This post is sponsored by Hamilton Beach, and all content here including my recipe for Homemade Crispy Chicken Tenders is my own. I may receive compensation from affiliate network relationships.

So everyone’s been talking about air fryers for a while now, and I have felt left out of the conversation. People just rave about the ability to cook something in their air fryer without all the oil and mess. After a recent discussion with my niece about how she loves it and finds it so versatile, I just had to have one. The good folks at Hamilton Beach must have overheard, because they provided me with a brand new Hamilton Beach Sure-Crisp Air Fry Toaster Oven to sample. And I am loving it so much that I created a new recipe for homemade crispy chicken tenders.

AND YOU CAN WIN ONE TOO!

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This recipe for homemade crispy chicken tenders is so darn good! They would not taste nearly as good without using the air fryer. Baking them in the oven just never gets that full crisp you get when deep frying, and don’t even get me started about the microwave. Yep, pretty happy I finally got an air fryer.

My New Hamilton Beach Sure-Crisp Air Fry Toaster Oven

My new Hamilton Beach Sure-Crisp Air Fry Toaster Oven has many features beyond air frying. Quite literally, it is also a toaster oven. And a toaster. And a full-on oven for baking things like cookies and other treats. I have it sitting on the counter in my kitchen, taking a place of prominence because it just gets used so much.

This kitchen appliance has a ton of great features. For example, the large glass door gives me easy visibility of the food I’m cooking and quick access to it as needed. It’s big enough the toast six slices of bread at once, or an entire 12″ pizza. Clean up is also a snap because of the slide-out crumb tray. It’s a serious work horse, and I’m thrilled we can use it for many things without having to turn on the big oven and use more energy than necessary.

You can get your own Hamilton Beach Sure-Crisp Air Fry Toaster Oven at Target right now!

Homemade Crispy Chicken Tenders in the Air Fryer

Now if you have ever had kids, you know that crispy chicken tenders is like a staple for them. When in doubt in any restaurant, order the chicken tenders (or whatever that institution is calling them) and  the kids will be happy. So I was so happy when my new recipe for chicken tenders turned out perfectly – even better than I had hoped. They were crispy and crunchy on the outside, and tender and juicy on the inside. Just like the kids’ favorites from restaurants.

I’m sure the Hamilton Beach Sure-Crisp Air Fry Toaster Oven would work just beautifully on frozen chicken tenders too. I have been known to buy a bag (or three) of those at the grocery store, and brought them home to cook for quick kid meals. They would be even better cooked in the air fryer for maximum crisp.

Way More Healthy Than Deep Frying

I’ve never been a huge fan of deep frying things at home. It takes an enormous amount of oil and a giant pot. Not to mention the huge mess it makes and the nasty clean up. Oh, and what am I supposed to do with all that used oil after I’m done cooking?

But yikes – let’s talk about the effects of eating all that oil in your diet. Frying foods in oil causes a massive jump in calories, is very high in trans fats that can cause heart disease and other serious health problems, and has been linked to the onset of Type 2 Diabetes.  So yeah, it’s really not good for us to eat fried foods, and we hardly ever do.

But my Hamilton Beach Sure-Crisp Air Fry Toaster Oven presents a whole different story! With almost zero oil, I am able to make things I would never have cooked at home before. Plus I feel good about serving it to my family. WIN!

Recipe for Homemade Crispy Chicken Tenders in the Air Fryer

Serves 4

Ingredients for Homemade Crispy Chicken Tenders

• 1 pound chicken tenders (I use Perdue Harvestland Organic Chicken Tenderloins)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 cup crushed Cheez-It crackers
• 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cooking spray

Instructions for Making Crispy Chicken Tenders

1. Preheat Hamilton Beach Sure-Crisp Air Fry Toaster Oven on the Air Fry setting.
2. Mix together beaten egg, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the chicken tenders and mix with other ingredients to coat well.
3. In another bowl, mix together the crushed Cheez-Its, breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.
4. Taking one piece of chicken from the egg mixture at a time, coat each chicken strip individually in the dry mixture. Make sure each piece is completely coated, turning and pressing all sides evenly. Cover all sides of the chicken generously with cooking spray.
5. Place chicken tenders on cooking tray, leaving space between each to keep them from touching. Cook for 10 minutes, flip over each piece, and cook for 10 minutes more until golden and crispy.

If you want to follow this recipe to a T, get your Hamilton Beach Sure-Crisp Air Fry Toaster Oven at Target right now!