These Whole30 and Paleo air fryer chicken tenders are perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle. They’re a healthy, low carb and gluten-free version of the classic chicken strips you can get at any restaurant. They’re flavorful, only take a few simple ingredients and 12 minutes to cook! They’re something the whole family will love and you’ll feel great after eating!
There’s so many uses for these air fryer chicken tenders, beyond just dipping them of course! I love using the leftovers on Whole30 or Paleo lettuce wraps, cut up into salads or even added to stuffed baked potatoes. You can also coat them once they’ve finished cooking in BBQ sauce or buffalo sauce. Which are also my favorite for dipping! My favorites are either Frank’s Red Hot for buffalo, or Primal Kitchen’s Whole30 and sugar-free BBQ sauce. You can find that on Thrive Market, Amazon or on their website (code PALEOBAILEY saves you 10% at checkout.)
When it comes to air fryers, they are all pretty uniform in terms of temperatures and cook times, however, some do vary slightly. You might need a few more minutes cook time for crispier chicken tenders. You’ll be able to gauge that better once you flip them halfway through! The important thing for a more uniform end result is to make sure you’re only cooking the chicken tenders in a single layer.
This requires two batches, unless you have a large air fryer, but I promise it’s well worth it! While we’re on the topic of air fryers, if you have a friend you need to get a gift for, let me tell you.. an air fryer is a great idea! I say that because I was given my air fryer as a housewarming gift and I love, love, love it. We use it all of the time. It’s especially been great (and easy enough) for my fiancé, who doesn’t “cook”, but uses our air fryer for everything. From veggies to pork chops. He’s obsessed.
Check out my list of 30 paleo and Whole30 air fryer recipes!
For the chicken tenders, you’ll only need a handful of spices, some almond flour and eggs for an egg wash. You’ll start by patting the chicken tenders dry and then dipping them into the egg wash. From there, just coat each of them with the almond flour and seasoning mixture. Into the air fryer they’ll go! With a quick flip halfway through, 12 minutes later you’ll have a much healthier, totally Whole30 version of this classic fast food meal.
I use chicken tenders specifically for this recipe, which taste exactly the same as chicken breast meat does. If you don’t have that option in stores near you, you can make your own from chicken breasts. Simply put a chicken breast on the cutting board, press your palm against the top of it and run your knife through the middle of the breast, cutting it in half. From there, you can cut each half lengthwise and have 4 tenders!
Grab my favorite Whole30 and Paleo ketchup and BBQ sauce for dipping here! (Code PALEOBAILEY saves you 10% at checkout!) Or as part of the Whole Kitchen Sink pantry staples bundle (with a free dairy-free alfredo sauce + free shipping!)
Other Whole30 Chicken Recipes You’ll Love:
Lemon Chicken & Veggie Skillet
PrintAir Fryer Chicken Tenders: Paleo, Whole30, Low Carb, Gluten-Free with Oven Instructions
These Whole30 and Paleo air fryer chicken tenders are perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle. They’re a healthy, gluten-free version of the classic chicken strips you can get at any restaurant. They’re flavorful, only take a few simple ingredients and 12 minutes to cook! They’re something the whole family will love and you’ll feel great after eating!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken tenders
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- Avocado oil or olive oil spray
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees. Pat the chicken tenders dry and set aside.
- In a shallow bowl, beat eggs.
- In an additional shallow bowl, combine almond flour with all spices and baking powder.
- With each chicken tender, first dip into the egg wash and then transfer to the almond flour mixture and coat all sides.
- Place each chicken tender into the air fryer basket in a single layer (will require two rounds of cooking).
- Spray the top of the chicken tenders in the basket lightly with oil, and then set the timer for 12 minutes.
- Flip after 6 minutes and spray the other side lightly with the oil.
- While they’re cooking, continue coating the remaining tenders and then repeat once chicken tenders are finished in the air fryer. Serve with dipping sauce!
Notes
Oven instructions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Coat chicken with egg and flour mixture as instructed. Place on baking sheet with the tenders evenly spaced and then cook for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Nutrition Facts:
- Serving Size: Serves 4
- Calories: 183
- Fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 2.5 g
- Fiber: 1.1 g
- Protein: 26.8 g
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Raenee Carvalho says
Can I use all purpose GF flour instead of the almond?
paleobailey says
I think that would be just fine!
Amber says
Delicious and kid approved! Thanks for the recipe!!
paleobailey says
I’m so glad it was a hit!! Thank you so much!
Brittany says
So good! I did an extra 2 mins for extra crisp but def not needed. These will be apart of my regular rotation! Love them!
paleobailey says
I’m so glad you enjoyed!! Thank you so much for giving them a try, and taking the time to come back and let me know!
Molly says
The spice blend on these was 100! Turned out perfectly in the air fryer!
paleobailey says
I’m so, so glad to hear it!! Thank you so much, Molly! I really appreciate you taking the time to come back to leave a review!
Jill says
Are the nutrition facts for this recipe based on 1 serving of the 4 servings it makes?
paleobailey says
Yes!
Becky says
These turned out pretty good and will likely make frequent appearances during my whole 30.
paleobailey says
Thank you, Becky! I’m glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Sydney Yoscovits says
Best chicken tenders I’ve ever had. These are AMAZING!! I love that their not only gluten free but healthy!
paleobailey says
Oh you tried them! Thank you, Sydney! I’m glad you enjoyed 🙂 Keep me posted if you do try to freeze. – B
Sydney Yoscovits says
Hello,
Would I be able to make these ahead of time, air fry them, then freeze them?
Or would I just bread them and then freeze them until Id like to use them again?
thanks!
paleobailey says
Hello! I’ve never tried to freeze these. If I were, I’d maybe try doing so prior to air frying them.
Ashley says
Trying to eat more nutrient dense (I’ve made a version with panko), but I think this surpasses any homemade chicken strip ever. Paleo or not. It’s so flavorful, and I think the almond flour gives it almost a buttery quality! Paired it with primal kitchens vegan ranch and some Buffalo sauce and it knocked my socks off! Will be my new go to lunch on busy days
paleobailey says
Thank you so much, Ashley!! I’m so happy to hear this! Thank you for giving it a try, and for coming back to let me know you enjoyed it! I really appreciate it 🙂 – Bailey
Abbie says
I’ve tried every Whole30 chicken tender recipe and this one is BY FAR the best! We make this weekly!!
Shelli LoCicero says
Sooo good!!!
Stacy says
I’ve made these about 5 times already. We LOVE them!!
paleobailey says
Thank you so much Stacy!! I’m SO glad you love them! Thanks so much for leaving a review! <3 - B
Judy says
Made this tonight with pork chops instead of chicken. It was amazing! I’ll definitely be making it again.
paleobailey says
Oh pork chops sounds amazing!! Thank you so much for giving it a try and taking the time to let me know how it turned out!!
Denise says
My husband LOVES these. Better than any resturant.
Jenny says
I’m gluten free and on weight watchers and my husband is keto- very few things are both keto and WW friendly but this recipe is! I like spicy so I added crushed red pepper to the seasoning and dipped in Frank’s Red Hot- so good!!
paleobailey says
SO happy to hear this, Jenny! Thank you so much for letting me know you enjoyed!
Andrea Jones says
Ok. I do several rounds of Whole 30 periodically throughout the year. I really stepped it up by doing a Whole 90 at the start of 2020 (I have major goals and I need the discipline!). I get burnt out cooking and often revert to chicken and veggies but there are days when you just want something different…and good!! This recipe is by far one of the best “breaded” whole 30 chicken recipes I’ve tried. I’ve tried a couple and don’t usually opt for them because they just fail miserably – either the coating falls off, it’s very bland or just doesn’t taste good. But I had some chicken breast and wanted to do something other than stick it in the air fryer with some salt, pepper, onion & garlic powder (my go-to meal). I thought cutting the breasts into tenders and seeing if I could find a good whole 30 recipe sounded good, if I could find a recipe that actually seemed decent. I DID! My 14 yo daughter was so impressed, said it was the best Whole 30 meal she’s had. So not only did I enjoy it, but I can happily say the family loved it too!! I rarely leave comments on recipe blogs but this is a well deserved two thumbs up and a big thank you for allowing me to enjoy a “breaded” meal once in awhile with all the flavor and none of the guilt!
ashley says
Think I could use chicken breast and just cut up into small pieces for this?
paleobailey says
Sorry for the late reply here! Yes you totally can!
April says
We LOVED these tenders, came out so crispy and full of flavor! So thankful for this delicious and healthy recipe ❤️
Camryn says
These are really really delicious! They taste so good you wouldn’t know they were healthy. Thank you for this recipe, I just got an air fryer and this is a new go to!
paleobailey says
I’m SO happy to hear this! Thank you so much for letting me know!
Nicole says
I loved these! My husband is doing Whole30 so I have been experimenting with new recipes. The flavor of the chicken with all the spices is wonderful. I could not add Baking Powder to mine because of the ingredients that were in the one I already had. I did add a little cayenne to spice them up a bit, and I did cut them into nuggets not strips. But other than that, I followed the ingredients in the recipe. My air fryer is a oven, toaster, air fryer combo…so the temp is a little bit different. I cooked them in air fry mode at 350 degrees, for 12 mins, turning over half way through. Delicious!
paleobailey says
I’m so, so happy to hear this!! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave such helpful feedback!