Learn how to make delicious air fryer frozen chicken tenderloins in about 15 minutes! They're juicy inside and perfectly seasoned, and you can cook them straight from frozen without thawing first.
Did you forget to take the chicken out of the freezer in time? No problem! This recipe for air fryer frozen chicken tenderloins will save dinner. Succulent and flavorful, these chicken tenders cooked from frozen will satisfy your hunger and delight you with every bite; your entire family will be happy!
Serve them with your favorite dipping sauce like BBQ sauce, ranch dressing, honey mustard sauce, etc. Or make them a complete meal by serving them with the side dish of your choice; they go well with practically anything.
Try our Grilled Chicken Tenderloins or Chicken and Fries, too; they are delicious! Or learn how to cook more food from frozen: Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breasts, Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Thighs, or Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings.
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Why does this recipe work?
- No planning or prep time needed: The frozen chicken tenderloins go straight from the freezer to the air fryer - a quick meal that is ready in just about 15 minutes.
- Just a few ingredients: All you need are the frozen pieces, a little oil, and some seasoning.
- Perfect for busy weeknights or last-minute meals, home-style fast food. Try them with French fries, Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries, Rosemary Mashed Potatoes, or Fried Potatoes and Onions (like in the pictures).
- Versatile: You can serve these delicious tenders as they are with your favorite sauce and the side dishes of your choice. Or you can use them for other purposes: make salads such as Grilled Peach Chicken Salad, sandwiches, fricassee, chicken salads to spread on toast, etc.
Recipe ingredients
- Frozen chicken tenderloins or chicken tenders. We used unbreaded and individually frozen tenders.
- Oil: Any kind you want; I use a simple cooking oil like canola or sunflower oil for this purpose, but olive oil is also fine.
- Seasoning: Anything you like. You would be OK with salt and pepper if that is all you have. But you can add more flavor if you rub the frozen pieces with a spice mixture. You can use all-purpose seasoning, your favorite chicken rub or curry powder, Cajun or Italian seasoning, etc.
- You can also use our Homemade Wing Rub, Peri Peri Seasoning (hot) or mix spices like paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper, etc. Check out the post for Baked Chicken Drumsticks to get more seasoning ideas.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to air fry frozen chicken tenders?
Step #1: Place the frozen chicken strips in a large bowl.
Step #2: Rub them with the oil, add the spices, and rub well again.
Step #3: Arrange the chicken pieces in the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer (See Expert Tips).
Step #4: Cook them for 7 minutes, flip them, and cook them for another 5-6 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
How long does cooking frozen chicken tenderloins in the air fryer take?
The cooking time depends on the thickness of the meat. The best way to know is to check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab); it should be 165°F/ 74°C. If you don't have a meat thermometer, cut one cooked piece in the middle; the flesh should be white (no pink allowed).
Expert Tips
Batches: To cook more, do it in multiple batches; ensure the parts are arranged in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
Salt: If your seasoning mix contains salt, stick to the instructed ½ teaspoon. However, if there's no salt in the mix, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt over the raw tenderloins.
Air fryer temperature: Avoid cooking the frozen chicken tenders at a higher temperature. I tested this, and there was a noticeable difference-the parts cooked at a higher temperature turned out to be rubbery. I got the best results after cooking them at a lower temperature.
Recipe FAQs
They are the same thing: a thin muscle loosely attached beneath the breast. They are typically separated from the breast and sold independently.
Absolutely. Air fry them at 360°F/ 180°C for about 12 minutes or until crispy and cooked through. Check out our Air Fryer Panko Chicken.
Refrigerate leftover chicken tenders in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Serve them at room temperature or reheat them.
Reheat them in the air fryer at 360°F/ 180°C for 3-5 minutes or until heated through. You can also reheat them in the preheated oven or the microwave.
I don't recommend it; they were already frozen before.
What to serve them with?
Try some of our dipping sauces like Whole Egg Mayonnaise, Peri Peri Sauce, Chili Sauce and Baked Potato Wedges, Mint Yogurt Sauce, or this simple Yogurt Dressing that's delicious as a dip, too.
Do you like this recipe?
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Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Tenderloins
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken tenderloins not breaded 450 g, about 1.5 oz / 45 g each, Note 1
- 1 ½ tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon seasoning Note 2
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt Note 3
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 340°F/ 170°C (Note 4).
- Season chicken tenderloins: Place the frozen chicken tenders in a large bowl. Rub them with the oil, sprinkle the seasoning all over, and rub them again.1 lb chicken tenderloins / 450 g + 1 ½ tablespoons oil + 1 tablespoon seasoning + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt + ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Air fry: Arrange them in the air fryer in a single layer. Air fry the frozen chicken for 7 minutes. Flip the parts using tongs and air fry them for another 5-7 minutes or until the internal temperature measured with an instant-read thermometer reaches 165°F/ 74°C (Note 5).
Notes
- Batches: If you want to cook more chicken tenders, do it in several batches; the parts must lie in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Seasoning: You can use any seasoning mix you like, for instance, all-purpose seasoning, chicken rub, Italian or Cajun seasoning, your favorite curry powder, etc.
- Salt: Check if the seasoning mixture contains salt. If it does, then ½ teaspoon salt (as instructed) will be enough. If the mixture doesn't include any salt at all, season the chicken parts with 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt.
- Air fryer temperature: Don't be tempted to cook the frozen chicken tenders at a higher temperature. I tried that, and there was a noticeable difference. The parts cooked at a higher temperature were rubbery.
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