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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Tammy T. Myers says
Made this recipe tonight … delicious! Thank you!
Bobette Gustafson says
These were ABSOLUTELY fabulous! THANKS SO MUCH! The blend of spices could not have been more perfect.
Jamie Christianson says
LOVE this recipe! I also marinated my chicken tenders in pickle juice for 30 minutes prior and it was SO tasty! The seasonings were wonderful. Will make again. It’s a guilt free way to kick my Chick-fil-A cravings.
Camila Gregoire says
Delicioso. Awesome recipe. We tried it for the very first time and everyone loved it in my family.
Kara says
Great recipe. My kids and husband love these. Only recommendation is to coat the air fryer with olive oil spray before cooking. I lost half my breading when I flipped them, but they were still delicious. Thanks!
Alyssa O'Brien says
These came out absolutely amazing & they are approved by my toddler. I doubled my batch easily and just reheated in the air fryer for a couple minutes and they tasted just like the first batch! I have a house of picky eaters and this was the best recipe and the flavor from the dry ingredients is amazing!
imsen says
My family and I love it. I will definitely make again. Super easy and great flavor!
paleobailey says
I’m so glad you enjoyed!! Thank you!
Rachel says
Holy cow – these are so easy and delicious! So tender and makes whole 30 a bit easier with this 12 minute recipe. Can’t recommend enough. Thanks, Bailey!
paleobailey says
I’m so happy you enjoyed them!!
Chris says
Amazing recipe that the whole family enjoyed! Tender chicken — I cooked thighs and drumsticks (with bones) and chicken tender sized cut breasts. I’ll try this in the oven next, hopefully will be less messy! But it was worth it.
paleobailey says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! Thighs sound amazing, too!
Jenny says
Love these chicken tenders so much! I make them at least once a month. The spices combined are delicious. Thanks for always sharing great recipes.
paleobailey says
I’m so happy you enjoy them! You are so welcome! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! <3 - B
Stuart says
My favorite air fryer recipe! Highly recommend for an easy and delicious dinner!
paleobailey says
Thank you, Stuart! I’m so glad you love these! 🙂 – B
Linda Todd says
I have made this recipe twice now (back to back dinners lol) It is so easy and delicious and FAST!
I used whole chicken breasts that I sliced into “tenders” sized pieces – easy.
Using the air fryer is amazing! And your coating mix is SO flavourful without being overbearing at all.
I have done air fryer chicken wings before but that recipe called for just baking soda and the taste was disappointing (to say the least). I needed to find a better recipe (because our air fryer was def no cheap and I didn’t want him to regret our purchase)
I came across your recipe and thought I might as well try it. I need low carb and yours certainly fits the bill.
I also found an air fryer home made french fry recipe (not low carb but I am determined to give him good value for this purchase lol) These chicken tenders along with home made french fries make a fast and easy meal that tastes amazing! The are the perfect companion foods.
The second night I made this recipe, I tried the oven variation. Just as easy and almost as fast!
Thank you SO much! It can be challenging to find truly delicious low carb foods that aren’t just eating the same old thing.
This recipe is amazing. I’ll be making this often.
Oh – one more thing – the chicken pieces come out absolutely moist and juicy! I was concerned they’d end up dry, but not at all!
We have thoroughly enjoyed this twice this week lol
Thank you!
Kelly Newsome says
I love this recipe I did add a 1/4 cup of powdered parmesan. Amazing!!!
Stephen G Crispin says
This was good, definitely. I think the chicken we used for our first go-round was not the best but the breading was good and the recipe as a whole was really easy.
The other part of this review is that we decided to try the same recipe with some leftover cod we had. Normally my family does not like fish but, across the board, everyone liked it! Very noteworthy considering how little they like fish. It is important to dry the surface of the filet in order for the egg and breading to stick. Some of the spices could maybe use some modification but, as it was posted, we’ll definitely do the fish-version again. Thanks for posting.
Susan says
The print feature doesn’t work
paleobailey says
Hello. It’s working fine on my end. Can you let me know what/how it’s not working?
Gillian says
So delicious! Made these last night with Japanese sweet potato fries and chipotle aioli. Will definitely be in rotation. Probably add a few minutes to the oven version for crispier outside. We also thought a drizzle of honey would be super amazing so will be adding that next time. Love to follow a fellow Minnesotan! Keep up the great recipes!
paleobailey says
I’m so glad you enjoyed! Honey sounds like an awesome addition!! Thank you so much for leaving a review, it’s so appreciated! <3 - B
Laura says
This recipe is so good! My kids love it and I do too of course. I’m gluten free so it’s been awhile since I’ve had “breaded” chicken and this really hit the spot. I did cook it for an extra 2 min on each side to make it a bit more crispy. Turns out perfect every time!
paleobailey says
I’m so glad you all enjoyed!! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review! It’s so appreciated!!
Tara says
These chicken tenders are incredibly easy and delicious! After a full day of work, I love how quick a family friendly dinner comes together. I always think I will have extra to freeze but my family just gobbles them up.
To keep my batches warm I keep them in the oven so I shorten the air fryer time by just a min or two so they don’t over cook. It works out perfectly!!!
Thank you for this yummy, easy and healthier recipe!!
Jamie says
How would I go about using chicken breast instead of tenderloins? (Adjusting time and temperature/how do I cut them) thanks! I’m excited to try.
Linda Todd says
I used chicken breasts and just sliced them up at the thickness of the tenders.
I carefully cut away the tender first and then carefully pressed down on the breast as I cut it to make sure my cuts were straight and my pieces were as even as I could get them.
Once I cooked them, I was pleasantly surprised to find that even the smaller ends of the pieces weren’t dried out at all. My pieces were delicious and moist from one end to the other.
I think you’ll find that to be a very simple switch to make that will give you longer pieces (chicken strips). If you couple that with some fresh home made french fries, you’ll have a slam dunk winner on your hands lol
Linda Todd says
sorry – I missed one part of your question – because I cut them carefully to keep them about the same thickness as the chicken tenders, I used the same cooking time as in the recipe and found them to come out perfect. I did cut one in half to check for doneness and it was perfect.
Jamie says
How would I go about using chicken breast instead of tenderloins? (Adjusting time and temperature/how do I cut them) thanks! I’m excited to try.