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A lighter take on fried chicken, these Honey Buffalo Chicken Tenders are rolled in crushed cornflakes, air-fried until crispy, and then tossed in a sweet and spicy honey buffalo sauce.
Love chicken tenders as much as I do? Check out my Cowboy Butter Chicken Tenders, Honey Chipotle Chicken Crispers (Chili’s Copycat), Spicy Coconut Chicken Tenders, Garlic Butter Chicken Tenders, Hot Lemon Pepper Ranch Air-Fried Chicken Tenders, or my Popeye’s Voodoo Chicken Tenders Copycat Recipe.
Table of Contents
Honey Buffalo Chicken Tenders
If you love fried chicken tenders but want to skip the frying process, this air-fried recipe is the perfect substitute, using only a spritz of oil. So not only are they much simpler to make, but they are also a lot healthier.
These air-fried honey buffalo chicken tenders are also great for meal prep and freezing. It’s one of my favorite recipes to make in a large batch and stock them in the freezer for a rainy day. I par-cook them, allow them to cool, and throw them in a ziplock bag.
Key Ingredients
Here is the simple list of ingredients you’ll need to make these honey buffalo chicken tenders in your air fryer.
Chicken Tenderloins – be sure to remove the tendons.
Honey Buffalo Sauce – an easy combination of buffalo wing sauce, garlic, and honey.
Seasoning & Flour – I like to use a Cajun seasoning or poultry seasoning and season up the flour before coating the chicken. I’ll put my homemade recipe in the recipe notes.
Eggs + Milk – eggs and milk are whisked together to coat the chicken between the flour coating and the corn flake coating.
Corn Flakes – Plain corn flakes are crushed to create the crunchy coating (not Frosted Flakes).
Oil Spray – It’s essential to have an aerosol oil spray on hand, such as this Avocado Spray.
How to Make Honey Buffalo Chicken Tenders
Prep your work station: In a shallow dish, whisk together the flour and seasonings. In a second shallow dish, whisk eggs and milk together until smooth. In a third shallow dish, add the crushed cornflakes.
Pat chicken tenders dry. Working in batches, toss chicken into the seasoned flour. Shake off excess flour and transfer them into the egg mixture, coating both sides.
Remove from the egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off, and transfer into the crushed corn flakes, patting them to ensure they stick.
Load the chicken tenders into the air fryer in batches. Spray the top layer of chicken with oil and air-fry at 400°F for 5 minutes. Flip the chicken, spray again, and cook for another 5 minutes. Flip one last time and cook for another 1-3 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
In a shallow dish, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Microwave for about 30-45 seconds to warm through and melt the honey. Whisk again and add the chicken in, tossing it in the sauce on both sides.
Versatile Air-Fried Chicken Tenders
Not wanting the honey buffalo vibe? You can dress them up with other homemade sauces like I did in my Cowboy Butter Chicken Tenders recipe or use my sauce from my Honey Chipotle Chicken Crispers (Chili’s Copycat).
You can also use your favorite store-bought condiment as an alternative, such as barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce, or sweet chili sauce, to toss them in.
Storing & Reheating Honey Buffalo Chicken Tenders
I recommend tossing the chicken in the honey buffalo sauce just before serving. If you plan to make these ahead, I recommend storing the unsauced tenders in the fridge or freezer. Then, reheat them in the air fryer and toss them in the sauce to preserve their crunchy texture.
Tenders that are coated in sauce and then stored in the fridge are still delicious, but they will lose their crunchy coating due to the moisture in the sauce.
Meal Prepping Air-Fried Chicken Tenders
This honey buffalo chicken tender recipe is perfect for meal prepping and stocking the freezer. I make a large batch of them and cook them for just 3-4 minutes per side, so they are just partially cooked. Partially cooking the tenders ensures they won’t be over-cooked when reheated.
Allow the tenders to cool and then store them in a zip-top freezer bag in the freezer. When you’re ready to eat, air fry from frozen about 5 minutes per side or until warmed through and crispy. Then coat them in the honey buffalo sauce and serve.
Looking for More Chicken Tender Recipes?
Cowboy Butter Chicken Tenders
Honey Chipotle Chicken Crispers (Chili’s Copycat)
Spicy Coconut Chicken Tenders
Garlic Butter Chicken Tenders
Hot Lemon Pepper Ranch Air-Fried Chicken Tenders
Popeye’s Voodoo Chicken Tenders Copycat Recipe
I hope you enjoy this Air-Fried Honey Buffalo Chicken Tenders recipe. I look forward to your questions and feedback below.
Please be sure to tag me @BadBatchBaking using hashtag #badbatchbaking if you made this recipe and I will feature you on my story! Plus, I LOVE to see your baking accomplishments.
Air-Fried Honey Buffalo Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken tenderloins
- 1 tbsp cajun seasoning* you can also use all-purpose poultry seasoning
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk or buttermilk
- 2-3 cups plain corn flakes crushed into coarse crumbs
- Oil spray
Honey Buffalo Sauce
- 1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce not hot sauce, make sure it's wing sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1-2 tbsp honey
Instructions
- Prep your work station: In a shallow dish whisk together the flour and seasonings. In a second shallow dish, whisk eggs and milk together until smooth. In a third shallow dish, add the crushed corn flakes.
- Pat chicken tenders dry. Working in batches, toss chicken into the seasoned flour. Shake off excess flour and transfer them into the egg mixture, coating both sides.
- Remove from the egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off, and transfer into the crushed corn flakes, patting them to ensure they stick.
- Load the chicken tenders into the air fryer in batches. Spray the top layer of chicken with oil and air-fry at 400°F for 5 minutes. Flip the chicken, spray again, and cook for another 5 minutes. Flip one last time and cook another 1-3 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165 degrees.
- In a shallow dish, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Microwave for about 30-45 seconds to warm through and melt the honey. Whisk again and add the chicken in, tossing it in the sauce on both sides.
Notes
I recommend tossing the chicken in the honey buffalo sauce just before serving. If you plan to make these ahead, I recommend storing the unsauced tenders in the fridge or freezer. Then, reheat them in the air fryer and toss them in the sauce to preserve their crunchy texture. Tenders that are coated in sauce and then stored in the fridge are still delicious, but they will lose their crunchy coating due to the moisture in the sauce. Homemade Cajun Seasoning
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika or regular
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper adjust to your heat preference
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
