These air fryer chicken tenders without breading take 8 to 11 minutes at 380°F. No flour, no eggs, no breadcrumbs. They come out juicy with golden, crispy edges and 36g of protein per serving. I toss mine in BBQ or buffalo sauce after air frying.
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders without Breading At A Glance
- ✅ Recipe Name: Air Fryer Chicken Tenders (No Breading, High-Protein)
- 🕒 Ready In: ~5 minutes prep, 8 to 11 minutes in the air fryer
- 🌡️ Air Fryer Temp: 380°F, flipping once halfway through
- 👪 Serves: 4
- 🍽 Calories: ~231 per serving
- 💪 Protein: ~36g per serving
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Chicken tenders or chicken breasts cut into strips, olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper
- 📖 Dietary Info: High-protein, low-carb, keto, gluten-free, dairy-free, no flour, no eggs, no breadcrumbs
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: Most recipes run at 400°F. I use 380°F so the thin ends don't dry out before the middle cooks through. Sauce goes on after air frying, not before, so nothing burns onto the basket.
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Why I make these air fryer chicken tenders every week
I got into air frying chicken because of meal prep, not dinner. Training for endurance events on top of a full-time job means I need a lot of protein fast, and chicken tenderloins turned out to be the quickest cut in the basket. Under 11 minutes, portions cleanly for the week, 36 grams of protein per serving.
The breading came off almost immediately. I still make air fryer chicken cutlets with a proper coating when I want that crunch, but breading is fussy on a weeknight. Flour, eggs, a dredging station, and half of it welded to the basket. Skipping it is the same call I made with my air fryer chicken thighs and air fryer chicken meatballs.
Two things took me a while to get right. Nearly every recipe says 400°F, and at 400 the thin end of a tenderloin dries out before the thick end is done. Dropping to 380°F fixed it. The second is sauce. I used to marinate before air frying and the sugars burned onto the basket, so now I toss the tenders in BBQ or buffalo after they come out.
Jump to:
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders without Breading At A Glance
- Why I make these air fryer chicken tenders every week
- Are these air fryer chicken tenders healthy?
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Tenders without Breading (Step-by-Step)
- Tips for crispy chicken tenders without breading
- Cooking Raw or Frozen Chicken Tenders in the Air Fryer
- How Long to Cook Chicken Tenders in the Air Fryer
- What to Serve with Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- How to Store, Reheat, and Meal Prep
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders FAQs
- More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes You'll Love
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I make these weekly. So yummy! Thanks, Tati 🙂
- Penny
Are these air fryer chicken tenders healthy?
Yes. One serving has 231 calories, 36 grams of protein, and 1 gram of carbs. Skipping the breading is what does it. Flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs are where most of the calories and nearly all the carbs in a standard chicken tender come from.
| Type | Calories | Protein | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| These tenders (no breading) | ~231 | ~36g | ~1g |
| Homemade breaded, air fried | ~290 | ~33g | ~15g |
| Fast food fried tenders | ~380 | ~28g | ~22g |
This recipe is keto, low-carb, and gluten-free without swapping anything out.
Ingredients You'll Need
These need seven ingredients: chicken tenderloins, olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. No flour, no eggs, no breadcrumbs.
- Chicken tenders: Pre-cut tenderloins are fastest, but boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch strips work just as well. Trim the fat and the white tendon off the tenderloins first, or they turn out chewy.
- Olive oil: This is the only reason the seasoning stays put. With no egg wash and no breadcrumbs, the oil is what the spices grip onto. Avocado oil works too.
- Smoked paprika: Does the heavy lifting on flavor and color. Smoked paprika is what gives these tenders that deep golden look without any coating. Regular paprika is fine but milder.
- Garlic powder: Use powder, not fresh. Fresh garlic burns in the air fryer at this temperature.
- Onion powder: Rounds out the garlic and paprika. Skip it and the seasoning tastes flat.
- Salt & pepper: For taste, of course.
- Optional sauces: BBQ, buffalo, teriyaki, or honey sriracha. These go on after air frying, not before. If you want the sweet-and-spicy version as its own thing, I have a full hot honey chicken tenders recipe.
Scroll to recipe card for quantities!
Substitutions and Variations
- Chicken breast instead of tenderloins: Cut boneless skinless breasts into 1-inch strips. Aim for even thickness, or the thin pieces will overcook while the thick ones are still going. Cook time stays the same at 380°F.
- Make them spicy: Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of cayenne to the seasoning mix. Start low; it builds fast in the air fryer.
- Add your favorite sauce: Warm ½ cup of BBQ, buffalo, or teriyaki for 20 to 40 seconds, then toss the cooked tenders in it. If you want the sauce built into the recipe instead, I have air fryer buffalo chicken or air fryer teriyaki chicken.
- Bake them instead: 425°F for 10 to 14 minutes on a parchment-lined sheet, until the edges crisp and the internal temp hits 165°F.
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Tenders without Breading (Step-by-Step)
Air fryer chicken tenders without breading take 8 to 11 minutes at 380°F. Season, air fry, flip once, done. Here is what each step looks like.
- Step 1: Season the chicken. Trim the fat and white tendon off the tenderloins, then toss them in a large bowl with the olive oil and all the seasonings until every piece is coated.
- Step 2: Load the basket. Preheat the air fryer to 380°F, then arrange the tenders in a single layer with space between them. Crowding the basket steams the chicken instead of browning it.
- Step 3: Air fry and flip. Cook for 8 to 11 minutes, flipping once halfway through. They are done at 165°F, with golden, slightly crisp edges.
- Step 4: Sauce them, if you want. Warm ½ cup of BBQ, buffalo, teriyaki, or honey sriracha for 20 to 40 seconds and toss the hot tenders in it. Saucing after air frying keeps the sugars from burning onto the basket.
Tips for crispy chicken tenders without breading
Here is the honest version: unbreaded chicken tenders will not get crunchy the way breaded ones do. There is no coating to crisp. What you can get is golden, slightly crisp edges and a juicy middle, and these five things are what get you there.
- Pat the chicken bone dry: Surface moisture steams before it browns. Use paper towels on both sides, right before you season. This is the step that makes the biggest difference and the one most people skip.
- Do not skip the oil: With no egg wash or breadcrumbs, the oil is what carries the seasoning and helps the outside brown. One tablespoon coats 1.5 pounds.
- Preheat the air fryer: Cold chicken into a cold basket means the tenders slowly heat up instead of searing. Preheating at 380°F takes about 3 minutes, and it is worth it.
- Give them space: A single layer with room between each piece. If they are touching, the air cannot circulate, and you get pale, steamed chicken. Cook in two batches if you have to.
- Sauce after, never before: Marinating first means the sugars burn onto the basket and the surface stays wet, so nothing browns. Toss the tenders in warm sauce once they are out.
Cooking Raw or Frozen Chicken Tenders in the Air Fryer
- Raw chicken tenders: This recipe is built for raw. Season them straight from the package and put them in the basket. No pre-cooking, no boiling, no thawing step. They take 8 to 11 minutes at 380°F and are done at 165°F.
- Frozen raw chicken tenders: Thaw them first. Seasoning will not stick to a frozen surface, so the oil and spices slide off and you end up with pale, bland chicken. Move them to the fridge the night before, then cook exactly as written.
- Store-bought breaded frozen tenders: Different product, different rules. Those are already breaded and usually precooked, so they need higher heat and no oil or seasoning from this recipe. Follow the bag.
How Long to Cook Chicken Tenders in the Air Fryer
Chicken tenders take 8 to 11 minutes at 380°F, flipping once halfway through. The range depends on how thick the pieces are, not on the recipe. Here is what I go by:
| Cut | Temp | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Thin chicken tenderloins: | 380°F | 8 to 9 minutes |
| Thick chicken tenderloins: | 380°F | 10 to 11 minutes |
| Chicken breast, 1-inch strips: | 380°F | 10 to 12 minutes |
Cook time is a guide, not a rule. Pull them when the internal temperature hits 165°F in the thickest part. An instant-read thermometer is the only way to know for sure, because unbreaded tenders brown on the outside before the middle is finished.
What to Serve with Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
I make these mostly for meal prep, so they usually land on a salad or next to a starch I air-fried in the same basket right before.
- Dipping sauces: Try my healthy ranch dip, honey mustard, BBQ, or ketchup. Toss the tenders in my avocado green goddess dressing if you want something fresher.
- Salads: Slice them and put them over an orzo pesto salad or this healthy Greek pasta salad. This is my usual lunch.
- Potatoes: Crispy air fryer sweet potato wedges or smashed fingerling potatoes. Air fry the potatoes first, then the chicken, then throw the potatoes back in for a minute to reheat.
- Vegetables: Roasted broccoli, green beans, or asparagus. I love these balsamic maple Brussels sprouts. All three cook while the chicken is in the basket.
- Something heartier: Air fryer garlic bread or healthy mac and cheese if you are feeding a crowd or making these for game day.
How to Store, Reheat, and Meal Prep
- Storing: Let the tenders cool to room temperature, then move them to an airtight container. They keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
- Reheating: Air fry at 250°F for 5 to 7 minutes. Low and slow warms them through without drying out the edges. The microwave works in 30 to 60 seconds if you are in a hurry, but they lose the crisp.
- Freezing: Cool completely, then freeze in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Reheat on defrost mode in the air fryer, or 60 to 90 seconds in the microwave.
- Meal prep: This is what I make these for. I do 1.5 pounds on Sunday, portion them into four containers, and they hold up all week. Store them plain and add sauce the day you eat them; otherwise, the surface goes soft in the fridge.
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders FAQs
380°F. Most recipes call for 400°F, but unbreaded tenderloins are thin and lean, so the thin end dries out before the thick end is cooked through. 380°F gives the middle time to catch up.
8 to 11 minutes at 380°F, flipping once halfway through. Thicker tenderloins or breast strips take closer to 11. Always check the internal temperature rather than the clock.
165°F in the thickest part. An instant-read thermometer is the only reliable way. The outside browns before the inside finishes, so color is not a doneness signal.
Yes. One flip halfway through is what gets you even color on both sides. Skip it and the bottom stays pale.
Yes. Cut boneless skinless breasts into 1-inch strips and keep the thickness even. Same temperature, same time.
Yes to both. No flour, no eggs, no breadcrumbs, and 1 gram of carbs per serving. Nothing needs swapping out.
Yes. 425°F for 10 to 14 minutes on a parchment-lined sheet, until the edges crisp and the internal temp hits 165°F.
Usually moisture or crowding. Pat the chicken bone dry before seasoning and leave space between each piece in the basket. Unbreaded tenders get golden, crisp edges, not a crunchy coating.
36 grams per serving, which is roughly 3 to 4 tenders. Skipping the breading is why the number is high. A coating adds weight and carbs without adding protein.
More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes You'll Love
If you loved these air fryer chicken tenders, here are a few more recipes to try next:
Did you make this recipe?
If you make this recipe, be sure to comment and rate it down below. Also, don't forget to tag me @healthfulblondie on Instagram and use the hashtag #healthfulblondie so I can see your delicious creation and share it with my followers!
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders (No Breading)
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken tenders (8 - 10 pieces), or 3 chicken breasts cut into strips
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- OPTIONAL SAUCES: BBQ Sauce, Buffalo sauce, teriyaki, or honey sriracha sauce
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat your air fryer to 380°F.
- Prep the chicken: Trim the fat and white tendon from the chicken tenders. If using boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut them into 1-inch thick strips. Pat everything dry with paper towels.
- Season: Add the chicken tenders to a large mixing bowl with the olive oil and all the seasonings. Toss to coat.
- Load the basket: Place the seasoned chicken tenders into the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer, leaving space between each piece. Lightly spray with olive oil or avocado oil spray.
- Air fry: Cook at 380°F for 8 to 11 minutes, flipping once halfway through. They are done when the edges are golden and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Serve: Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce and a squeeze of lemon.
- Optional sauce: Warm ½ cup of BBQ, buffalo, teriyaki, or honey sriracha in a microwave-safe bowl for 20 to 40 seconds. Add the cooked tenders to a clean bowl and toss with the sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe tested and developed by Tati Chermayeff, creator of Healthful Blondie. A former Division I rower, Ironman triathlete, and recipe developer based in Austin, TX, Tati creates high-protein and healthy recipes that actually taste like the real thing.
Alisha says
Delicious for 4th of July celebrations!
Tati Chermayeff says
Thank you so much for this comment and 5 star review, Alisha! Hope you get to try other recipes 🙂
Penny Jocabs says
I make these weekly. So yummy! Thanks Tati 🙂
Tati Chermayeff says
Hi Penny! I am so happy you liked these. They are my favorite too 🙂