Air-Fryer (or Oven-roasted) Chicken Tenders

I've tried several recipes for healthy-ish chicken fingers, trying to avoid ones cooked in lots of fat. Most recipes are roasted in a hot oven, and while they're good, they lack the crunchiness of deep-fried chicken fingers. Enter the air fryer, which fries food with hot air instead of oil.

In this recipe adapted from Skinnytaste.com, I coated chicken tenders in a combination of Panko breadcrumbs and regular seasoned breadcrumbs and air-fried them in single layers for about 10 minutes total. They came out just as crispy as deep-fried fingers, but they were low in fat, calories and WW Points. What a revelation!

Enjoy these with the sauce of your choice: barbecue sauce, ranch dressing, honey mustard, even a simple squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Note: If you. don't have an air fryer, you can roast the tenders in a 425 degree oven for about 15-18 minutes, turning halfway through cooking.

12 chicken tenders ( 1 1/4 lbs.)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp. kosher salt

Black pepper to taste

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1/2 cup Panko

Olive oil spray

Lemon wedges or your favorite dipping sauce for serving

Season chicken tenders with salt and pepper. Place egg in a shallow bowl. In a 2nd bowl combine breadcrumbs and panko.

Dip chicken in egg, then into the breadcrumb mixture. Shake off excess and place on a large plate. Spray both sides of chicken with olive oil spray.

Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees.

Cook tenders in single layers in batches 5 to 6 minutes per side, until chicken is crispy and golden. Serve with dipping sauce and/or lemon wedges.

Serves 4

WW Points