Air fryer chicken tenders with corn flakes are crunchy, juicy, lightly sweet and so delicious! This classic recipe takes only about 20 minutes to make with simple pantry staples, like crispy cornflakes cereal. Serve the tenders with your choice of dipping sauces for an easy family-friendly meal any night of the week!
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These chicken tenders with corn flakes are one of my favorite "old school" recipes, with a modern air fryer twist!
I have long been a big fan of this fun spin on traditional breaded and fried chicken tenders, where the heavy flour and/or breadcrumb coating is swapped for crisp corn flake cereal. This changeup makes the pieces of chicken irresistibly crunchy, moist and tender, with just the right amount of sweetness to put a smile on your face.
Speaking of reasons to smile: Instead of deep frying or baking, in this recipe we air fry the tenders so they get nice and crisp with barely any cooking oil!
Prep is basically the same and just as easy as making baked or fried tenders. The chicken is dipped in a wet binder, coated in crushed cornflakes, then placed right in the air fryer and lightly sprayed with a touch of oil.
They cook to golden brown perfection in about 10 minutes, which is roughly half the cooking time of oven baking! In fact, from start to finish the tenders are ready to serve with dipping sauces and any number of side dishes in 20 minutes or less.
Kids and adults alike absolutely love the yummy taste and crunch of these corn flake chicken strips. And you'll love how quick and easy this air fryer recipe is to make!
Recipe ingredients
- 1 lb of Chicken Tenders: Boneless and skinless strips of chicken breast are lean and flavorful. Pesto chicken tenders in air fryer is another great recipe to try!
- 1 cup Cornflakes: Use whatever brand you prefer.
- 1 Egg: This is the binder to make the crushed cereal stick to the chicken.
- Spices: A simple combination of salt, pepper, and garlic powder are all you need.
- Oil Spray: Use a high-heat spray oil like canola or vegetable. Do not use aerosol sprays like PAM, as these can damage the nonstick coating of the fryer basket.
Dipping sauces
- Ketchup
- Honey Mustard or Spicy Mustard
- BBQ Sauce
- Buffalo Sauce
- Ranch Dressing
- Blue Cheese Dressing
- Cheese Sauce
- Garlic Aioli
- Bang Bang Sauce
- Sriracha Mayo
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Sweet Chili Sauce
Frequently asked questions
Spraying the coated tenders with a bit of oil spray helps them get nice and crispy. But don't soak them in the oil!
Make sure the air fryer temp is set correctly. If you lightly spray with oil and cook them for the full amount of time - maybe a minute or two longer, if needed - you should have perfectly crispy tenders.
Chicken tenders are cut specifically from breast meat, while strips can be made with breast meat or from any other pieces (or pieces) of chicken. I prefer chicken tenders as they tend to be higher quality and taste best.
Technically, yes you can. However, sugar-coated frosted flakes are, well, sugary. I recommend sticking to perfectly plain and delicious corn flakes.
Yes, you can and should air fry raw chicken. It is essentially an oven, so go ahead and pop the tenders right on in!
I suggest using an air fryer liner or adding a piece of parchment paper to the basket to help cut down on mess and keep the chicken from sticking. Place the parchment in the basket after you've preheated the fryer, right as you are ready to add the chicken.
Leftovers and reheating
You can store any leftover chicken in the air tight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for couple minutes or until crispy again. Do not overheat.
More delicious chicken recipesto try: Jerk chicken wings, Buffalo chicken meatballs and air fryer BBQ chicken drumsticks.
Hope you will like this air fryer chicken tenders with corn flakes recipe as much as we do. Rate the recipe if you made it and leave a comment below if you have any questions or suggestions.
Recipe
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders with Corn Flakes
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken tenders
- 1 cup cornflakes crushed
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, garlic powder each
- oil spray
Instructions
- Season chicken tenders.
- In a small bowl beat the egg. Add crushed corn flakes in to another bowl.
- Dip tenders in the egg and then roll in cornflakes. Place them in the air fryer and lightly spray with oil.
- Cook in air fryer at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, flip, spray and cook for another 5 minutes
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