Air fryers have become increasingly popular in recent years as a quick and healthy way to cook foods like chicken breast strips When using an air fryer, it’s important to understand how long to cook chicken breasts in order to achieve the best results
What is an Air Fryer?
An air fryer is a kitchen appliance that cooks food with hot air moving quickly through it. Using convection to quickly cook food by moving hot air around it, it works like a convection oven. This lets food cook quickly and get crispy with little to no oil.
Compared to deep frying, air frying significantly reduces the amount of oil needed while still producing the crispy texture and great taste of deep fried foods. It’s a great option for cooking lean meats like chicken breast strips.
Benefits of Cooking Chicken Breast Strips in an Air Fryer
Why cooking chicken breast strips in an air fryer instead of an oven or a pan is better in a number of ways:
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Air-frying uses little to no oil, so the chicken is lower in fat and calories than chicken that has been deep-fried. This makes it a healthier cooking method.
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Gets crispy: The high-heat airflow goes around the food and makes the outside of the chicken strips crunchy without having to deep-fry them.
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Cooks quickly Air fryers can cook chicken breast strips in a fraction of the time of a traditional oven The average cooking time is 10-15 minutes.
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Easy cleanup: With minimal oil, air fryers are easier to clean up than deep frying.
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Versatile: Air fryers allow you to easily make a variety of breaded chicken recipes from strips to nuggets.
How Long to Cook Chicken Breast Strips in an Air Fryer
Cooking times can vary based on the model and size of your air fryer, thickness of the chicken strips, and your desired level of crispiness. Here are some general guidelines for how long to cook chicken breast strips in an air fryer:
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Thinner cut strips, around 1/2 inch thick: 8-12 minutes at 370°F.
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Thicker cut strips, around 3/4 to 1 inch thick: 10-15 minutes at 370°F.
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Larger chicken tenderloins or pieces: May need up to 18 minutes at 370°F.
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Boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips: Cook for 15-18 minutes at 370°F.
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Breaded chicken strips or nuggets: Add 1-3 minutes to the cooking time.
For food safety, chicken should always be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F as measured by a food thermometer.
Tips for Cooking Chicken Breast Strips in an Air Fryer
Follow these tips to achieve perfectly cooked, tender and crispy air fryer chicken breast strips:
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Pat chicken strips dry before cooking to help them get crispy.
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Brush strips lightly with oil or spray with oil to prevent them from drying out.
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Flip strips halfway during cooking time for even browning.
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Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket. Leave space between strips.
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Use a meat thermometer to confirm chicken reaches 165°F internally.
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Check strips a few minutes early and adjust cook time if needed.
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Let strips rest 3-5 minutes after cooking before serving.
Air Fryer Chicken Breast Recipes
The air fryer allows you to make a variety of delicious chicken breast recipes beyond just plain strips:
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Breaded Chicken Strips: Coat strips in breadcrumbs or panko before air frying.
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Buffalo Chicken Strips: Toss cooked strips in buffalo sauce and serve with blue cheese dressing.
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Chicken Fajita Strips: Season strips with fajita seasoning and serve in warm tortillas.
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Teriyaki Chicken Strips: Toss cooked chicken strips with teriyaki sauce.
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Honey Sriracha Chicken Strips: Toss strips in a honey sriracha sauce.
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Chicken Parmesan Strips: Top breaded strips with marinara and mozzarella after cooking.
With minimal prep time and quick cook time, air fried chicken breast strips make for a fast weeknight dinner or healthy snack any time. In just 10-15 minutes, you can enjoy juicy chicken strips with a crispy crunchy exterior.
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Add oil to the panko if you dont have or use spray oil. It crisps up perfectly in the air fryer and theres less handling to knock off the panko.
Ive made this recipe several times now and skip the egg, just wash with the mustard. I find it keeps more of the Dijon flavor. I also split the breading into two batches. The last few tenders will have more panko and not as much of the other spices mixed in if you mix it all at once. I also add a little turmeric (less than 1 teaspoon) to give the finish a more golden/yellow color.
Be careful about using cooking spray, as this can really gum up some air fryer ovens.
Mine cooked fairly fast, check the temperature with a meat thermometer. Some of my thinner tenders were pretty dry, but they got too hot. Very tasty crust. Great with BBQ sauce for dip.
I made these, but I didn’t have Dijon, so I found a Chinese hot mustard in my junk drawer and used that instead. It worked great. Loved the crispiness!.
The crust was great, but the tenders ended up pretty chewy. What did I do wrong?Private comments are only visible to you.
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Easy Air Fryer Chicken Tenderloins Recipe | Munchy Goddess
FAQ
How long for chicken breast strips in an air fryer?
Spray the top of the chicken strips with oil before air-frying for 15 minutes at 200C, turning roughly halfway through.