These golden crunchy easy Parmesan Breaded Air Fryer Chicken Tenders are ready in under 15 mins so it makes a great weeknight supper, brunch treat or snack. Serve with some baked fries, a simple salad or some mac and cheese.
Post includes Weight Watchers points.
Who is up for some golden crispy Parmesan Crusted Air Fryer Chicken Tenders?
This right here is one of those incredibly easy recipes. Yes, I know you get that a lot but it is a really easy and simple boneless chicken breasts recipe to whip up.
What is Parmesan Breaded Air Fryer Chicken Tenders?
Parmesan Breaded Chicken are chicken tenders coated with a mixture if crispy breadcrumbs with Parmesan and herbs and air fried or baked till perfect.
Adults and kids alike love it as it comes out of the air fryer or oven all golden and crunchy on the outside but deliciously tender and juicy on the inside. You can’t help but reach for one, then another one, then just one more.
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Lavatools PT12 Javelin Digital Instant Read Thermometer
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Why You Will Love These
- You only need 6 pantry staple ingredients to make these.
- Ready in less than 15 mins.
- Great for quick weeknight dinner, after-school snack, lunch box staple or brunch dish.
I recently hosted a brunch for a few almost ‘long lost’ friends. During the brunch, I served this baked Parmesan breaded Air Fryer Chicken Tenders and some Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries.
It took about 20 mins of hesitant getting to know each other again conversation, for us to get right back into the swing of things. And 3 hours later, we hugged each other goodbye with promises of more dates like these to come.
Parmesan Breaded Air Fryer Chicken Tenders Tools
KITCHEN TOOLS, UTENSILS & APPLIANCES NEEDED
This post contains affiliate links. For more information, check out my disclosure.
- Air Fryer.
- Measuring jugs or cups.
- Measuring teaspoons.
- Mixing bowls.
- Baking dish
- Bowls with covers.
- Store leftover food in these bowls.
- Meat thermometer.
- Use please this to check the internal temperature of the chicken.
- Flavourings**
- Try this spice kit for different flavours on your chicken.
- Sea Salt Flakes <= amazing salt that makes your food taste good.
So, are you ready to make this healthy and flavourful chicken tenders in Air Fryer? Grab your ingredients and let me show you how……
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Tenders With Parmesan Crusts
It is extremely easy to make this.
The star ingredients of this recipe, which are all fridge or pantry staples, are:
- Parmesan
- Chicken breasts
- Breadcrumbs
- Herbes de Provence
- Oil
- Seasoning.
Yes. That, IS IT.
Pro Tip ==> The secret to this recipe is using panko breadcrumbs. These are lighter and airier compared to regular breadcrumbs, which means they absorb less oil and end up crispier. 
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Preheat the air fryer to 180C / 350F.
- Spray chicken tenders or strips with low-calorie cooking spray.
- Combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, dried herbs and salt (if using) and decant this mix on to a plate.
- Then coat the chicken tenders with the breadcrumb mix and add breaded chicken into the air fryer and cook for 9 – 12 minutes, turning halfway through.
- Serve the air fryer chicken tenders with dipping sauce of your choice.
How To Bake Parmesan Breaded Chicken with Panko
- Preheat oven to 425F / 220C / fan-assisted 200C / gas 7.
- Spray chicken tenders or strips with low-calorie cooking spray.
- Combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, dried herbs and salt (if using) and decant this mix on to a plate.
- Then coat the chicken tenders with the breadcrumb mix and add breaded chicken to the baking tray
- Bake the chicken tenders in the hot oven for up to 15-20 minutes.
How To Fry Parmesan Crusted Chicken Tenders
You can fry your Parmesan Crusted Chicken Strips very easily. Simply coat a pan with some oil and fry the chicken for about 3-5 minutes on each side till golden and cooked through.
Making Chicken Tenders In Air Fryer Tips
- Toast the panko breadcrumbs a little bit before adding them to the mixture. This makes sure that you end up with a lovely golden coating. Yes, it is not necessary but it is so, so worth it.
- You can put the breadcrumb mixture in a bag, add in the chicken tenders and shake away. Kids totally love doing this bit.
- Feel free to add other spices and herbs into your panko breading.
Plus……
- Make sure to press the crumbs down firmly on the chicken strips before placing in your air fryer. The fan is powerful, and if the coating is too loose and not adhered properly it will blow all that deliciousness right off the air fryer chicken strips.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer. Make sure the chicken tenders are not touching each other to allow for maximum air circulation so that they cook nice and evenly.
- Do not overcook the tenders. Otherwise, they become dry.
- Feel free to soak the tenders in buttermilk for up to 6 hrs before breading and cooking as this can make them more tender and juicy.
How Long To Air Fry Chicken Tenders
This depends on two things: your air fryer make and model, and the size of the chicken tenders.
Since the temperature of air fryers can vary depending on the make and model, this recipe includes a range of cook times. And you will also need to keep in mind that the thicker your pieces of chicken are, the more cook time will be needed.
This recipe recommends a cooking time of between 9 and 12 minutes. You can aim for 10 minutes the first time you make your air fryer chicken tenders, check them for doneness, and then adjust from there.
Chef’s Tip: always remember to check the internal temperature of your chicken breast using a meat thermometer. The chicken is done and safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches at least 74C (165 F).
What Cheese to use for Parmesan Crusted Chicken Tenders?
A quick note on what cheese to serve with Parmesan Crusted Chicken tenders. Of course, the answer is in the name aka Parmesan cheese.
The important point is please try to grate/shred the cheese freshly from a block just before you need it. And do grate and/or shred it as finely as you can, as the finer grated cheese will encrust the chicken better.
How to Reheat Breaded Chicken Tenders
- Take the chicken tenders out of the fridge 3o mins before needed and bring back to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to fan-assisted 180C /200C / 400F / gas 6.
- Place the breaded chicken tenders on a wire rack, over a baking tray (so that the bottom does not get soggy) and cook for about 10-15 minutes or until warmed through but the chicken not overcooked.
What Are Good Side Dishes to Serve with Air Fried Chicken Tenders?
Need ideas for what to serve with this? Well, the recipes below are a great starting point!
Mexican Air Fryer Corn On The Cob.
Super Easy Instant Pot Mashed Potato.
More Variations – Using Chicken Breast Instead
Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Mayo
You can also make Parmesan Crusted Chicken with mayo. Simply combine your favourite mayonnaise with the parmesan cheese, top the chicken breast with the mayo-cheese mixture, then sprinkle on some breadcrumbs, herbs and seasoning and bake in a hot oven until the chicken is cooked through. Easy peasy and simple.
Check out this video to see how simple it is:
I have not been paid to advertise this video. I just think it is really useful.
Low Carb Parmesan Crusted Chicken
To make a low carb Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast recipe, you would skip the breadcrumbs. Mix mayonnaise with cheese and herbs, coat the chicken and bake for up to 25 minutes.
More Chicken Recipes
If you like chicken then why not check out these chicken recipes below.
Golden and Crunchy Air Fryer Chicken Breast.
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders Weight Watchers Points
As some of the breading falls off of the Air Fryer Chicken Tenders (and is not consumed), a serving of these air fried chicken tenders contains 5 Freestyle SmartPoints.
Parmesan Crusted Chicken Video
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Parmesan Breaded Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
Air Fryer Parmesan Crusted Chicken Tenders Ingredients
- 8 chicken tenders
- 2.5 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup (75g) panko bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup (50g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 tsp Herbes de Provence
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Air Fryer Parmesan Crusted Chicken Tenders Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 350 F / 180 C.
- Add the chicken and olive oil to a bowl, and mix until the chicken is coated with the oil.
- Mix together the panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan, herbs, and salt on a rimmed plate.
- Add the chicken pieces one at a time to the plate and coat evenly on both sides with the breadcrumbs.
- Place chicken tenders in the air fryer basket and cook for 9 to 12 mins, turning halfway through cook time.
Parmesan Crusted Chicken Tenders Baking Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F / 220 C / fan-assisted 200 C / gas 7.
- Spray chicken tenders or strips with low-calorie cooking spray.
- Combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, dried herbs and salt (if using) and decant the mixture onto a plate.
- Then coat the chicken tenders with the breadcrumb mix and add breaded chicken to the baking tray.
- Bake the chicken tenders in the hot oven for about 15 minutes, until cooked through and golden.
Video
Notes
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders Tips
- Toast the panko breadcrumbs a little bit before adding them to the mixture. This makes sure that you end up with a lovely golden coating. Yes, it is not necessary but it is so, so worth it.
- You can put the breadcrumb mixture in a bag, add in the chicken tenders and shake away. Kids totally love doing this bit.
- Feel free to add other spices and herbs into your panko breading.
- Make sure to press the crumbs down firmly on the chicken strips before placing in your air fryer. The fan is powerful, and if the coating is too loose and not adhered properly it will blow all that deliciousness right off the air fryer chicken strips.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer. Make sure the chicken tenders are not touching each other to allow for maximum air circulation so that they cook nice and evenly.
- Do not overcook the tenders. Otherwise, they become dry.
- Feel free to soak the tenders in buttermilk for up to 6 hrs before breading and cooking as this can make them more tender and juicy.
It says 8 tenders, but they vary so much. Aproximately how many pounds should the chicken pieces weigh?
I love that these are done in the air fryer – it’s my favorite thing right now! Kids are going to love these!
Made these for dinner last night and they were a huge hit. The recipe is perfect as-is. Thank you!