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A plate full of instant pot air fryer chicken tenders next to a honey mustard sauce.
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4.91 from 21 votes

Instant Pot Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

These air fryer chicken tenders are quick, easy, and super crispy. Served with ranch, bbq, or copycat chick-fil-a sauce, the whole family will love them. See post for gluten/egg-free options.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 334kcal
Author: Alicia

Equipment

  • Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid or Air Fryer

Ingredients

  • 1.5 pounds boneless chicken tenders
  • ¼-1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons regular or dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon paprika (smoked paprika works too)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1.5 cups panko
  • olive oil or cooking oil spray

Instructions

  • If you're using chicken breasts, pound them out to a little less than ½" thickness and then slice into tenders OR slice the breast in half width-wise and then into strips.
  • Spread all purpose flour in a shallow dish, then in a separate shallow dish, combine mayo, mustard, kosher salt, paprika, and garlic powder. In a 3rd dish or plate, add panko.
  • Dip the chicken tenders into the flour, coating both sides and shaking off any excess, then place them in the mustard/mayo mixture. Finally, coat them in panko, patting both sides and shaking off excess. Place them on a plate or foil till ready to cook.
  • Preheat air fryer lid to 400 degrees, spray both sides of the chicken lightly with oil spray and place into the raised rack of your air fryer. Cook 8 minutes on the first side, flip and cook another 7 minutes on the next side. They're done when they're golden brown on the outside and 165 degrees F on the inside (using a meat thermometer).
  • Since you have to do this in batches. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and put the finished chicken tenders on top. You can leave them in a warm oven till the rest are done and they should stay crispy.

Notes

  • This recipe serves between 3-4 people depending on how hungry they are. Or one pregnant lady and one guy who does a lot of crossfit. 
  • See post for detailed oven baking instructions - 425F at 15-17 minutes.
  • For gluten free, use GF panko and all purpose flour
  • For egg free chicken tenders, use my egg free mayo recipe. 

Nutrition

Serving: 2strips | Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 790mg | Potassium: 699mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 61IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 2mg