Air Fryer Cheez-It Crusted Chicken Tenders - Happy Honey Kitchen

Cheez-Its are one of those foods that I can’t keep in the house. I could eat an entire box without even realizing it. Instead of just sitting and munching on Cheez-Its, I wanted to turn them into the star of the dish. And bonus: you can snack on them while you cook!

I love using my air fryer to make this recipe because I can get crispy fried chicken without using excess oil.

What You Will Need:

• Cheez-Its – I prefer using the Original flavor Cheez-Its, but other flavors are fun to play around with too!
• Chicken Tenders
• Buttermilk – In order to get the juiciest fried chicken, soak them in buttermilk for at least 2 hours.
• Ranch Seasoning Packet
• Air Fryer – You can also fry these in a skillet on the stove or bake them in the oven. In my opinion, the Air Fryer gives the best results while still being healthy.

Let’s Make Cheez-It Crusted Chicken Tenders!

The first thing you need to do is mix buttermilk and ranch seasoning mix together in a baking dish. Marinate, or soak, the chicken tenders in the buttermilk and ranch seasoning mixture for at least two hours. This is an important step! Soaking the chicken tenders in buttermilk will tenderize the meat while allowing them to stay juicy.

After you have soaked the chicken for at least two hours, it’s time to prepare the Cheez-It crust. Put Cheez-It crackers in a Ziplock bag, close it tight, and roll it with a rolling pin until the Cheez-Its have turned into crumbs. Or if you’re like me and can’t find a rolling pin, use a wine bottle.

Next, add a few pieces of chicken to the Ziplock bag with the Cheez-It cracker crumbs. Shake the bag to coat the chicken tenders on all sides. It will be best to do this in batches and not put all the chicken tenders in the bag all at once.

Finally, spray the air fryer with olive oil and preheat it to 380°F. You may have to cook the chicken in batches so you don’t overcrowd the air fryer. Cook chicken tenders for 7 minutes then flip and cook for another 8 minutes. Make sure the chicken is at a safe internal temperate of 165°F before eating.

More Recipes to Try:

• Apple Chicken Skillet

Air Fryer Cheez-It Crusted Chicken Tenders

Course: MainCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: EasyServings

8-10

chicken tendersPrep time

10

minutesCooking time

15

minutesTotal time

25

minutes

Cheez-It Chicken Tenders are crispy, juicy and packed with cheesy flavor!

Ingredients

• 8-10 chicken tenders
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 ranch seasoning packet
• 2 cups Cheez-Its, crushed into crumbs

Directions

• Mix buttermilk and ranch seasoning packet in a baking dish.
• Add chicken tenders to buttermilk mixture and let soak for at least two hours.
• Put Cheez-It crackers into a Ziplock bag and close. Using a rolling pin, crush crackers into small crumbs.
• Put Cheez-It crumbs and chicken tenders in a dish (or keep in the Ziplock bag). Coat chicken on all sides with the crushed cracker crumbs.
• Spray air fryer insert with olive oil and preheat air fryer to 380°F.
• Once the air fryer has preheated, add in the coated chicken tenders. You may need to bake the chicken in batches so you don’t overcrowd the air fryer.
• Cook chicken tenders for 7 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 8 minutes. Chicken is safe to eat at an internal temperature of 165°F.

Notes

• You can fry these chicken tenders in a skillet on the stove or bake them in the oven.