Crunchy Chicken–crispy Frito-crusted chicken tenderloins baked in the air fryer.
Crunchy Chicken
This Frito-crusted chicken is packed with flavor and serious crunch. The smoky seasoning gives the tender chicken a kick, while the tangy sour cream helps the crushed chili cheese Fritos stick for a crispy coating. Air frying keeps it lighter than deep frying. And serving it with ranch dressing is just a bonus. This is a fun and easy chicken recipe!
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Flour
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Smoked paprika
- Sour cream
- Eggs
- Chicken tenderloins–fresh not frozen
- Chili cheese Fritos–or another flavor of Fritos
- Non-stick cooking spray
Steps
On one plate add the flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika. Mix well.
In a medium bowl whisk together the sour cream and eggs.
Crush the Fritos as finely as possible. (I should have crushed mine better)
Coat each piece of chicken in the flour mixture making sure it’s fully coated. Then submerge it in the egg mixture letting the egg wash drip off before rolling the chicken in the crushed Fritos.
Spray each piece of chicken with a bit of cooking spray and place in the air fryer. You may need to work in batches. You don’t want the chicken to be overcrowded in the air fryer. Air fry for 5 minutes at 375° F and then flip over and air fry for 4-5 more minutes or internal temperature of chicken reaches 165° F.
Serve with ranch dressing and enjoy!
Notes/Tips
- Serve with potato wedges or baked potatoes and a salad.
- Don’t have an air fryer? You can also bake this chicken in a baking dish. Bake at 350° F for 20 minutes, or internal temperature of chicken reaches 165° F.
- How much should I crush the Fritos? Crush them finely but not into dust—small crumbs with a few slightly larger bits will give a nice balance of coverage and crunch.
- I used my Instant Vortex Air Fryer*.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. These are best warmed up in the air fryer to retain a crunchy texture.
- Other recipes you can make with chili cheese Fritos are Tommy’s Casserole and Boomerang Chicken.
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
Crunchy Chicken
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
Crispy Frito-crusted chicken tenderloins baked in the air fryer.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 eggs
- 20 ounces chicken tenderloins
- 4 cups chili cheese Fritos
- Non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
- On one plate add the flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika. Mix well.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the sour cream and eggs.
- Crush the Fritos as finely as possible.
- Coat each piece of chicken in the flour mixture making sure it’s fully coated. Then submerge it in the egg mixture letting the egg wash drip off before rolling the chicken in the crushed Fritos.
- Spray each piece of chicken with a bit of cooking spray and place in the air fryer. You may need to work in batches. You don’t want the chicken to be overcrowded in the air fryer. Air fry for 5 minutes at 375° F and then flip over and air fry for 4-5 more minutes or internal temperature of chicken reaches 165° F.
- Serve with ranch dressing and enjoy!
Notes
You can also bake this chicken in a baking dish. Bake at 350° F for 20 minutes, or internal temperature of chicken reaches 165° F.
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Air Fryer
More air fryer chicken recipes…
Air Fryer Heavenly Chicken
Sour cream coated chicken rolled in Ritz cracker crumbs and then cooked and crisped in an air fryer.
Keep a Man Chicken (Air Fryer or Oven)
Juicy, flavorful and tender chicken. Make this for your man or your woman and win their hearts forever!
Air Fryer Almost Chick Fil-A Chicken
Homemade chicken nuggets made in your air fryer. They are juicy and tender and really simple to make! They taste just as good as the restaurant.
Air Fryer Appalachian Mountain Chicken
An air fryer take on fried chicken…it’s crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. It’s everything you want in your fried chicken with way less fat and calories.
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
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