There is nothing better than some delicious chicken tenders on a Friday night? Am I right? If you have recently adopted a low carbohydrate lifestyle or have started the Keto diet, you are probably craving some fried chicken tenders at this very moment. Good news! This recipe for Crispy Ninja Foodi Chicken Tenders can be made in any air fryer and you would never know they were low carb! Keep reading!

Ninja Foodi Chicken Tenders Recipe [Low Carb/Keto]

This recipe for homemade chicken tenders is an easy dinner the whole family will love. The cooking process is super simple and ready in minutes. The results are a crispy, cheesy, low carb option. Here are the steps to make Ninja Foodi Chicken Tenders.

The Chicken

You will need approximately 10 chicken tenderloins. If you do not have chicken tenderloins, you can simply cut chicken breast into long pieces to make chicken strips.

Though the next step is optional, I highly recommend trying it. This will make your chicken so juicy and give it a similar flavor to Chick-Fil A’s chicken.

Marinate the chicken tenderloin pieces in pickle juice with 2 Tablespoons of milk for at least 2 hours. The pickle juice should cover the chicken. Place the chicken in pickle juice marinade in the refrigerator. The longer, the better.

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The Breading

You will need to decimate the pork rinds into crumbs. I have used a ziploc bag and beaten them, however the absolute best way to do this to make sure the pieces are all broken into granules is to use a food processor. To make 10 strips, I used about half of the bag of pork rinds. Dump the ground pork rinds into a shallow bowl.

Add one cup of grated parmesan cheese to the food processor. You will want to make sure it is pulverized as well. Add the parmesan cheese to the pork rinds.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder and mix all together.

Steps To Making The Breaded Chicken Fingers

In a small bowl, whisk two large eggs. In a separate shallow bowl, add your bread crumb mixture.

You will dip a chicken tenderloin into the egg wash making sure all sides are covered in egg.

Cover the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture by rolling it in the pork rind mixture.

Place on a baking sheet and spray both sides of the breading with olive oil cooking spray. An important thing to note is try not to use cooking spray in your air fryer basket.

For best results, place the chicken in a single layer in the air fryer basket. In my 8 quart Ninja Foodi, I was able to fit four chicken tenders at a time.

If you are using the Ninja Foodi, you will want to place the cook and crisp basket into the removable pot. You will need to add the rack to the cook and crisp basket so the chicken tenders are raised.

Choose the air fry function. Set to 390 degrees f for about 12-15 minutes cook time. You will want to watch to make sure the breading is turning a golden brown and not burning. You will need to flip the chicken after 8-10 minutes. The chicken is ready when the meat thermometer shows 160 degrees.

Remove the cooked chicken pieces and repeat these steps with any remaining chicken.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. My favorites include bbq sauce, honey mustard, or ranch dressing. You can also toss them in buffalo sauce.

If you are not watching your carbohydrate intake, you can serve these with a side of french fries or tater tots which can easily be made in your air fryer as well. Here is a great recipe for Air Fryer Tater Tots.

Can I Use Another Type Of Breading?

You may be thinking pork rinds are gross? You may not be on a low carbohydrate diet and have no concerns regarding cutting back on carbohydrates. Though I highly recommend you try the pork rinds because the flavoring is amazing, you may use whatever breading you wish.

You may choose your favorite Italian breadcrumbs, panko breadcrumbs or even a flour mixture. You may have a distaste for pork rinds and in that case, I recommend using almond flour. The breading choice will not matter, however I do recommend still using the grated Parmesan Cheese in the breading mixture you choose.

Do I Need The Ninja Foodi Or Will Any Brand Air Fryer Work?

Do you need a Ninja Foodi to create Ninja Foodi Chicken Tenders? Though I absolutely love my versatile Ninja food, you do not need it for this recipe. In fact, any brand of air fryer will work though the cooking time may differ slightly. I recommend just watching the chicken tenderloins as they cook to prevent them from burning.

In Summary

Ninja Foodi Chicken Tenders are simple to make and are absolutely delicious. If you choose to use pork rinds as your breading, you will hardly miss the fried version. If you are not looking to cut back on carbohydrates, simply substitute the pork rinds for your favorite bread crumbs.

Homemade air fryer chicken tenders will be your Friday night go to dinner idea or munch on them while watching Sunday Football. I will never use my oven again as my Ninja Foodi makes the absolute best chicken tenders.

Drop me a comment and let me know what you think when you try this recipe. I’d love to hear from you!

About the Author:

Hi! I’m Chris. I’m a mother, wife, college professor by trade and micro-influencer by hobby. I am a bargain hunter, jack of all trades, and master of chaos.

Thank you for reading my random thoughts on travel, my stories of life as an under appreciated mother of a teenager, and my easy recipes that have won no awards but instead my family’s love and adoration (which is WAY better, right?).