How Long To Cook Frozen Chicken Tenders
Just check out the temp and timing on our chart!
- You too can print this air fryer cook times out and keep it on your fridge.
- Then next time you want to know how long air fryer fish sticks take, or chicken, youll know!
- Of course you should BOOKMARK my website because I share new tips and dinner recipes like this regularly too.
Now it really doesnt matter what brand you buy, but I show a picture of the variety we choose. There will likely be larger and smaller frozen chicken strips inside all packages.
Depending on the size, the smaller one will get crispier and thicker pieces wont get quite as hot.
If you follow the directions below youll notice that we leave them inside the air fryer basket for 5 minutes after the cook time is up. This is important to ensure the middle gets warm all the way.
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Tenders
These are probably by girls favorite snacks, or lunch. Now that theyre older they can make them by themselves. Its so nice when they reach that age. Just preheat, pop as many in as they would each like and in just a few minutes its like eating at Chick Fil A but way cheaper.
Forget about using the microwave anymore, that leaves these soft and limp. We all want crispy chicken tenders that crunch with every bite right? Now you can have them right at home without frying in oil. Just a light spray if you want to get them super crispy, or none at all works too. This is a game changer friends.
If you love air fryer recipes too, here are some resources to start with:
- It has temp. and times for making the best frozen foods for air fryer too.
We started with air fryer chicken nuggets and I couldnt believe the difference. I mean I had been making these for my 3 girls for years and years. Always thought man I wish I could get them crunchy just like McDonalds nuggets but there really wasnt a way to do that back then.
Fast forward when my oldest became a teen and this magical hot air machine came out. I couldnt wait to get my hands on one yall. First time I tried it out I was in love. A quick cook time plus how crunchy the outsides got. I even ate them for lunch that day!
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Tenders With Buffalo Sauce
For a spicy option, try air frying frozen chicken tenders with buffalo sauce. Simply brush the chicken tenders with buffalo sauce, then place them in the air fryer basket and cook at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, or until they are cooked through.
No matter how you choose to flavor your air-fried chicken tenders, theyll be cooked through in just a few minutes and theyll be a lot healthier than fried chicken tenders. So, next time youre looking for a quick and easy meal, give air fryer frozen chicken tenders a try!
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Different Breadings On Frozen Chicken Strips Or Tenders
With so many different brands of frozen chicken strips, there comes different breading styles too.
- Japanese panko, Italian style bread crumbs, gluten free, and keto pork rinds are just a few examples of what you can buy on the market.
- Timings will be slightly different between brands, so start air frying at the shortest time we suggest. From there, check on the chicken strips and cook for a few more minutes until the chicken tenders are to your preferred crispness and doneness.
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Strips
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Strips are so simple and convenient for a quick lunch or dinner! Serve them with dip, over salad, or in a tortilla wrap!
One of my favorite meals of all time is chicken strips with waffle fries. My first job was as a server, and the restaurant I worked at had the best chicken strips and the best waffle fries.
Really, they had the best everything, I miss that place!
Anyway, I eat chicken strips and waffle fries together at least once a month, sometimes more often! Being able to make them at home and them still be nice and crispy is awesome!
Our homemade air fryer chicken tenders are great, but sometimes you just need something quick!
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Heres What You Do To Make Air Fried Chicken In Just 15 Minutes
Enjoy your fried chicken strips with dipping sauces! I mean ketchup typically satisfies my youngest but the older they got the more they wanted choices and lots of them.
Want to try other versions of fried chicken tenders?
- Then try crispy chicken legs in air fryer and air fryer corn dogs next, your kids will love these too.
Of course you can use ketchup, but our favorite chicken strip dipping sauce is our homemade fry sauce! We use this on our frozen chicken tenders Instant Pot pieces too.
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Printable recipe card and nutritional information for this brand of tenders is below. That will vary with the size of each piece and/or brand used.
How To Save Leftover Chicken Tenderloins
You want to keep them as moist as possible. If you store in a container with a lid I like I pour a bit of sauce over the top of them so they dont dry out. Then you can easily reheat chicken tenders in air fryer again the next day or just warm in the microwave. Or dice up whats left and throw into another dish like our Crockpot chicken casserole.
Still not a believer? Take my word for it because I have done this many times, and I would never ever share a recipe or instructions for something that didnt work out. It is amazing how well this tiny hot air machine works with meat, vegetables and even baking desserts in it.
Below are step by step instructions including nutritional information for the exact ingredients listed.
Want to see a few of my favorite things that I am totally obsessed with or visit my Etsy shop?? Take a peek and see how many you might already havetwinsies!
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Frozen Raw Chicken Tenders In Air Fryer
These are different from precooked frozen air fryer chicken tenders with processed meat that are breaded. Those are more like chicken nuggets but larger. What we are referring to is the bagged, once fresh strips of tenderloins that is just pure meat without anything else.
We used these same pieces to cook frozen chicken tenders Instant Pot style. I added bbq sauce to the top of those when done because it would speak to my kids better that way. They were a huge hit. You could do the same with these for the last few minutes so it bakes on and kinda caramelizes.
If you love air fryer recipes too, here are some resources to start with:
- It has temp. and times for making the best frozen foods for air fryer too.
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Tenders Ingredients
You dont need much for the basic air fryer chicken tenders recipe. Heres what you should have on hand:
- Frozen chicken tenders
- Your favorite dipping sauce
We used The New Primal Mustard BBQ Sauce for dipping. As you can probably guess by the name, its a tasty mix of mustard and barbeque sauce. Youre getting 1 gram of added sugar per 2-tablespoon serving, but its from ingredients like pineapple juice concentrate and tamarind concentrate.
Youll also need an air fryer for this recipe. I have a spacious 10-Quart Kalorik Digital Air Fryer Oven, and I cannot recommend it enough!
Ninja and other brands of air fryers, as well as air fryers with baskets can also cook frozen chicken strips. However, they may require a slightly longer or shorter cooking time than Ive listed below.
Here are the ingredients in the Kidfresh white meat chicken sticks:
- Chicken breast meat
- Unbleached wheat flour
- Whole grain millet flour
The strips were also “browned in expeller pressed canola oil.” Youve got to love the convenience of this product. You can avoid adding a bunch of breading ingredients to your shopping list because theyve done the work for you.
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Expert Tips From A Dietitian
This is a level 3 recipe . These chicken strips have a high breading-to-chicken ratio. That means that they are relatively high in calories compared to the protein they provide. To round out this entrée, I recommend adding a glass of milk for additional protein plus some veggie side dishes.
If your goal is weight loss, I generally think it is better to skip breaded foods and other items containing a lot of flour. Most grain-based flours provide 100-110 calories per measly ¼-cup. Nut flours contain more protein but are often even higher in calories.
Instead of choosing a breaded chicken tender, I would pick plain chicken tenderloins if your goal is fat loss. Since plain chicken is kind of bland in the flavor department, Id add some herbs and spices to kick things up a notch.
On the other hand, what if youre trying to encourage a picky child or someone who is underweight to eat more? In that case, a little whole grain breading might be your friend!
Breaded proteins and breaded veggies tend to be more appealing to those who are having trouble eating compared to plain protein and veggies. Add a favorite sauce for dipping, and you may find the person willing to try types of food they typically avoid. How optimal a particular food choice is almost always comes down to an individuals food preferences, personal health goals, budget, and medical needs.
How To Make Frozen Chicken Tenders In Air Fryer
If youre making side dishes with a long cooking time, youll definitely need to start them first. These air fryer chicken strips cook very quickly!
IMVHO, the air fryer is your secret on how to make frozen chicken tenders crispy. Start by putting your frozen chicken strips in a single layer on your air fryer baking trays. No crowding, please!
If you have a small air fryer, you may have to cook the strips in multiple batches. I was able to fit the whole package of frozen chicken tenders in a single batch by using two trays.
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Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Tenderloins
You can see what naked chicken tenderloins look like here straight out of the bag. If you once thought that there was no way of cooking frozen meat to tender, youre so wrong. Youll be surprised at how fast and moist you can get these in your Ninja Foodi, Cosori, AirWave or whatever brand you have.
We have shared a ton of how to cook frozen chicken posts, because its a must when I am having one of those days.
How do you cook frozen chicken breast tenderloins in the airfryer?
Its pretty easy. You just want to preheat your machine for 5 minutes. Throw in a few pieces in one single layer, spray with olive oil, sprinkle on seasonings and air fry for 15-17 minutes or until tender. Timing will vary depending on how thick they are.
Tyson and Foster Farms are popular brand that offers these in bags year round. Typically you can buy a store brand too that tends to be a bit less expensive. I am very particular when it comes to poultry myself and will pay more for organic, free range because the texture is just way better. Your choice.
Do You Have To Preheat An Air Fryer
No. Most times pre heating helps our recipes achieve that classic crispness we love! Thick meat cuts like bone cut chicken breast and steak are best cooked in hot oil. If you dont want to cook your meat in oil, you should pre heat your airfryer. You can pre-heat your fryers using a small amount of oil in your pan. This will help your fried food stay crisp and golden brown. Dont forget to add a little bit of water to your oil when you pre heated your equipment.
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Frozen Chicken Tenders In Air Fryer Recipe
These frozen delights have two names! The jury is still out.
So what do you call these? What is your vote?
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Strips
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Tenders
Whatever you want to call them, we call them GOOD! These little frozen chicken strips are so easy to make in the air fryer!
The air fryer gets them UBER crispy on the outside and deliciously tender on the inside!
That’s a perfect combo you are going to want to get your hands on!
If you love fast food and often find yourself heading through the “drive thru” on your way home, fear not.
These air fried chicken tenders are delicious.
They will remind you of your favorite fast food tenders, but with a LOT less oil!
How To Cook Frozen Chicken Tenders In Air Fryer
These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions for frozen chicken strips in air fryer, please see the recipe below.
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Can I Air Fry Frozen Chicken Strips With No Breading
Yes, you can make air fryer frozen chicken tenderloins with no breading! Spray your air fryer racks with cooking spray and air fry the frozen chicken strips at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, turning occasionally. The strips are finished air frying when theyve reached the safe minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
What To Serve With Air Fryer Chicken Strips
When youre looking for something to pair with your chicken strips, weve got a few ideas.
- Sauces and dips: These chicken tenders are a perfect snack that goes so well with any sauce of your choice. Whether ketchup, bbq sauce, garlic mayo, honey mustard, you can enjoy these with any sauce or dip you like.
- Serve with French Fries: Chicken tenders and French fries go way back! Whether its frozen french fries, potato wedges or sweet potato fries, I bet you cant keep your hands off them.
- Side dishes: Other side dishes that go well with chicken strips are a side salad, brussels sprouts, and broccoli.
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Common Mistakes When Cooking Frozen Chicken Tenders In An Air Fryer
One common mistake when cooking frozen chicken tenders in an air fryer is not flipping them halfway through cooking. This will result in uneven cooking and can make the chicken tenders tough.
Another common mistake is overcrowding the air fryer basket. This will also lead to uneven cooking and can make the chicken tenders soggy.
To avoid these mistakes, be sure to flip the chicken tenders halfway through cooking and dont overcrowd the air fryer basket. Thanks for reading, we hope you enjoy this recipe.
Rule Of Thumb To Convert Oven To Air Fryer Cooking Time
The above cooking instructions are a general guideline for cooking frozen chicken tenders and nuggets. You can also read the oven cooking instructions on the product packaging and adjust the cook time and temperature for the air fryer. To do that, follow this general rule of thumb:
A good general rule of thumb when converting a conventional oven recipe to an air fryer recipe is to reduce the temperature by 25 °F and reduce the cooking time by about 20%.
So for example, if a bag of chicken tenders calls for a cooking temperature of 375°F in the oven, set your air fryer for 350°F. If the cooking time is 15 minutes in the oven, expect to cook your food about 12 minutes in the air fryer. However, I recommend that you start checking at the halfway point, at around 7-8 minutes, because some air fryers run very hot.
Adjust the temperature and cook time if your chicken is getting too dark too quickly.
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How To Cook Frozen Chicken Strips In Air Fryer
If youre anything like me, you might have asked yourself this question, Can I cook frozen chicken strips in air fryer? Yes, you can air fry chicken strips even if theyre frozen. This is good news if you often buy chicken strips in bulk and store them in the freezer.
Air fried frozen chicken strips are as healthy as the oven-baked version because they use little to no oil in the recipe. But personally, I found the air fryer chicken strips to be more delicious. You get that nice crunchy texture on the outside and tender meat on the inside.
So, the next time your kids crave for fast food chicken, surprise them with this healthy air-fried alternative.
