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We got an Air Fryer from my in-laws for Christmas and we have been cooking up a storm. One thing we’ve made plenty of is our freeze ahead chicken strips! When we are feeling naughty we deep fry them (see that recipe here), but we’re both trying to eat healthier.
With the air fryer you get all the crisp with a lot less oil!
Pair these with our Zesty Asian sauce or Mango Habanero Sauce for a spicy kick!
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs dark meat chicken strips (cut strips from thighs – you should get about 4 from each thigh)
- Hot sauce
- 5 cups flour
- 1/4 cup onion powder
- 1/4 cup garlic powder
- 1/4 cup black pepper
- 1/4 cup cayenne pepper or to taste
- 10 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
Instructions
- Marinade chicken strips in hot sauce for up to 24 hours.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Add cayenne pepper to make spicy tenders, or leave it out for a milder breading.
- In a shallow bowl combine eggs and milk.
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry.
- Dredge strips in flour mixture first – shaking off excess flour. Then dip the strip into the egg mixture, and again into the flour mixture. Lightly shake off excess flour.
- Place strips in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Place all breaded strips into the freezer for at least two hours for flour to stick to chicken.
- Preheat air fryer. Just before placing in fryer basket, lightly coat tenders in oil using a oil mister or brush. Cook in single layer at 380 degrees Fahrenheit for 6 minutes. Open fryer and flip strips. Cook for an additional 6 minutes.
Notes
It makes it easier to bread the chicken if you use one hand for removing the chicken from the flour mixture and one hand for removing it from the wet mixture. If you don’t then you will coat your fingers in breading. After freezing chicken can be placed in freezer safe bags and kept for up to three months.