How to Air Fry Frozen Chicken Strips

Knowing how to air fry frozen chicken tenders makes a big difference. It literally separates those who love their air fryers, and those who wonder why they ever bought one in the first place. So don’t despair, because knowing a few handy tricks makes all the difference.

Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Tenders

Frozen foods are a life saver in my house. From veggies to meatballs, I can through a meal together quickly.

Even cooking frozen chicken strips just take minutes in an air fryer. Because frozen breaded chicken strips are slim or even bite sized, they don’t take long to cook. Maybe 15 minutes to cook total.

In fact, I recommend starting with the chicken strips frozen, whether the chicken is pre-cooked, or even uncooked.

The time in the fryer is enough to thoroughly cook the chicken, meaning at least 175 degrees, and it creates a crunchier exterior with the breading.

You can also start with room temp or just removed from the fridge tenders too. In which case they take a few minutes less to cook, but they risk being soggier.

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Reheating Pre Cooked Chicken Tenders

Reheating chicken tenders is simple. If you pull the strips from the refrigerator then they will heat up in about five to ten minutes as long as the air fryer is preheated.

Arranging Chicken Strips in the Air Fryer Basket

So much depends on how you place the frozen chicken strips in the air fryer. Make sure there is plenty of space. Don’t overcrowd the fryer basket. Small batches cook quickly and come out perfectly.

Putting too many in the basket results in soggy and unevenly cooked tenders.

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Air Frying vs Deep Frying Chicken Strips

Going to go out on a limb here. I know the fried chicken purists will hate hearing this. But, yes, you can make equally delicious fried chicken, especially strips, in an air fryer. Air fried chicken is not the enemy but your friend.

You don’t need the hot oil splattering everywhere. You don’t need to worry about cleaning up the used cooking oil. And, let’s face it, going with an air fryer is just plain healthier.

Let’s get back to the cleaning up part…

An air fryer is so much easier to clean up after cooking than cooking up after deep fat frying any day of the week… (Plus your house won’t smell like fried food for the next week!)

Quick and Easy Dipping Sauces

• Old Fashioned Tartar Sauce
• Bang Bang Sauce
• Copycat Chick Fil A Sauce
• Tzatziki Sauce
• Homemade Buffalo Sauce
• Sweet and Sour Sauce

Tips for No Leftovers

• Make sure to do small batches and don’t overcrowd the basket. The hot air needs to swirl around the entire piece!
• Starting with frozen tenders works best.
• Preheat your air fryer to 360 to 400F first. Make sure it is nice and hot to start because some cooling happens as you add each batch. If you don’t preheat you might need to extend the cooking time.
• Make sure to watch the tenders in the air fryer because they go from perfectly golden brown to badly burnt reasonably fast at the high cooking temp.

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More Air Fryer Recipes

• Coconut chicken tenders
• Crispy air fryer tater tots
• Asparagus fries
• Lemon Pepper Shrimp
• Bang bang shrimp

More Kitchen Basics

• How to Quickly Thaw Bacon
• How to Reheat Chicken Tenders
• What to Serve with Chicken Wings
• How to reheat Cornbread (5 Ways!)

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