Can I Air Fryer Frozen Breaded Chicken Tenders?
Can I Air Fryer Frozen Breaded Chicken Tenders? Well, the answer is yes. You can cook any of the commercially available frozen breaded chicken tenders in the air fryers. In fact, an air fryer is one of the best ways to cook chicken tenders to perfection. They come out perfectly done and crisped every time. And, the air-fried breaded chicken tenders require the least time and effort to prepare.
When it comes to the frozen breaded chicken tenders, you will find a lot of brands available in the shop. They typically mention the oven cooking procedure on the package. But you will be amazed to know that the air fryer can cook the frozen breaded chicken tenders better than any other cooking appliance. Keep reading the article to find a detailed frozen breaded chicken tender recipe for cooking in the air fryer.
How to Pick the Right Frozen Breaded Chicken Tenders?
If you are concerned about your health, you may be wondering which frozen breaded chicken tender brand will be better. Well, the below tricks may work for you to find the healthiest frozen breaded chicken tenders:
Quality Oils
Certainly, the frozen breaded chicken tenders require oils while processing and you know what they can do. And, most of the brands tend to use low-grade oil for this. Try to go for the one that uses quality oils. It would be better if the tenders are processed oil you use at home.
Minimal Processing
The processed food is unhealthy and we all know it. But it is very hard to let go of the craving unattended. What you can do is select chicken tenders that are not heavily processed. It can be hard to determine how well they are processed. One simple trick is you can simply go for the white meat or the dark meat.
Go for the Right Breading
Most chicken tenders in the market are breaded with either refined grains or white flour. Both of them are unhealthy. You need to go for the tenders that come with whole grain bread. They include more nutritional value compared to refined ones. You can also consider the tenders that don’t include a breading.
Little or No Sugar
Although your chicken tenders are typically savory, there can be a good amount of sugar in it. And, we all know how bad sugar is for our health and its link to obesity and other health issues. So, go for the frozen breaded chicken tenders that include very little or no sugar.
Low on Sodium
One of the things obvious about the processed frozen snack is they include sodium and a lot of it. Most of the brands use a large quantity of sodium to make the taste. You need to avoid the tenders that include a bunch of salt or sodium.
Before you purchase the frozen breaded chicken tenders, make sure to give a look at their package and check the ingredients. You will find how much of the sugar, sodium, oil, etc. are used in the tenders. By giving a check to it, you can easily determine the healthiest one for you.
How You Can Cook Air Fryer Frozen Breaded Chicken Tenders
The frozen breaded chicken tenders are unbelievably easy to make in the air fryer. Even if you have no prior idea about the device, you can easily cook them following the recipe we will give below. Let’s see how can you cook air fryer frozen breaded chicken tenders.
- Begin with positioning in the air fryer on a flat surface with no blockage nearby. There should be a wall socket nearby. Connect the air fryer with electricity.
- Now turn on the air fryer to preheat. The preheating temperature will be 400 F and the duration will be 5 minutes. Preheating is not compulsory but it will help you to cook quickly.
- Now add the frozen breaded chicken tenders to the basket. As they will be frozen, you need to thaw them until they separate from each other. Then organize the tenders in a single layer in the basket. Don’t overfill the basket. If needed, cook in smaller batches.
- Now put back the air fryer basket in its compartment. Then, using the time control knob, adjust the cooking duration to 8 minutes. The temperature doesn’t need to be changed.
- Now after cooking them for the recommended time, turn off the air fryer to stop the heating. But don’t open the air fryer basket. Let them sit for five more minutes.
- Once you have done it, carefully take out the air fryer basket and put on a heat-resistant surface. You can now use non-metal tongs to remove the food from the basket.
That’s it, you are done. Your favorite frozen breaded chicken tenders are ready. Now you can serve them with your favorite sauce or dipping.
Recipe Tips
Here are some tips that you may find useful while cooking frozen breaded chicken tenders in the air fryer.
- The cooking duration may vary a bit based on the air fryer and the variation of the bread you are using. So, it is recommended to check frequently to find out when they are done.
- If you cannot rely on the processed frozen breaded chicken tenders, you can consider making them in the home. You should find a lot of recipes online on how to do this.
- You can use your favorite sauce as dipping with the chicken tenders. They might include ketchup, ranch, hot mustard, or homemade sauce.
- Some of the side dishes you may consider with this recipe include French fries, coleslaw, cornbread, asparagus fries, etc.
Conclusion
When it comes to the frozen snacks, the air fryer is one of the most reliable cooking them. The above frozen breaded chicken tender recipe for an air fryer should work like charms for you. Let us know about the outcome if you are using this recipe for preparing the chicken tenders.