Air fryer buffalo chicken tenders are deliciously spicy. Made with only a handful of simple ingredients, this easy recipe is bursting with game day flavor.
It's game day! To be completely honest, I'm not a sports person. I'm highly likely to be curled up in the corner with a book while my family watches the game, offering up a cheer or a groan here and there for solidarity. It might sound strange then when I say that I love game day. But I promise, it really makes perfect sense. Even though I am not a sports person, I am 100% a food person, and game day is an ideal excuse to hang around with my family all day eating delicious snacks. Sounds like heaven to me.
One of my family's all-time favorite football snacks is creamy buffalo chicken dip. It's totally yummy, but also really rich and not at all good for you. These homemade buffalo chicken strips are a delicious healthier alternative. Made with boneless chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins and a quick homemade buffalo sauce, they are bursting with spicy rich flavor and are ready in under 20 minutes. Serve them up with some carrots, celery sticks and ranch dressing for a healthy snack that your whole family will enjoy.
This recipe is also becoming one of my favorite air fryer recipes for meal prep. Serve these buffalo tenders with some simple mashed potatoes for a quick dinner any day of the week. Make extra and save the naked tenders to use on a buffalo chicken salad, a quick and healthy lunch.
You Will Love This
- Homemade chicken tenders are a delicious and easy weeknight meal, ready in under 20 minutes.
- Air frying chicken tenders gives the best results - super juicy tenders with a light and crispy coating!
- Naked buffalo tenders are a perfect low carb meal option, making this a great recipe for healthy meal prep.
Ingredients
Gather up your ingredients. For this simple recipe you will need:
- Chicken tenders: I used pre-cut chicken tenders. You could also use boneless chicken breasts and cut them into small pieces for buffalo chicken nuggets - just make sure to shorten your cook time a bit so they are not overdone!
- Cayenne pepper sauce: I use Frank's RedHot. You mix cayenne pepper sauce and butter to make homemade buffalo sauce. If you prefer, you can substitute the cayenne pepper sauce and butter for a bottled premade buffalo sauce like Primal Kitchen Buffalo Sauce.
- Salted butter
- Spices, including Kosher salt and garlic powder
- For the crispy chicken tenders, you will also need panko breadcrumbs and a cooking spray of your choice - I like either olive oil spray or avocado oil spray.
Instructions
Step One: Make the buffalo sauce. In a small bowl, warm the butter in the microwave until melted. Add the cayenne pepper sauce to the butter and whisk to incorporate. Put half of the buffalo sauce in a shallow bowl, and set the other half of the buffalo sauce aside. You will use the reserved sauce to coat the tenders after cooking.
Step Two: Sprinkle each chicken tender with Kosher salt and garlic powder. Add the chicken pieces to the shallow dish with half of the buffalo sauce and stir them to coat. Let the chicken marinate in the buffalo sauce for about 5 minutes.
Step Three: For naked buffalo tenders, remove the chicken pieces from the buffalo sauce marinade, allowing any extra to drip off. Arrange them in a single layer on the air fryer tray or in the air fryer basket, and proceed to cooking them (see step 5).
Step Four: For breaded buffalo tenders, add the panko bread crumbs to a plate. Remove a chicken tender from the buffalo sauce marinade, allowing any extra to drip off. Dip the piece of chicken into the panko, coating both sides evenly. Repeat until all the tenders are coated, and arrange them in a single layer on the air fryer tray or in the air fryer basket. Spray each breaded tender with your cooking spray of choice.
Step Five: Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Cook the chicken tenders for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking for even browning. Chicken tenders should be cooked to a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees measured on a meat thermometer. Remove the tenders from the air fryer and drizzle with the extra sauce you set aside earlier for spicier chicken tenders.
TIP: If you have an air fryer with trays rather than a basket, place the trays in the bottom two positions, away from the heating element. When you flip the tenders halfway through cooking, also rotate the trays (so the bottom tray goes to the middle position, and the middle tray goes to the bottom position). This will ensure even cooking!
Storage
Naked buffalo chicken tenders are great for meal prep. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three to four days. I do not recommend storing the breaded chicken tenders. The panko coating will not stay crispy in the fridge.
Recipe
Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Tenders (Naked and Breaded)
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken tenders
- ½ cup Franks RedHot Cayenne Pepper Sauce
- ¼ cup salted butter
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
For breaded tenders only:
- ½ cup plain panko bread crumbs
- Olive oil or other cooking spray
Instructions
- Make the buffalo sauce: In a small bowl, warm the butter in the microwave until melted. Add the cayenne pepper sauce to the butter and whisk to incorporate. Put half of the buffalo sauce in a shallow bowl, and set the other half of the buffalo sauce aside. You will use the reserved sauce to coat the tenders after cooking.
- Sprinkle each chicken tender with Kosher salt and garlic powder. Add the chicken pieces to the shallow dish with half of the buffalo sauce and stir them to coat. Let the chicken marinate in the buffalo sauce for about 5 minutes.
- For naked buffalo tenders, remove the chicken pieces from the buffalo sauce marinade, allowing any extra to drip off. Arrange them in a single layer on the air fryer tray or in the air fryer basket, and proceed to cooking them (see step 5).
- For breaded buffalo tenders, add the panko bread crumbs to a plate. Remove a chicken tender from the buffalo sauce marinade, allowing any extra to drip off. Dip the piece of chicken into the panko, coating both sides evenly. Repeat until all the tenders are coated, and arrange them in a single layer on the air fryer tray or in the air fryer basket. Spray each breaded tender with your cooking spray of choice.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Cook the chicken tenders for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking for even browning. Chicken tenders should be cooked to a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees measured on a meat thermometer. Remove the tenders from the air fryer and drizzle with the extra sauce you set aside earlier for spicier chicken tenders.
Tony
Great alternative for game day! Loved having these as leftovers for lunch too.