Air Fryer Cornbread Crusted Chicken Tenders
Description
Crispy Jiffy cornbread crusted chicken tenders cooked at 380°F in 12 minutes. A buttermilk marinade keeps them juicy and the corn muffin mix creates a golden, faintly sweet crust — no deep frying required.
Ingredients
Buttermilk Marinade
- 1 pound chicken tenders
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Cornbread Coating
- 1 box, 8.5 oz Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, dry
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Whisk the buttermilk, paprika, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Add the chicken tenders, turning to coat completely. Marinate at least 15 minutes, or refrigerate up to overnight.
- In a shallow dish, combine the dry corn muffin mix, flour, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- Preheat the air fryer to 380°F for 3 minutes. Spray the basket with cooking spray.
- Lift each tender from the buttermilk, letting excess drip off. Press firmly into the cornbread mixture on both sides. Shake off loose crumbs.
- Arrange the tenders in a single layer with space between them, working in batches as needed. Mist the tops with cooking spray until no dry patches of mix remain.
- Air fry at 380°F for 12 minutes, flipping and misting the second side at 6 minutes. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Rest on a wire rack 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
Equipment
- Cooking Spray
- Parchment Paper
Notes
- Cornbread mix contains sugar — do not raise the temperature above 380°F or the crust will burn before the chicken is done.
- Do not prepare the Jiffy mix with egg and milk. It is used dry.
- Nutrition values must be recalculated in the recipe plugin after the ingredient corrections.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 209kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 27gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 1067mgPotassium: 529mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 174IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 79mgIron: 1mg