Description
These air fryer honey butter garlic chicken tenders are crispy on the outside, tender inside, and coated in a rich, sweet-savory sauce. Made with simple pantry ingredients and ready in under 25 minutes, they’re perfect for a quick dinner or a crowd-pleasing appetizer.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken Tenders:
- 1 lb chicken tenders
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil spray
For the Honey Butter Garlic Sauce:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the Air Fryer – Set to 400°F (200°C) and let it heat for 5 minutes.
- Prepare the Breading – In a bowl, combine flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. In a second bowl, beat the egg. In a third, add panko breadcrumbs.
- Coat the Chicken – Dredge each tender in the flour mixture, dip into the egg, then coat with panko. Lightly spray with olive oil.
- Air Fry – Place in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown.
- Make the Sauce – Melt butter and mix with honey and minced garlic. Stir in parsley if using.
- Coat and Serve – Drizzle or toss the crispy tenders in the honey butter garlic sauce and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use chicken breast strips if tenders are unavailable.
- For extra crispiness, double-dip in egg and panko.
- Sauce can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge.
- For a spicier kick, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Main Dish, Appetizer
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
Keywords: Crispy air fryer chicken tenders, Honey garlic chicken strips, Air fryer chicken tenders with sauce, Garlic butter chicken tenders