Crispy Air Fryer Chicken
These air fryer chicken tenders are the kind of dinner that saves a busy Tuesday without feeling thrown together. In many homes across the United States, breaded chicken is lunchbox food, a family craving, and here we take it to a lighter and quicker version, with the crunch everyone expects. Chef Sam's key is using panko for an airy crust, a touch of parmesan for deep flavor, and measured oil to brown without deep frying. It works because the strips cook evenly, stay juicy inside, and are ready to dip in your favorite sauce.
Prep
15 min
Cook
12 min
Total
27 min
Yield
4 servings
Origin
US · Estados Unidos
Ingredients
- Chicken breast· cut into strips 2 cm thick600 g
- Wheat flour· for the first layer0.5 cup
- Egg· beaten2 piece
- Dijon mustard· mixed with the egg1 tbsp
- panko breadcrumbs· Japanese bread crumbs for extra crunch1.25 cup
- Parmesan cheese· finely grated0.33 cup
- Sweet paprika· sweet or smoked1 tsp
- Garlic powder1 tsp
- Salt· divided1 tsp
- Black pepper0.5 tsp
- Olive oil· ideally in a sprayer30 ml
Method
- 01
Preheat the air fryer to 190°C for 3 minutes so the breading begins to brown on first contact.
- 02
Pat the chicken breast strips dry with paper towels and season with 0.5 tsp of salt and ground black pepper; they should be slightly shiny, not wet.
- 03
Place the wheat flour in a deep plate. In another plate, beat the eggs with the Dijon mustard until there are no streaks. In a third plate, mix the panko, grated parmesan cheese, paprika, garlic powder, and remaining 0.5 tsp of salt.
- 04
Dredge each chicken strip in the wheat flour and shake off the excess; then cover it with the egg and Dijon mustard mixture, and finally press it into the panko with parmesan to ensure it is well coated.
- 05
Arrange the breaded strips in a single layer inside the basket of the air fryer, without overlapping, and spray half of the olive oil over the surface.
- 06
Cook at 190°C for 6 minutes, until the bottom begins to look firm and the breading takes on a light golden color.
- 07
Flip the strips with tongs, spray the remaining olive oil, and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes, until golden and crispy.
- 08
Check that the center of the chicken reaches 74°C with a kitchen thermometer; if any strip hasn’t reached it, cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes at 190°C.
- 09
Let the crispy chicken rest for 2 minutes on a wire rack before serving, so the crust remains dry and crunchy.
Chef tips
- If you don't have panko, use coarse bread crumbs, but avoid very fine bread crumbs as they will be less crunchy.
- Don't overcrowd the tenders in the basket: the air needs to circulate to brown evenly.
- For an honest weeknight shortcut, bread the chicken in advance and refrigerate it for up to 8 hours on a covered tray.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in the air fryer at 180°C for 4 to 5 minutes.
- If you want more spice, swap the sweet paprika for smoked paprika and add a pinch of cayenne to the panko.
Classifications
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