Servings
Font
Back
0 from 573 votes

Pickle Brined Chicken Tenders

Pickle Brined Baked Chicken Tenders are a juicy and flavorful chicken dish - similar to Chick-fil-A chicken recipe; includes air fryer and oven instructions

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
28 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 3106 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 12 chicken tenders 1 ¼ pound total
  • 1 ¼ cup dill pickle juice plus more for serving
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • black pepper
  • ½ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • Olive oil spray

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Place chicken in a shallow bowl and cover with the pickle juice. Cover and marinade for 8 hours in the fridge.
  2. Drain chicken and pat completely dry with paper towels. Discard the marinade.
  3. In a medium bowl, beat together the whole egg, egg white, salt and pepper to taste. In a shallow bowl combine the bread crumbs.
  4. Working with one piece at a time, dip the chicken in the egg mixture, then into the bread crumbs, gently pressing to adhere. Shake off any excess and place on a work surface. Generously spray both sides of the chicken with oil.
Oven Instructions
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Place the chicken onto the prepared baking sheet and spray the top generously. Bake in oven until the bottom is golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn and bake 6 minutes, until golden.
Air Fryer Instructions
  1. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
  2. Working in batches, arrange a single layer of chicken in the air fryer basket. Cook for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway, until cooked through, crispy and golden. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.

Notes

  • Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last up to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave, in a skillet with a little olive oil, or in an air fryer before serving.
  • Freezing Instructions: You can also freeze the chicken tenders before or after cooking them.
  • Equipment: I have been using the NuWave Air Fryer all this year, but I just received the SkinnyTaste by Vremi Air Fryer and it has excellent reviews, so I'm excited to try it!
  • Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
  • Pickle Brined Chicken Tenders Excerpted from The Skinnytaste Air Fryer Cookbook: The 75 Best Healthy Recipes for Your Air Fryer by Gina Homolka. Copyright © 2019. 
  • The Skinnytaste Air Fryer Cookbook: The 75 Best Healthy Recipes for Your Air Fryer
  • To freeze them prior to cooking, lay them on a flat baking dish in the freezer for at least 4 hours. When frozen, place them in an airtight bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight and cook per instructions.
  • To freeze them after cooking, simply store them in an airtight bag after they've cooled. To re-heat, thaw in the fridge overnight and bake in a 350°F oven until heated through.
  • Instead of eggs, you can use a flax eggs. For each regular egg, use 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water. You can also use lowfat buttermilk
  • If you prefer not to use breadcrumbs, you can use a gluten-free flour like almond flour or oat flour, or you can also use only panko breadcrumbs.

Nutrition Information

Calories 310.6kcal (16%) Carbohydrates 21.11g (7%) Protein 37.73g (75%) Fat 7.19g (11%) Saturated Fat 1.84g (9%) Cholesterol 177.99mg (59%) Sodium 1860.23mg (78%) Potassium 634.71mg (18%) Fiber 1.07g (4%) Sugar 1.41g (3%) Vitamin A 192.75IU (4%) Vitamin C 2.21mg (2%) Calcium 60.85mg (6%) Iron 2.04mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 3106

% Daily Value*

Calories 310.6kcal 16%
Carbohydrates 21.11g 7%
Protein 37.73g 75%
Fat 7.19g 11%
Saturated Fat 1.84g 9%
Cholesterol 177.99mg 59%
Sodium 1860.23mg 78%
Potassium 634.71mg 14%
Fiber 1.07g 4%
Sugar 1.41g 3%
Vitamin A 192.75IU 4%
Vitamin C 2.21mg 2%
Calcium 60.85mg 6%
Iron 2.04mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.