How to cook perfectly crispy frozen chicken tenders in an air fryer! These air fryer frozen chicken tenders are juicy inside, crispy outside, and can be made from uncooked or pre-cooked frozen chicken strips - no need to thaw first!
Oil sprayoptional - but can be used to lightly spray the chicken for extra crispiness
Instructions
Preheat your air fryer to 400ºF/200ºC for 5 minutes.
Spread the frozen chicken tenders into a single layer in your air fryer basket, ensuring there's no overlap.
For pre-cooked tenders: Air fry frozen chicken tenders for 8-12 minutes (based on their size/thickness). Flip them halfway to ensure even cooking.Thin chicken strips will take closer to 8 minutes, whereas thicker/bigger chicken tenders will take 10-12 minutes.For uncooked frozen tenders: Air fry them for 22-28 minutes based on their size, flipping halfway through.For crispier air fryer frozen chicken tenders, spray both sides lightly with a bit of cooking oil
To ensure they are safely cooked, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature has reached 165ºF/74ºC.I like leaving the air fryer frozen chicken tenders to rest for 2-3 minutes before serving (enough time to plate up or get your dipping sauces ready). Enjoy!
Storage Instructions
Store: Allow the meat to cool (for no longer than 2 hours), then transfer it to a covered dish/airtight container and store any leftover chicken tenders in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.Reheat: If you cooked the chicken from a raw state, you could reheat them again in the air fryer for a few minutes. However, if they were already pre-cooked and frozen before air frying them, I don't recommend reheating them a second time. Can I refreeze cooked frozen chicken tenders? I don't recommend it if the chicken was pre-cooked when frozen. However, if you’re cooking them for the first time from frozen, you may be able to re-freeze them for up to 3 months and then reheat them from frozen.
Notes
Don't overcrowd the basket: Leaving space between the chicken allows air to circulate and produce super crispy chicken strips in an air fryer. Cook in batches, if necessary, then chuck the lot in the fryer for 2 minutes in the end, so they're all warm.
Cooking time may vary: Depending on the size of the chicken and your air fryer, the time can vary by 2-3 minutes, so I recommend checking it at the lowest time and using a meat thermometer if unsure.
For the crispiest tenders: Use a cooking oil spray to lightly mist the frozen chicken tenders to encourage an extra crispy coating. However, even without oil, they are nice and crispy!
Can I bake the frozen chicken tenders? The baked version doesn't seem to become as crispy, but worth knowing if your air fryer is preoccupied. Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC, place the frozen chicken tenders on a baking rack over a tray and bake for between 18-22 minutes, flipping them halfway.Check the blog post for serving recommendations and answers to top FAQs!