Air Fryer Southern Fried Chicken Tenders

Air Fryer Southern Fried Chicken Tenders — Southern-Style Chicken Tenders are a simple, healthy appetizer that can be served as an alternative to fried appetizers. These air fryer chicken tenders are crispy on the outside and moist inside, perfect for dipping in your favorite sauce!

Air Fryer Southern Fried Chicken Tenders are amazing! If you have been looking for the PERFECT air fryer chicken strip recipe, this will be one of your favorites!

There is nothing better than a homemade chicken air fryer tender recipe, and this one is great for a quick lunch, dinner, snack, or appetizer!

There is nothing better than a hot batch of homemade crispy chicken tenders right out of the Air Fryer. These are so good!

With the hot air circulating the chicken, this will be one of your favorite ways to make a batch of hot chicken tenders!

They are easy to make, and they are delicious!

I love these, and without any oil, they are much healthier than the fast-food version. Whether you love McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Chick Fila Nuggets, or tenders, these are better and healthier!

If you are looking for other great and easy Air Fryer Chicken Recipes, my favorites are AIR FRYER HONEY BALSAMIC CHICKEN, AIR FRYER DRY RUBBED CHICKEN WINGS, AIR FRYER BBQ CHICKEN SANDWICH, and AIR FRYER CHICKEN KIEV.

What Are Southern Fried Chicken Tenders?

Southern Style Chicken Tenders are a delicacy in the south. The chicken is typically cut into strips and then fried or baked with seasonings, such as salt and pepper. They can also be served on a bun with lettuce and tomato for a delicious sandwich.

Ingredients Needed For Air Fryer Southern Fried Chicken Tenders

• Chicken Tenderloins
• Buttermilk
• Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
• Egg
• All-Purpose Flour
• Cornstarch
• Pickle Juice
• Water
• Bread Crumbs

How To Make Air Fryer Southern Style Chicken Tenders

Place the raw chicken in a bowl or Ziploc bag. Using a fork, carefully poke holes in the chicken. Next, add the buttermilk on top of the chicken. Cover and place the chicken in the fridge to soak in the buttermilk overnight. 

Remove it from the fridge when you’re ready to cook the chicken—Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees F and the air fryer setting.

Place the corn muffin mix in a large bowl, and add the egg, flour, cornstarch, pickle juice, and water. Mix well.  It should be the consistency of a slurry or a loose batter. 

Pour the bread crumbs into a *separate bowl.  Using a fork, individually dip each chicken tenderloin into the batter, coating it completely. Then remove it from the batter, and let any excess batter drip off into the bowl.  Next, dip it into the bread crumbs, coating it thoroughly on all sides.

Place it right in your air fryer basket. You do not need to spray the basket with any cooking spray or oil. Make one layer of chicken tenders, leaving a half-inch or so in between each piece of chicken, so they don’t touch.  Depending on how big your air fryer is, you may have to do a few batches. It took me two different batches. 

Place the basket in the air fryer and cook for about 10 minutes. Repeat until you’ve cooked all of your chicken.

Chicken is done when the coating is a golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. It should be all white throughout the middle. 

Allow chicken to cool for a few minutes before serving.

 

Pro Tips:

• This chicken is soaked in buttermilk overnight so that it’s perfectly tender! Then it’s breaded and cooked in the air fryer until it’s crunchy and delicious! Homemade chicken tenders are ready in less than 20 minutes! 
• Try pairing these delicious chicken tenders with ketchup, bbq sauce, or honey mustard!
• Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix is commonly found in grocery stores, supermarkets, and Amazon. If you can’t find it, you can use yellow cornmeal or add additional All-Purpose Flour in its place. You keep the measurements the same (So, a cup for a cup.).
• Soaking the chicken in buttermilk overnight really helps tenderize the chicken! If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make it.  Combine 2 cups of milk with 2 Tbsp of lemon juice or white vinegar. 
• Your chicken should come out with a nice crunchy,  golden brown breading. If, for any reason, you’re not getting the color you want.  You can try spraying the top with a bit of cooking spray or drizzling a bit of melted butter before it’s thoroughly done cooking. 

How To Store Leftover Air Fryer Chicken Tenders:

If you have any chicken tender leftovers, place them into an airtight container and place the container into the refrigerator. They will last for 2 to 3 days.

To reheat leftover Air Fryer Chicken Tenders, place them into the air fryer basket, set the temperature to 350 degrees F, air fryer setting, and heat until warmed.

Can you put raw chicken in an air fryer?

Of course, just like your cook raw chicken breasts or tenderloins in the oven, you can make them directly in your air fryer! Quicker, healthier, and easier!

What To Serve Air Fryer Southern Style Chicken Tenders With?

This is a very versatile recipe, and it can be served with almost anything. Some of my favorite side dishes are:

• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
• AIR FRYER FROZEN FRENCH FRIES WITH FRENCH FRY SEASONING
• AIR FRYER POTATO WEDGES
• EASY AIR FRYER SWEET POTATO FRIES
• AIR FRYER LOADED POTATO SKINS
• AIR FRYER OVEN GOLD RANCH POTATOES

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