranch, Thai Curry Mayo). Add a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley or chives for a pop of colour and freshness.
Crispy Tender Sliders: Place a tender inside mini brioche buns with a smear of garlic-truffle aioli, a leaf of crisp lettuce, and a slice of pickled jalapeño. These are great for parties or casual lunches!
In a wrap: In tortilla, add some lettuce or your favourite greens with sauce. Add the cut chicken tenders and top with sliced onions and tomatoes.
Salad Topping: Slice tenders diagonally and serve on top your favourite salad combination. The warm crunch meets fresh, tangy greens for a balanced plate.
Breakfast: Yes, a reason to have “fried” chicken for breakfast! Serve the crispy tenders alongside air fryer smashed potatoes and a sunny-side-up egg, drizzled with a bit of hot sauce or ranch for a hearty brunch option.
More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!
Spicy Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
If you want some crispy and juicy chicken tenders like Popeye’s but without all the oil, this Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders recipe will satisfy those cravings in a healthy and accessible way!
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken tenders (or boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 2/3 inch strips)
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- 1 Cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 Cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
- vegetable oil in a spray bottle for air frying
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken tenders, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, white pepper and hot sauce. Mix well to coat the spices all over the chicken.
- Pour buttermilk over the chicken and add enough to completely submerge the chicken. Mix lightly to coat each side.
- Marinate for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.
- In a large casserole or container add flour, baking powder, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, white pepper, salt, and black pepper and mix well.
- Add 2–3 tbsp of the buttermilk marinade into the flour mixture and mix lightly to create small craggy bits for extra crispy texture.
- Working in batches of 3-4 pieces, toss each piece with the flour. Press lightly to ensure you get crusting and layers of flours over the marinated chicken. Alternatively, lightly coat the pieces of chicken with the flour, cover the container and shake to get the desired "craggy" texture.
- Preheat the air fryer at 375°F. Place the breaded chicken in the air fryer basket in a single layer and spray each side generously with vegetable oil.
- Air fry at for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through and spraying any dry spots with more oil if needed.
- Increase the temperature to 400°F and cook for another 3–4 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
129Fat (grams)
2 gSat. Fat (grams)
1 gCarbs (grams)
11 gFiber (grams)
1 gNet carbs
11 gSugar (grams)
1 gProtein (grams)
15 gSodium (milligrams)
484 mgCholesterol (grams)
40 mgNutrition info is an estimate.
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Welcome to Cooking With Anadi. This platform is all about making cooking exciting and finding new ways to bring classic flavours and recipes at your service. Join me in my personal journey in the world of cooking. Hope you have a great ride!
