Making Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Tenders is the best way (way better than the oven!) to achieve the perfect tender every time! With a juicy exterior and crispy, golden brown breading, this air fryer recipe is a no-brainer when it comes to weeknight dinners.

A plate of air fryer frozen chicken tenders.

Table of Contents

Sometimes you just have to throw a bag of something frozen in the oven and call it a day! But what if I told you there’s an EVEN EASIER way to cook your favorite frozen chicken tenders?

This air fryer method is much better than baking in the oven and results in amazing tenders every single time. Similar to my Crispy Air Fryer Wings or these more flavorful Lemon Pepper Wings, this is a great way to quickly and easily cook chicken in the air fryer.

Why this method is best

Easier than baking: Much faster pre-heating AND cooking than in the oven!
Better than the package directions: This method will give you perfectly crispy and juicy tenders every time.
Great for dinner and more: Perfect for a quick meal, these tenders are also perfect for game day appetizers and more.

Jordan

Top tips:

Don’t re-freeze the chicken tenders after cooking. They won’t taste as good and the texture will be off.
You’ll know when your chicken tenders are done when they are fully heated through and crispy on the outside. To be safe, you can use a meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 165 F.
Serve your air fryer chicken tenders with ketchup, honey mustard, BBQ sauce, bang bang sauce, ranch dressing, or spicy mayo. They would also pair well with cheese sauce, chick fil a sauce, sriracha, or some kind of special burger sauce.

Dipping a chicken tender in honey mustard.

More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes

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Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Tenders

Crispy, golden chicken tenders without all the oil!

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time0

Cook Time10

Total Time10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 32

Author: Jordan

Equipment

▢
Ninja Air Fryer

Ingredients

▢ 1 package frozen breaded chicken tenders 20 oz

Instructions

Preheat the air fryer to 390°F
Place the frozen chicken tenders in the air fryer basket in a single layer. (Do not overcrowd the basket or they won't get crispy). Cook the chicken tenders for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through and the chicken tenders are warm all the way through.
Once finished, transfer the cooked chicken tenders to a plate and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

If you tried this recipe, please leave a review letting me know how it was!

Notes

You may need to work in batches depending on how many you are making.
In my experience, 10 minutes is generally a good starting point for cooking chicken tenders from frozen. For larger tenders, it can take up to 12 minutes, but it’ll rarely be any longer than that.

More air fryer chicken recipes: