Low-Carb Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

With a crispy, low-carb coating, air fryer chicken tenders are a super-quick lunch or dinner. There are just 2.8 grams total carbs per serving (they don’t just rival takeout—they taste better and are better for you too)!

Chicken tenders are one of those no-fail foods that pretty much everyone loves. Juicy, perfectly cooked chicken, coated in an herbaceous, crispy coating. Once you make a batch, you’ll never go back to flavorless, drive-thru nuggets again!

Air fryer chicken tenders are easy to make, easy to clean up and easy to add to your weekly meal prep. Eat them for lunch with some low-carb deviled eggs or cheesy roasted cauliflower.

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders Tips

There are a few things to remember when you make air fryer chicken tenders the first time.

• Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. If the chicken is too wet on the outside, they won’t be nearly as crispy as you want.
• Cut the chicken tenders evenly. This will help them all cook at the same rate.
• Temperature check the chicken. You’ll know they are completely finished when they reach an internal temperature of 165ºF.
• Spray the battered chicken with avocado spray. This will prevent them from sticking to the air fryer tray or basket.
• Some air fryer models require you to flip the chicken tenders over halfway through cooking. This will help them cook evenly on both sides.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. chicken breast, cut into tender-size strips
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• ¾ c. pork rind crumbs (we prefer Pork Panko)
• ¾ c. finely grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ c. almond flour
• 2 tsp. dried parsley
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper 
• Avocado oil spray

Step 1. Pat dry chicken strips with paper towel; set aside.

Step 2. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and Dijon mustard; set aside.

Step 3. In a shallow dish, mix together pork rind crumbs, Parmesan cheese, almond flour, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper until well blended.

Step 4. Coat each piece of chicken with egg mixture, then roll in crumb mixture until coated and place on plate or cutting board. (Hint—cover all pieces with egg mixture first, then do crumbs.)

Step 5. Spray coated chicken pieces with avocado oil spray, then place chicken, oil-sprayed side down, in a single layer in the air fryer. Spray the exposed side with avocado oil. If there is too much chicken to fit in the air fryer, do two batches!

Step 6. Air fry at 360ºF for approximately 10-12 minutes until internal temperature reaches 160ºF. Then raise the temperature to 400ºF and cook for 2-3 minutes to brown the crust.

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