Make the best Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Tenders (no breading) in a few easy steps! Follow the quick and easy recipe below to make the most flavorful, tender, and juicy chicken tenderloins. No thawing required!
Be sure to pair these with my Air fryer Green Beans with Bacon or Air Fryer Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts.
Recipe Video:
Frozen Chicken Tenderloins In The Air fryer:
Nothing beats the convenience of having frozen chicken tenderloins in the freezer. I always keep a bag of them in my freezer for those busy nights when I have no idea what to cook for dinner and need something done fast. I love how you don’t have to thaw the chicken tenderloins before cooking them. No matter how hard I try, I can never remember to take them out to thaw!
Why You Will Love This Recipe:
- It’s quick! Frozen chicken tenderloins take just 15 minutes in the air fryer!
- The air fryer is one of the best ways to cook frozen chicken. No need to turn on the oven or stove!
- It’s simple! This recipe requires only a few ingredients. No breading or egg.
- There are so many ways to enjoy chicken tenderloins! They are perfect for lunch, dinner, meal prep, snack, salads, and wraps!
- No need to thaw. You can cook these straight from frozen which will save you a ton of time.
Q&A:
Yes. The air fryer is one of the best ways you can cook frozen chicken tenders. It's quick, easy, and requires no thawing.
It takes around 12-15 minutes to cook frozen raw chicken tenderloins in the air fryer at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Depending on how thick the chicken tenderloins are, it may require more or less time.
No. You can cook chicken in the air fryer from frozen. There is no need to defrost the chicken.
According to the USDA, chicken needs to be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit as measured with a food thermometer.
Equipment Needed:
Air Fryer
Ingredients:
- Raw Frozen Chicken Tenderloins - There are many brands of frozen chicken tenderloins out there, such as Costco’s Kirkland frozen chicken tenderloins (these are the ones I use), Member’s Mark, Perdue, Tyson, or Kirkwood from Aldi.
- Olive oil - This is to coat the chicken to keep it from drying out. Because chicken tenderloins are skinless and very lean, it’s easy to dry them out during cooking. Coating them with olive oil prevents them from drying out while cooking in the air fryer.
- Seasonings: Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Smoked Paprika.
- Garnish - Parsley (optional).
Step-By-Step Instructions:
1. Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and set the timer to 15 minutes. **I found 350 degrees Fahrenheit was the best temperature to cook the chicken tenderloins so that they wouldn't dry out. I tested various temperatures including 400 degrees Fahrenheit and they dried out at that high of a temperature.
2. To a small bowl, mix the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
3. Brush each frozen chicken tenderloin with the oil seasoning mixture. Be sure to cover all sides of the frozen chicken tenderloins with the oil mixture. This is to ensure they don't dry out.
4. Add the frozen chicken tenderloins to the air fryer in a single layer and cook for 15 minutes. Turn them over halfway through the cooking process. Cook until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit as measured with a food thermometer. **Watch my instructional video if you would like to see how I made this.
5. Once the chicken tenderloins are done, remove them from the air fryer. Let cool, then enjoy!
Dipping Sauces For Chicken Tenders:
Here are some awesome homemade sauces that are easy to make and taste amazing with chicken tenders:
Recipe Variations and Substitutions:
- Olive oil - I used Olive oil, however, you can use other cooking oils such as avocado oil or ghee. Mayo works great as well.
Storage and Reheating Instructions:
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- To reheat, preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit and heat for 1-2 minutes.
Pro Tips:
- Be sure to cook the chicken tenderloins in the air fryer in a single layer. Do not overlap.
- My chicken tenderloins were on the large side so 15 minutes cooked them perfectly. Less time may be needed for thinner tenderloins.
- The USDA says that all poultry needs to be cooked until it reaches a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit as measured by a food thermometer.
- I used my Instant Vortex Plus 6 quart for this recipe and since all air fryers are different, you will need to adjust this recipe based on the air fryer you are using.
Easy Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Tenders (no breading)
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 pound raw frozen chicken tenderloins
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Garnish
- fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
Air Fryer Instructions:
- Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and set the timer to 15 minutes. **I found 350 degrees Fahrenheit was the best temperature to cook the chicken tenderloins so that they wouldn't dry out. I tested various temperatures including 400 degrees Fahrenheit and they dried out at that high of a temperature.
- To a small bowl, mix the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
- Brush each frozen chicken tenderloin with the oil seasoning mixture. Be sure to cover all sides of the frozen chicken tenderloin with the oil mixture. This is to ensure they don't dry out.
- Add the frozen chicken tenderloins to the air fryer in a single layer and cook for 15 minutes. Turn them over halfway through the cooking process. Cook until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit as measured with a food thermometer. **Watch my instructional video if you would like to see how I made this.
- Once the chicken tenderloins are done, remove them from the air fryer. Let cool, then enjoy!
Kat
Mine were thinner than the ones you used in the video so I took off a couple minutes. They were delicious! I chopped mine up for a salad and saved the rest for sandwiches.
Gene Moore
Very easy to follow and tasty. I used a Ninja air fryer (the one the looks like a pizza oven) and needed 20 min total.