Air Fryer Blackened Chicken Tenders
These Air Fryer Blackened Chicken Tenders are crisp, juicy, and seasoned perfectly with savory, hot, and smoky Cajun flavor -just like the Tyson and Popeye’s versions. They come together in 15 minutes with a very short list of ingredients and NO breading. Gluten-free, dairy-free, low carb, and keto.
If your family devours bags of frozen Tyson blackened chicken strips, or you frequent Popeye’s for the blackened tenders, you’ll love these air fryer blackened chicken tenders. They’re a great copycat and a much less expensive option.
An air fryer or Ninja Foodi is the best way to make chicken tenders with no breading (aka “naked” tenders). This method achieves that distinct deep-fried golden brown sear on the outside and moist and juicy meat in the middle with significantly less oil and clean-up.
The best part? After seasoning the tenders, your work is complete, and your air fryer takes care of the rest. The most challenging step is deciding which sauce to dunk blackened chicken strips in first! They’re also great chopped up and used in tacos, wraps, chicken salad, and more!
❤ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Dunkable chicken tenders are always kid-friendly!
- They taste just like Tyson or Popeye’s blackened tenders but are a more budget-friendly option.
- Makes blackened chicken tenders from scratch in 15 minutes with four ingredients.
- No breading! Perfect for anyone who doesn’t eat gluten or dairy.
- Naturally low carb and high protein. Great for keto, paleo, and Whole30!
- Great with dipping sauces and in salads, enchiladas, nachos, and more!
🧾 Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken – Chicken tenders are commonly made with tenderloin, but feel free to use chicken breasts and cut them into strips. One pound of chicken breast will make about 8-12 tenders.
- Blackened seasoning – Blackened seasoning is a blend of chili powders, spices, and herbs and is a popular spice blend in Cajun cuisine. The seasoning creates a flavorful blackened crust when the meat is cooked in oil. Louisiana Fish Fry, Phillips, Chef Paul’s, and Zataraini’s are good brands to look for. Cajun and Creole are very similar if you can’t find blackened seasoning.
- Baking powder – Coating the tenders with baking powder drys the surface, so it browns faster and gets extra crispy.
- Avocado oil – A quality oil with a high smoke point helps is key to the crisp! Avocado oil is my go-to. Read up on the best oils for air frying here.
📖 How To Make Blackened Chicken Tenders In The Air Fryer
1️⃣ Preheat air fryer and cut chicken tenders. Set the air fryer to 400°F, and let it preheat for 3-5 minutes. Meanwhile, use a sharp knife to remove excess fat from the chicken. Then, cut the chicken breast diagonally into strips. Pat the pieces completely dry with a paper towel.
2️⃣ Season chicken tenders. Add the tenders, oil, baking soda, and blackened seasoning to a mixing bowl, and toss until the tenders are coated.
3️⃣ Cook chicken tenders in air fryer. Place the coated chicken tenders in the preheated air fryer basket, and set the timer for 10 minutes. At the 5-minute mark, flip the tenders with tongs. Then, cook for the remaining 5 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Enjoy!
🗨 Quick tip! For an extra crispy blackened crust, spray the tenders with a light coating of cooking spray halfway through.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe Tips
- Tenderloin has a tough and chewy connective tendon running through it, but it’s easy to remove with a fork and paper towel. Position the tendon between the fork’s prongs, pinch the tendon between your fingers with the paper towel, then pull away from the tenderloin, and the tendon should slide right out.
- If cutting the tenders from breasts, use a shape knife and cut the chicken breast diagonal to the direction of the grain into 1″ to 1 1/2″-thick strips.
- To achieve a crisp, golden brown surface, the tenders must be dry before tossing with oil and seasoning, and the air fryer must be HOT. Adding more oil halfway through cooking also helps.
- Make sure there’s room in between the tenders. Cook in batches if you can’t fit them all without crowding the basket.
- The tenders should take between 8 and 10 minutes to cook at 400F, but you may need to add a few minutes if you cut the chicken into larger strips.
- Chicken breast and tenderloin are very lean proteins that dry out quickly. However, an instant-read thermometer ensures you cook the meat precisely to 165 degrees.
🍟Variations & Serving Suggestions
Seasoning alternatives – You aren’t limited to just blackened. You can follow the recipe as instructed using any blend of spices and seasonings. Italian, Greek, Cajun, lemon pepper, dry buffalo seasoning, Montreal, ranch, Tajin, Old Bay -anything goes!
Dipping sauces – We can’t forget about the sauce! Here are some of the many sauces that go well with blackened chicken tenders.
- Blackened Ranch (Popeye’s Copycat!)
- Habanero Ranch
- Ketchup
- Honey Mustard
- BBQ Sauce
- Buffalo
- Spicy Almond Butter Sauce
🥗 Meals to Make
These tenders are delicious with a side of fries, of course, but they also come in handy whenever you need cooked chicken. Check out the list below for more ways to enjoy blackened chicken tenders.
- Salads – Slice and serve over a large garden or caesar salad.
- Mexican-inspired fare – Make tacos, nachos, quesadillas, burritos, enchiladas, and more with chopped blackened tenders.
- Chicken salad – Shred or chop leftover blackened tenders for creamy chicken salad recipes like BBQ chicken salad and Sonoma chicken salad.
♻ Storing & Reheating
Storing: Let the tenders cool, place in a shallow, airtight container or resealable bag, and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Freezing: To extend the shelf-life of homemade blackened chicken tenders, you can freeze them in a freezer-safe airtight container for 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge the night before you plan to use them.
Reheating: To reheat chicken tenders without drying them out, preheat your air fryer to 350, add the tenders and reheat for 4-5 minutes. You can also pop them into the microwave for a minute or so or in the oven at 350F for 8-10 minutes.
❔FAQ
Short answer, yes -but with slight modifications. Spray the frozen tenders with cooking oil spray and air fry at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. At the halfway mark, toss the tenders with oil, baking powder, and blackened seasoning, then cook for the remaining time or until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
White meat chicken isn’t forgiving when cooked past 165F, so dry chicken typically means it’s overcooked. For the best results, use an instant-read thermometer and remove the tenders when they reach 160F. Then, tent the tenders with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. The residual heat will finish cooking the chicken to a safe 165F.
Sure! Some prefer the flavor of white meat, but if you’re a fan of dark meat, feel free to make tenders with chicken thighs. The extra fat makes them even juicier. For thighs, cook for 20 minutes at 400F. Flip at the 10-minute mark and continue cooking until the juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 165F.
Yup! Place the seasoned chicken strips on an oiled wire rack set on top of a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes.
🍗 More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
- Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- Air Fryer Chicken Legs
- Shake and Bake Chicken
- Homemade Popcorn Chicken
Air Fryer Blackened Chicken Tenders
Equipment
- air fryer Ninja Foodi, NuWave, PowerXL, etc.
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast or tenderloin
- 2 tablespoons blackened seasoning
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
Instructions
- Set the air fryer to 400°F, and let it preheat for 3-5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, use a sharp knife to remove excess fat from the chicken. Then, cut the chicken breast diagonally into 1" strips and pat the pieces completely dry with a paper towel.
- Add the tenders, oil, baking soda, and blackened seasoning to a mixing bowl, and toss until the tenders are coated.
- Place the coated chicken tenders in the preheated air fryer basket, and set the timer for 10 minutes. At the 5-minute mark, flip the tenders with tongs. Then, cook for the remaining 5 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Enjoy!OPTIONAL: For an extra crispy exterior, spray the tenders with a light coating of cooking spray halfway through.
