Unbreaded Chicken Tenders In Air Fryer. Introducing you to our healthy air fryer chicken tenders. They are gluten free, crispy, and easy to prep. They are also flavoured just like KFC.
If you love chicken tenders you will love this fun, original way to enjoy KFC chicken without the breading. Like the naked chicken trend that is now a thing in the air fryer, this is a chicken recipe you must add to your air fryer bucket list.
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Naked Chicken Tenders
I know, I probably had you staring at our blog, mouth wide open, wondering why the word “naked” is used and what on earth naked chicken tenders are.
Well, people use the terminology naked chicken tenders to describe chicken tenders without breading.
Imagine you make chicken tenders in the air fryer but skip the breading step. You still have delicious chicken it is just unbreaded and it’s a great way to make gluten free air fryer chicken tenders.
Even better, you can follow this concept whenever you have spare seasonings along with spare tenderloins and cook them in the air fryer.
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Can You Cook Raw Chicken In An Air Fryer?
Yes, you can. Raw chicken in the air fryer is fantastic and tastes amazing and if cooked correctly, you will be wanting to go back for seconds and thirds.
Our favourite is air fryer rotisserie chicken, but we also love air fryer chicken fajitas and air fryer chicken breast.
Can You Cook Frozen Unbreaded Chicken Tenders In The Air Fryer?
Yes, you can, and our team has personally tested them at Recipe This for you to see what they are like.
We tried out 10 different Tyson frozen foods in the air fryer, among those we tested included Tyson chicken breast tenderloins and found that they were delicious even though they were not battered or breaded.
Air Fryer Unbreaded Chicken Tenders KFC Style
This recipe I am sharing with you today for unbreaded chicken tenders in the air fryer is inspired by KFC leftovers.
You see, we were updating lots of our copycat KFC recipes for the air fryer including:
As well as updating our post showing you how to make the KFC spice blend. We had done a full day of recipes and prepped loads more for the freezer. Then we could binge on KFC chicken in the air fryer whenever we wanted.
We had a production line most of the day like this:
Then at the end of the day we found ourselves with loads of chicken tenders from making the chicken strips as well as spare KFC spice blend. It wasn’t pre-planned at all, and I found myself experimenting and making air fryer naked chicken tenders. Using up a few ingredients but keeping it free of the flour and free of the breadcrumbs.
Keeping the delicious flavour of a KFC and still giving you a crunch from the seasoning and this has now become my favourite chicken tenders in the air fryer with no breading.
Whether you are looking for keto air fryer chicken tenders or just looking for something similar for dinner, then this is it!
Does KFC Have Unbreaded Chicken?
Not at any of the KFC takeaways that I have ever been to. Though check your local as you might find some. And you now have our unbreaded chicken tenders in the air fryer that are based around KFC ingredients to solve your problem.
Also at KFC they have is fantastic ideas that you can convert to recreating at home in the air fryer and it’s also amazing for ideas for sides too. Such as making air fryer frozen corn on the cob, air fryer potato wedges, or even some air fryer frozen French fries.
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Air Fryer Unbreaded Chicken Tenders Ingredients
Chicken – To make homemade chicken tenders in the air fryer you will need lots of strips of chicken. You can either make chicken tenderloin slices, use chicken stroganoff slices or cut up lengthways some chicken breast.
Egg – I am using egg I have leftover from batches of other KFC copycat recipes that is beaten and seasoned. You can season yours with salt and pepper and a little chicken seasoning too if you prefer.
Seasoning – I’m using a batch of KFC spice blend and then tossing the chicken in the egg and then in the spice blend so that it sticks to the chicken tenders before it is air fried.
Then for the kitchen gadgets that we have used in our chicken tenders in the air fryer, it has just been our Philips Air Fryer. We have this one and its wonderful for many types of air fryer chicken recipes and perfectly fits a batch of chicken tenders in it depending on the size of them.
Mix & Match Unbreaded Chicken
You don’t have to limit this recipe to chicken tenders either. We also did a batch with a chopped up whole chicken from when we made air fryer KFC chicken.
It follows the same concept with unbreading and tastes amazing.
How To Make Chicken Tenders In Air Fryer?
- Seasonings. Start by mixing your KFC spice blend in a container. I always use a container because I can then save the leftovers for next time, I want homemade KFC chicken.
- Production. Next crack eggs into a bowl and mix with a fork. Season with salt and pepper and chicken seasoning.
- Coat. Cut your chicken breast to chicken tender strips and then season with salt and pepper. Toss in the egg and then in the seasoning before placing into the air fryer.
- Load. Air fry for 10 minutes. If you are cooking a lot of chicken tenders do 6 at a time depending on the size of your air fryer.
How Long To Air Fry Chicken Tenders?
The air fryer chicken tenders cook time is JUST 10 minutes. The prep time is just 5 minutes depending on if you are using up leftovers. I also like to use the 10 minute cook time to plan what to serve with my chicken tenders.
More Healthy Air Fryer Recipes
We have more than 500 delicious air fryer recipes on Recipe This and I have hand picked you some of my favourite healthy ones for you to try next:
KFC Unbreaded Chicken Tenders In Air Fryer
Ingredients
Kitchen Gadgets:
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp KFC Spice Blend
- 2 Chicken Breasts
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 Tbsp Chicken Seasoning
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts on a clean chopping board. Slice length ways into strips. Then season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Crack eggs into a bowl and mix with a fork. In another bowl add leftover KFC spice blend. Load chicken strips into the egg, and then into the spice blend. Make sure each piece of chicken is well coated from each bowl.
- Place the chicken strips into the air fryer basket on a single layer.
- Cook for 8 minutes at 180c/360f. Then turn and cook for a further 2 minutes at the same temperature. Serve warm with your favourite sides.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Can’t make it now? Then pin it for later!
