Description
Sizzling Air Fryer Honey Butter Garlic Chicken Tenders elevate weeknight dinners with golden, crispy goodness. Juicy chicken meets sweet and savory notes, promising a quick, irresistible meal that makes you crave seconds.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 500 g (1.1 pounds) chicken tenders
Breading Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
Seasoning and Flavoring:
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Garnish:
- Fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Craft a seasoned flour blend by thoroughly mixing flour with garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a wide, shallow container.
- Whisk the egg in a separate bowl until smooth and uniform in texture.
- Pour breadcrumbs into a third shallow dish, creating a strategic coating station.
- Transform each chicken tender into a crispy delight by first rolling in seasoned flour, ensuring complete coverage.
- Dunk the flour-coated tender into beaten egg, allowing excess to drip off.
- Gently press the egg-coated tender into breadcrumbs, creating a uniform, crisp exterior.
- Warm the air fryer to 200C (400F) for precisely 5 minutes to ensure optimal cooking environment.
- Arrange breaded tenders in a single layer within the air fryer basket, avoiding overcrowding.
- Lightly mist tenders with cooking spray to enhance golden crispiness.
- Air fry for 10-12 minutes, rotating midway to guarantee even browning and thorough cooking.
- Simultaneously prepare the luxurious sauce by melting butter with minced garlic over low heat.
- Incorporate honey into the warm butter-garlic mixture, stirring until completely integrated.
- Once tenders are golden and crisp, plate immediately and generously drizzle with honey-garlic sauce.
- Optional: Sprinkle fresh parsley for a vibrant garnish and additional flavor dimension.
Notes
- Ensure chicken tenders are of similar size for even cooking, preventing some pieces from becoming too dry or undercooked.
- Pat chicken completely dry before coating to help breading adhere better and create a crispier exterior.
- Use panko breadcrumbs for extra crunchiness, which provides a lighter and more textured coating compared to traditional breadcrumbs.
- For gluten-free option, substitute all-purpose flour with almond flour or gluten-free flour blend, and use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 293 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg