These air fryer spicy naked chicken tenders are easy to make and packing some heat. Using a healthy, spicy, homemade marinade, this easy air fryer recipe cooks in only 10 minutes. Don’t have an air fryer? No problem. This blog post also includes instructions for grilling and baking.
Ingredients For Naked Spicy Chicken Tenders
The ingredients in this naked chicken tenders recipe are simple. Hopefully you already have most of the spices in your pantry.
- Chicken Tenders: 1 pound of chicken tenders or double the recipe to serve a larger crowd.
- Oil: Grab the oil of your choice for the marinade. I usually use olive oil.
- Lemon Juice: 1/4 cup of lemon juice which is equivalent to the juice of 2 medium-size lemons.
- White Vinegar: I like to use white vinegar. The marinade only uses 2 tablespoons so if you need to substitute a different vinegar, go for it.
- Seasonings: There’s a good amount of seasonings in the marinade. More spices than I normally use. They are: chili powder, cayenne, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, pepper, and salt.
How To Make Chicken Tenders In The Air Fryer
Making spicy chicken tenders in the air fryer is easy. Since the chicken is un-breaded, there isn’t much work involved and you don’t get your hands messy! Naked refers to the fact that the chicken tenders cook in the air fryer without any breading.
- In a large bowl, mix together marinade ingredients. Add chicken and toss until all the pieces are evenly coated.
- Cover & refrigerate 30 minutes to 24 hours.
- Add the chicken tenders to the air fryer & discard the remaining marinade.
- Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees. Once ready, add the chicken tenders to the air fryer basket. Do not overlap. You may need to cook your chicken in batches.
- Cook 8-10 minutes, flipping the tender halfway through cooking time. You may need more or less cooking time. Cook the chicken tenders until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
What Is A Chicken Tender?
What is a chicken tender? A chicken tender is the meat underneath the breast of a chicken. Are chicken tenders the same as chicken breasts? No. Tenders are located under chicken breasts. They’re smaller and & thinner than chicken breasts too.
Homemade Spicy Marinade
The star of this recipe is the spicy marinade. I know a lot of people will wonder how spicy it is exactly. That’s a hard question to answer. Personally I do not think it’s too spicy but I like spicy food. There are a few things you can do to eliminate some of the heat in this air fryer recipe. For one, you can reduce the amount of chili powder and cayenne. Both call for 1 teaspoon so use 1/2 teaspoon instead (or less). If you’re not sure, start with less and…taste the marinade! There’s nothing harmful in there so feel to give it a taste & tweak to your liking.
What Is An Air Fryer?
An air fryer is an appliance that circulates hot air around food at high-speed, cooking the food and producing a crispy ‘fried’ layer. Air fryers come in various sizes. What size air fryer you should get depends on your needs. For this recipe I used my 5.8 quart.
Other Cooking Methods
Don’t have an air fryer yet? That’s okay. While I do recommend getting one, you can also grill or bake the spicy chicken tenders. Start by marinating the chicken according to instructions in the recipe box.
GRILL: Set grill to medium-high heat. Add chicken tenders to the grill over direct heat. Discard marinade. Grill chicken about 4-5 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees.
BAKE: Preheat oven to 425F. Place chicken on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Bake 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165 .
FAQs & Tips
- I use a large 5.8 quart air fryer. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have to cook your chicken in batches.
- Use a different cut of chicken. This recipe is really all about the spicy marinade so you don’t need to use tenders. Feel free to substitute a different cut of chicken like chicken breasts, thighs, or wings. If you use a different cut, you may need to adjust the cooking time. Be sure the internal temperature of your chicken is 165 degrees before you eat it.
- Substitute a different vinegar in the marinade. Suggestions include apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar.
Other Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
PrintAir Fryer Spicy Naked Chicken Tenders
These air fryer spicy naked chicken tenders are easy to make and packing some heat. Using a healthy, spicy, homemade marinade, this easy air fryer recipe cooks in only 10 minutes.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: Serves 3-4 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken tenders
- 1/2 cup oil of your choice
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together marinade ingredients. Add chicken and toss until all the pieces are evenly coated.
- Cover & refrigerate 30 minutes to 24 hours.
- Add the chicken tenders to the air fryer & discard the remaining marinade.
- Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees. Once ready, add the chicken tenders to the air fryer basket. Do not overlap. You may need to cook your chicken in batches.
- Cook 8-10 minutes, flipping the tender halfway through cooking time. You may need more or less cooking time. Cook the chicken tenders until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 0.3 g
- Sodium: 941.8 mg
- Fat: 8.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 1.8 g
- Fiber: 0.8 g
- Protein: 22.4 g
- Cholesterol: 54.9 mg
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2 thoughts on “Air Fryer Spicy Naked Chicken Tenders”
Just made this, and it’s so good! I’m still intimidated by my air fryer, but this was so easy. And the marinade is delicious!
These look amazing!