Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Tenders

Air fryer buffalo chicken tenders are crispy, spicy, and so delicious. They cook in under 20 minutes, are made with 4 main ingredients, and are great for a healthy weeknight dinner. Skip the frozen store-bought ones, and make these instead!

By now I think it's quite obvious I like spicy buffalo recipes. I've got buffalo chicken salad, buffalo shrimp, spicy chicken quesadillas, buffalo chicken dip, my own vegan buffalo sauce, and now I can add air fryer buffalo chicken tenders to the list!

I took my gluten free homemade chicken tenders recipe and made it nice and spicy! This easy recipe only needs a few simple ingredients, has a less than 10 minute cook time, and is a delicious dinner the whole family will love.

This is a great recipe for a quick lunch option, on busy weeknights, or even just to get out of a boring dinner rut. Pair it with a simple salad and roasted broccoli for a healthy, easy, and insanely delicious meal.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

• You only need 4 main ingredients
• They're gluten free
• Crispy and spicy
• Breading is crunchy, chicken is juicy
• Cooks in under 10 minutes
• Leftovers make a great lunch

INGREDIENTS FOR AIR FRYER BUFFALO CHICKEN TENDERS

• Chicken tenderloins: This part is the long muscle found underneath the breast. They're fairly small, but also the most tender part of the chicken
• Gluten free Panko breadcrumbs: My favorite brand to use is Ian's, but any your grocery store carries will work
• Egg whites: The egg whites keep the breading light and crispy
• Buffalo sauce: I used Sweet Baby Ray's Buffalo Wing Sauce for this. It's creamy, spicy, and delicious
• Spices: Salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper

HOW TO MAKE BUFFALO CHICKEN TENDERS IN THE AIR FRYER

1. Pat your chicken tenderloins dry with a paper towel and place them onto a plate.
2. In a shallow bowl whisk together egg whites and ¼ cup buffalo sauce. Then, in another shallow bowl, whisk together the gluten free panko crumbs and all of the spices
3. Preheat your air fryer to 360 degrees F while you start the breading process
4. To bread, take one of the dry tenderloins and dip it into the egg mixture, then put it into the bowl of breadcrumbs and use your hand to coat it completely
5. Transfer the breaded chicken tender to a parchment lined baking sheet, and repeat step 5 with the remaining tenderloins
6. Once they're all breaded and the air fryer is preheated, spray air fryer basket with olive oil spray, lay the breaded tenders down in a single layer, and liberally spray the top of the chicken with more cooking spray
7. Cook at 360 degrees F for 8 minutes, using tongs to flip halfway through
8. Once cooked, use the tongs to place the crispy chicken tenders onto a wire rack and cook any extra chicken that didn't fit
9. When all the air fryer buffalo chicken tenders are cooked, heat the buffalo sauce in a sauce pan over medium heat, and carefully coat each tender in the sauce
10. Serve and enjoy!

INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS

Chicken tenderloins: Use chicken breast instead and cut it into strips

Gluten free Panko breadcrumbs: Regular Panko bread crumbs will work if you're not gluten free

Egg whites: You can use ¼ cup heavy cream in its place

Cooking spray: Avocado oil spray works great too

CAN I USE CHICKEN BREAST INSTEAD?

Absolutely! Chicken tenderloins are great if your store carries them, but if chicken breast is what you have, or it's on sale, you can 100% use that instead. You do just want to make sure they're boneless chicken breasts so you're not trying to cut around the bone and you get nice strips.

WHAT IS THE BEST SAUCE TO USE FOR AIR FRYER BUFFALO CHICKEN TENDERS?

I used Sweet Baby Ray's for these air fryer buffalo chicken tenders and it was delicious! However, here's a few more options:

• Primal Kitchen
• Buffalo Wild Wings
• Frank's Buffalo Sauce
• Homemade buffalo sauce

STORING AND REHEATING LEFTOVERS

You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can reheat for a quick and easy dinner, cut the chicken into pieces and make into a quesadilla, or keep them cold and put on top of a salad.

To reheat, place them into the air fryer basket, spray lightly with a little bit of cooking spray and cook at 350 degrees F for 2-3 minutes until heated through. After 2 days, the breading won't be really crisp, but they still taste delicious.

EXPERT TIPS

• Make sure the chicken is in equal sizes so it cooks evenly
• Dry the chicken with paper towels first so the breading gets super crisp
• Use boneless skinless chicken breast instead of tenderloins
• Do the egg wash with one hand and the breading with the other
• Spray each piece liberally with cooking spray so you air fryer chicken tenders come out crisp and golden brown
• After dipping in buffalo sauce, serve immediately
• If you want the tenders to stay super crisp, don't coat them in the sauce and instead, serve it on the side
• Let each piece of chicken cool completely before placing into a container or else the condensation will make the breading soggy

WHAT TO SERVE WITH AIR FRYER BUFFALO CHICKEN TENDERS

DIPPING SAUCES:

• Blue cheese dressing
• Ranch dressing
• Avocado ranch
• Extra buffalo sauce

SIDES:

• Celery sticks
• Carrot fries
• Chips and guacamole
• Kale salad
• Sweet potato fries
• Air fryer broccoli
• Zucchini and squash

FAQs

How long do chicken tenders need to cook in the air fryer?

These cook about 8 minutes until the breading is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

Can I stack the chicken tenders in the air fryer?

No, you want them to lay in a single layer so the hot air can circulate and they can get crispy.

Is buffalo sauce gluten free?

Yes, unless otherwise listed, buffalo sauce is gluten free.

Did you make my air fryer buffalo chicken tenders? If you did, I would greatly appreciate you leaving a comment and star rating down below. Additionally, follow me on Instagram and tag me if you make this or any other of my easy air fryer recipes!

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