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Green plate with chicken tenders and ranch dip on it next to a sheet pan of chicken tenders.

Pickle Brined Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

Your whole family is going to LOVE these Pickle Brined Air Fryer Chicken Tenders. They're crispy, juicy, and oh-so-tasty.
5 from 14 votes
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Brining time: 6 hours
Calories: 232kcal
Author: Dana Sandonato

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 - 1.5 lbs chicken tenders
  • 2 cups pickle juice from a jar of pickles
  • 1.5 cups all purpose flour
  • 1.5 cups panko breadcrumbs You can also use Italian breadcrumbs
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt and cracked black pepper
  • Olive or avocado oil spray

Instructions

Brining in pickle juice:

  • Pour the pickle juice into a shallow pan. Carefully transfer the chicken tenders to the pickle juice. Make sure all of the chicken is submerged for even brining, then cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, up to 24.

To cook the chicken tenders:

  • Preheat the air fryer to 390º F.
  • Set up three shallow dishes for dredging the chicken tenders: one dish with flour; one with eggs, lightly beaten; and one with seasoned breadcrumbs.
  • Dredge each tender through flour, then the eggs, and finally, the seasoned breadcrumbs. Make sure the tenders are evenly coated.
  • Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil and place the tenders into the basket one at a time. Lightly spray the tops of the tenders with the cooking oil also. Be sure to not overcrowd the basket—cook the tenders in batches if necessary.
  • Cook the chicken tenders for 3 minutes, then carefully flip them with tongs and spritz them with oil. Cook for another 3 minutes.
  • Remove the tenders and set them aside. Repeat until all of the tenders are cooked.
  • Serve them with your favorite dipping sauce—like this dill pickle buttermilk ranch or homemade ketchup!

Nutrition

Serving: 1chicken finger | Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 472mg | Fiber: 1g