Healthy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders (soy, dairy & gluten-free)
Are chicken tenders healthy? Not so much. Even though you get the protein benefits, they are often deep-fried. But with this healthy air fryer chicken tender recipe, you can still enjoy your tenders in a healthy way!
Coming from the south, I grew up on fried chicken but since going soy and dairy-free plus limiting my gluten intake, I haven't had much room in my life for fried chicken. Not to mention it doesn't do my waistline much good since I mostly try to eat in a way that keeps inflammation low because too much inflammation can cause weight gain and also prevent you from losing fat. I surely don’t need any help in that department!
Fried foods in general are a very high inflammatory food because of the unhealthy cooking oils used to fry the food. I’ve been eating this way for about 11 years so I really haven't missed fried foods much and on the rare instance when I do, I will have a fun meal out on the weekend and then go back to my healthy way of eating the next day.
But over the last couple years, the air fryer has made it much easier to enjoy fried-style foods but without the added fat and oil that comes with deep frying. I mostly use my air fryer to make vegetables like yellow squash during my weekly meal prep but it’s been fun to make healthier French fries and “fried” chicken tenders.
A couple months back, I found these panko style gluten-free rice crumbs from Trader Joe’s. Since then, I've been trying to perfect my gluten-free panko air fryer chicken tender recipe seasoned with everything bagel season. It’s a really simple recipe that you can really make your own depending on your personal taste since you can season any way you want!
For this recipe, I have not included exact ingredient amounts for the crumbs and seasoning because the amounts will really depend on how much chicken you are using. I normally get a bag of the frozen chicken breast tenders at Trader Joe’s and thaw out 6-12 and make them in 1-2 batches.
You don’t want your chicken to be crowded inside the air fryer so you should space them out that way they get nice and crispy. This is why I will usually do 2 batches if I am using more than 6 tenders.
Also, my air fryer is a 6 Qt. size so it can fit a good amount of food at one time but if your air fryer is smaller than that, you might have to do several batches depending how much chicken you make at once.
Gluten-Free Healthy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Ingredients:
6-12 chicken breast tenders
1-2 eggs
Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Rice Crumbs
Salt and pepper
Everything bagel seasoning
Cayanne pepper
Garlic powder
Instructions:
In a bowl, scramble 1 egg about 6 tenders or use 2 eggs if you are making 6-12 tenders.
Spray the bottom of your air fryer pan with olive or avocado oil and set to the side.
In a separate bowl, mix the TJ’s rice crumbs, garlic, cayenne pepper, everything bagel seasoning or any other seasoning combo of your choosing. Go heavy on the seasoning to make sure you have enough to cover all of your chicken!
Use either thawed chicken breast tenders or get chicken breast and cut them into strips. Salt and pepper the raw chicken, then dip chicken into scrambled egg, flip it a couple times to cover it really well.
Then dip the chicken into crumb mixture, roll several times to cover them well with the mixture.
Once coated with crumb mixture, add the chicken to the air fryer pan, salt lightly, add additional everything bagel seasoning, and spray the top of chicken lightly with olive or avocado oil.
Set air fryer to 400° and cook 5-6 minutes per side. Internal chicken should reach 165° and the outside should be crispy and lightly browned.
Get ready to enjoy some deliciously healthy, dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free, NON-deep fried tenders! 😍
As an added bonus, when you are craving some chicken and waffles like Chris and I were this weekend, you can make this healthy version paired with some protein waffles and coconut whip topping and feel pretty dang good about yourself after!
Cranberry, Coconut, Dark Chocolate Chip Protein Balls (soy, dairy & gluten-free)
Easy soy-free, dairy-free, gluten-free cranberry, chocolate chip coconut cookie protein ball recipe.
Another no-bake protein ball recipe coming at ya! This week for our outdoor bootcamp class, I made a delicious cranberry, coconut, dairy-free dark chocolate chip, protein cookie ball recipe! These make a delicious soy, dairy and gluten-free snack!
After I made them, I put 2 protein balls into individual snack bags to make them easy to grab-and-go but you could also throw them into a container and keep them in the fridge or freezer.
Cranberry, Coconut, Dark Chocolate Chip Protein Balls - Serving size: 2 balls
Ingredients:
2 scoops Vanilla Tone It Up protein powder
1.5 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsps Trader Joe’s Sunflower Butter (sugar-free)
1/3 cup raw, unfiltered honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of salt
1/2 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
1/2 cup of Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips
1/3 cup unsweetened dried cranberries
1/3 - 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
Instructions:
Stir all the ingredients together in a bowl until it’s well mixed. **start with 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk and add more as needed.
Roll into balls. Put in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes and enjoy!
Store in refrigerator or freezer to eat all week long.
Below is the macro breakdown for 1 serving (2 protein balls) but your macro breakdown may be different depending on the ingredients you use.
If you are in Denver or Littleton, CO, come join in on our next outdoor Bootcamp! We would love to see you there!
Air Fryer Roasted Yellow Squash Recipe
Try this delicious air fryer yellow squash recipe! It’s easy to make and clean up is a breeze.
If you follow me on Instagram, then you know my air fryer and Instant Pot are MY JAM!!
I have pretty much only used my Gourmia 5 Qt Air Fryer to cook vegetables since I got it last December. The clean-up is super easy, the time to roast my veggies is often cut in half, and they come out perfectly cooked and flavorful every time!
Each week, I usually cook air fryer yellow squash, zucchini, green beans, and roasted carrots. I’ve also cooked some amazing roasted golden potatoes and sweet potato fries that were out of this world.
I chose to get a 5 Qt size air fryer because I knew I would be cooking large batches of food at a time and a smaller fryer just wouldn’t do the job because it would take more time and effort.
I meal prep every week but the way I usually do it now is by cooking all throughout the week rather than all in one day. So I find myself using my air fryer at least 3-4 times a week that way I always have plenty of vegetables on hand.
When I’m short on time in the morning but need veggies for my lunch, I quickly chop up squash and throw them into the air fryer to cook for 15 minutes while I am getting showering or putting on my makeup. It’s so easy to do and comes out delish every time!!
Step 1: Wash and cut my squash into about 1/2” half moon slices.
Step 2: I spray the air fryer basket lightly with avocado oil. We buy the large bottle of avocado oil from Costco for $9.99 and fill it into my Misto oil sprayer.
Step 3: Add sliced yellow squash to the basket, spray them lightly with avocado oil, and season. Shake well to make sure all the squash are seasoned. If needed, add another spritz of oil to make sure all the squash are coated.
Step 4: Close the basket. Set the air fryer to 370 degrees and set cook time to 15 minutes. Shake the basket about halfway through and spray lightly with more avocado oil if needed.
Depending on how many squash are in your basket and their thickness, you may need to add extra time in 5 minute increments until the are cooked through. Remove from basket, plate, and enjoy!!
Air Fryer Yellow Squash Recipe
Ingredients:
2-3 yellow squash depending on their size
Avocado oil spray
Everything bagel seasoning (I get from Trader Joe’s or Costco)
Thyme, salt and pepper
Instructions:
Step 1: Wash and cut squash into about 1/2” half moon slices
Step 2: Spray the air fryer basket lightly with avocado oil. We buy the large bottle of avocado oil from Costco for $9.99 and fill it into my Misto oil sprayer.
Step 3: Add sliced yellow squash to the basket, spray them lightly with avocado oil, and season with everything bagel seasoning, salt, pepper, and thyme. Shake well to make sure all the squash are seasoned. If needed, add another spritz of oil to make sure all the squash are coated.
Step 4: Close the basket. Set the air fryer to 370 degrees and set cook time to 15 minutes. Shake the basket about halfway through at the 7 minute mark and spray lightly with more oil if needed. Depending on how many squash are in your basket or their thickness, you may need to add extra time in 5 minute increments until the are cooked through.
Step 5: Remove from basket, plate, and enjoy!!
I usually enjoy my squash as a side to my Instant Pot salsa shredded chicken but there are so many other dishes you can make with this delightful side!
Leave me a comment and let me know what your favorite air fryer side dish is!
Easy Weekly Meal Prep: Instant Pot Salsa Shredded Chicken
Learn how to make this easy Instant Pot salsa shredded chicken and get some ideas on how to incorporate it into lunch and dinner dishes.
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Confession time!! I don’t think I’ve used our oven since cooking Christmas dinner (yes, we are in April now 😜) and I’m totally ok with that!
One practice that Chris and I have done for years is weekly meal prep to stay on top of our health and fitness goals. Eating healthy, soy- and dairy-free, plus managing my weight is SO much easier when I have my food prepared.
For years when my schedule was super busy, I would spend a few hours 1 day a week cooking all my food at once and putting pre-portioned meals into containers so I was prepared all week.
But now, I usually just cook large batches of protein and vegetables to keep on hand in the fridge so I can throw together a quick and delicious meal any time. Either meal prep option is great, you just have to find what method fits your lifestyle.
Having these prepped foods ready to go is especially helpful because I often practice carb cycling, meaning some days I eat low carb, higher protein, and fat, and then other days I eat regular macros of higher carb, higher protein, and lower fat.
But no matter what your eating preference is, meal prep of some sort is super beneficial because you can control what you eat and it saves you money because you aren’t eating out all of the time—bonus!!
Lately, I’ve been pretty much cooking all my protein, such as chicken, pork tenderloin, and beef brisket, in my 8 quart Instant Pot and all my veggies, like zucchini, yellow squash, and carrots, in the air fryer. Chris has even joined in on the new meal prep fun because it is so easy and delicious, and we love not having to do a ton of clean-up after.
Here are 4 examples of meals I create with Instant Pot salsa shredded chicken:
The 2 meals below are examples of similar lower-carb day meals I often make that are bursting with flavor and keep me full for several hours.
Meals 1 & 2: I add 5-6oz of salsa shredded chicken, air-fried zucchini, cauliflower, and carrots, and top with walnuts, kalamata or black olives, jalapeños, and avocado, occasionally sprinkled with “everything bagel” seasoning from either Trader Joe’s or Costco 🥑. I love creating more flavorful meals because for a while, I was starting to get into a little food rut and no one likes eating boring-tasting food.
The next two meals below are examples of meals I would eat on a regular macro day as they have more carbohydrates.
Meal 1: 5-6oz salsa shredded chicken, 1 cup of jasmine rice, coconut aminos (a delicious soy-free replacement for soy sauce), air-fried carrots, zucchini, jalapeños, and 1/4 slice of avocado.
Meal 2: Sliced organic sourdough bread topped with mashed avocado, sliced tomatoes, salsa shredded chicken, and “everything bagel” seasoning. So good!!
Quick tips when making your salsa shredded chicken
The salsa in this recipe is very subtle so you’re not stuck with eating Mexican-style meals such as tacos all week if you don’t want to. I’ve actually made many different flavored dishes with this chicken, such as soups like ramen, added it to my cauliflower gnocchi, thrown it together with veggies, and topped my avocado toast with it.
Another variation I’ve made if I don’t have salsa on hand is using marinara sauce instead and Chris has also used BBQ sauce. I would suggest with both of those substitutions that you add more sauce when cooking and a little additional water, maybe 1/3 to 1/2 cup, so your Instant Pot doesn’t flash the burn warning at you.
Instant Pot Salsa Shredded Chicken:
This recipe is so easy! Find the full recipe at the bottom of the page, below the photos!
Spray the Instant Pot lightly with avocado oil. Season both sides of your chicken breasts and add them to your Instant Pot. Pour salsa over the chicken to cover most of the top of each breast. Put the lid on, close the valve knob to the sealed position, and cook on the pressure cook setting for 13 minutes.
Once your timer goes off, let the chicken sit for about 10 minutes before turning the valve to quick release. Add chicken to a plate to shred with 2 forks or this amazing claw shredder. I will usually knock off a little bit of the salsa back into the pot before I put it on the plate to shred but it’s not necessary.
Once shredded, add it back into the Instant Pot, mix with the juices, add additional salt and pepper if desired, and then let it marinate on warm setting with the lid closed for a while. If there is too much liquid, you can also turn on the sauté function for a few minutes to evaporate some of the liquid.
When ready, eat and enjoy or add to a dish to let cool then store it in the fridge for your weekly meal prep.
Depending on your salsa, there will most likely be extra liquid in the bottom of the pot. You can choose to discard this or store it with your chicken for extra flavor. Additionally, you can drain the excess liquid and add extra salsa before eating or storing if you would like even more salsa flavor. Get ready to enjoy some deliciousness!
Instant Pot Salsa Shredded Chicken Recipe
Ingredients:
3-4 chicken breasts
1/2 - 3/4 cup salsa (enough to cover most of the top of each breast)
Salt and pepper
Taco seasoning to taste, or I will use garlic, thyme, cayenne pepper, and any other seasonings that sound good
2 Tbsps water (or 1/4 cup of water if your salsa is thick and chunky)
Instructions:
Spray the Instant Pot with a little avocado oil either Chosen brand spray (or we use a misto sprayer) to coat the bottom of the pot.
Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and taco seasoning blend or any other seasonings you desire. Then add chicken breasts to your Instant Pot.
Pour about 1/2 - 3/4 cup of salsa over the chicken to cover most of the top of each breast. If salsa is very chunky, add 2 Tablespoons to 1/4 cup water to your pot so you don’t set off the burn warning.
Put the lid on, close the valve knob to the sealed position. Hit the Pressure Cook button and set it for 13 minutes.
Once the timer goes off, let the chicken sit for 10 minutes before setting the valve to quick release to let the steam out.
Open the lid and remove the chicken to a plate. Shred the chicken with 2 forks or this amazing claw shredder. Once shredded, add back into the Instant Pot, mix with the juices, and add additional salt and pepper if desired. Then, let marinate on warm setting for a while until you’re ready to eat it, or put it in a dish to store in the fridge.
*** Depending on your salsa, there will most likely be extra liquid in the bottom of the pot. You can choose to discard this or store it with your chicken for extra flavor. Additionally, you can drain the excess liquid and add extra salsa before eating or storing if you would like even more salsa flavor.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! Let me know if you have questions in the comments and tag me on Instagram at @awakenednutrition if you give it a try!! I love hearing from you!
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