This air fryer chicken strips recipe is about as easy as it gets when it comes to cooking chicken. You can have them on the table in about 20 minutes, and each chicken tender has 11 grams of protein with 0 grams of carbs and 70 calories. That leaves plenty o’ room for sides or my favorite—dessert!

It’s seriously an easy one, but I’ve still included a few ingredient notes and process photos as usual below. And as always, you’ll find the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Step 1: Coat boneless skinless chicken breast strips in olive oil, grated parmesan, garlic powder, salt, dried oregano, parsley flakes, and red pepper flakes. 

chicken breast strips and garlic parmesan seasoning

I used Perdue Farms chicken breast strips, but you could cut your own strips from chicken breast. If you wanted to pick up some of the Perdue strips or other products, you can use their store locator or order in bulk using my affiliate link: perduefarms.com/mason

You’ll want to cut 8 strips about 4-5 inches long if you’re cutting your own from whole chicken breast.

Step 2: Place the chicken strips in an even layer inside an air fryer basket. 

seasoned chicken strips in the Instant Pot air fryer basket

I used the Instant Pot Air Fryer and Pressure Cooker combo, which I’ve found has similar cook times as my other go-to air fryer, the Ninja Foodi. If you’re using another air fryer, you may need to modify the time in the air fryer by a few minutes. Check on your chicken tenders early and often towards the end of cooking.

Step 3: Air fry for 12-14 minutes at 375ºF, flipping halfway through.  

air fried chicken strips

Or until the chicken tenders are golden brown and reach an internal temperature of 165ºF. A food thermometer makes life so much easier if you don’t have one already!

And that’s it for these air fryer chicken tenders. Easy peasy, right? You could use this same cook method to make other flavors of air fryer chicken strips using different seasoning blends.

If you need some seasoning ideas or more air fryer chicken recipes, check out my blackened chicken tenders, adult chicken nuggets, sweet chili chicken and brussels sprouts, mustard balsamic chicken thighs, or air fryer Greek chicken and veggies.

Ninja Foodi chicken nuggets, sweet chili chicken and brussels sprouts, chicken thighs, and Greek chicken

Dip Options for Your Air Fryer Chicken Strips

If you’re familiar with my recipes, you know I love a Greek yogurt based dip. I tested several blends to go with these garlic parmesan tenders and settled on the following as a favorite:

  • 1/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt
  • 1 Tbsp ground dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp grated parmesan
  • 1 tsp Hot Sauce

For a tangier dip, you could add some light mayo and swap the hot sauce for maybe lemon or lime. Get creative! I wouldn’t fault you for going with a pre-made dip or something like the Calabrian chili paste you see in the photos. You could mix the chili paste with a little marinara like I did in my air fryer Dominos bread twists recipe to cut the spice down a bit.

Calabrian chiles also work great in creamy Italian ground turkey soup!

And finally, I recently made a blended cottage cheese pesto pasta that would be a great pairing for this chicken as well. Just slice them up and toss with the pasta for a complete meal. You could also use them to make parmesan chicken sandwiches with a bit of marinara and fresh mozzarella.

If you have any recipe questions, leave a comment at the bottom of the post. Otherwise, enjoy your air fried chicken strips!

4.53 from 119 votes
Servings: 8 Chicken Tenders

Garlic Parmesan Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

By Mason Woodruff
A 20-minute recipe for high protein, low carb chicken tenders air fried with olive oil, grated parmesan, and a few spices and herbs.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Ingredients

  • 12 oz Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, cut into strips
  • 1 Tbsp 16g Olive Oil
  • 2 Tbsp 15g Grated Parmesan*
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
  • 1/2 tsp Parsley Flakes
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt

Instructions 

  • Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel before tossing with the olive oil.
  • Mix the dry ingredients together in a small bowl and add to the olive oil coated chicken.
  • Air fry at 375ºF for 12-14 minutes, flipping the chicken strips halfway through.

Notes

*For crispier tenders, you could use 1/4 cup (30g) grated parmesan like I used for the garlic parmesan nuggets in my air fryer chicken nuggets recipe guide.
For baked chicken tenders, my buttermilk baked chicken tenderloins recipe would be a good example. Try 400ºF for 15-18 minutes.
For a dip, try 1/4 C fat free Greek yogurt mixed with 1 Tbsp ground dijon mustard, 1 Tbsp grated parmesan, and 1 tsp hot sauce.
Each air fried chicken tender has 1 WW SmartPoint (blue).

Nutrition

Serving: 1Chicken Tender, Calories: 70kcal, Protein: 11g, Fat: 3g
Like this? Leave a comment below!
mason woodruff

Mason Woodruff

I’m Mason Woodruff, and I’ve been writing about fitness and food since finishing a nutrition degree in 2014. After working as a strength and nutrition coach, I realized cooking is a skill most fitness enthusiasts could use some help with. I’ve been creating recipes for home cooks ever since.

You may also like:

4.53 from 119 votes (104 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




31 Comments

  1. Sarah says:

    Can I bake these in the oven ?

    1. Mason Woodruff says:

      You could bake these as well. 400ºF directly on a baking sheet for 15-20 should do the trick.

  2. Jessica says:

    These were super yummy! I made them a week I didnt have much time to prep so they were perfect. I meal prepped them with his ranch potatoes. Definitely give these 5 stars!

  3. Jessica says:

    5 stars
    I made these as a meal prep for my lunches one week and they were delicous. I paired them with masons ranch potatoes and it was such a yummy easy lunch all week. I love making his recipes

  4. April says:

    This is so easy & delicious. Go ahead and purchase a family size pack of chicken, because you’ll want to make it again immediately. We enjoyed these best with a honey mustard sauce – but you do you! 5/5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  5. Danielle Gerke says:

    4 stars
    This household loves anything coated in Parmesan cheese so I had to try them. I loved them but I enjoy foods in the spicier side so I added a little extra red pepper flake to give it some kick.

  6. Victoria Powell says:

    3 stars
    I’ve been cooking chicken since I was old enough to reach the stove but I had no idea there was a specific cooking method that actually changed the outcome. Mason’s recommendations for leaving the chicken alone rather than continually flipping and flopping really does make all the difference. The garlic parmesan is one of my favorites but the other flavors are also fantastic. New sure to check out the chipotle and jerk chicken flavors for sure.

  7. Colleen Desrochers says:

    5 stars
    I do not have an airfryer but I seared the chicken in a pan until cooked through, THEN dipped them in the seasoning/parm mix and seared on both sides until crispy and they were delicious.

  8. Delaney Frye says:

    This is hands down the best way to have the least dry chicken and most flavorful. My chicken always comes out dry and these were amazing

  9. Angelina says:

    1 star
    My chicken tenders came out too dry…

  10. Robin says:

    These were fantastic! I doubled the recipe to prep for the week and as we finished up the leftovers on day 3, they were STILL juicy! I couldn’t believe it, normally my chicken is dry by then. Haha Thanks for the recipe! Will definitely be making them again!

    1. Mason Woodruff says:

      Passing the leftover chicken test has to be the ultimate compliment. Thanks, Robin!