Air Fryer Potato Chip Chicken is made with tender chicken pieces coated in a crispy potato chip mixture and then air-fried to crunchy perfection. These juicy gluten-free chicken strips are the perfect lunch, or you can add some side dishes for a whole meal to cure your cravings without the guilt. We love making recipes in our air fryer, and these Air Fried Pork Chops and Crispy Potatoes make one delicious dinner!
Fried chicken has been around for thousands of years and has been cooked in many different ways. In ancient China and West Africa, there are stories mentioning the delicious dish over a thousand years ago. The first recipe for fried chicken was in the 1747 cookbook written by Hannah Glasse—the recipe called for floured chicken fried in fat.
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Ingredients needed:
- Skinless boneless chicken breast: Sliced into chicken tenders.
- Crushed potato chips: We used regular salted potato chips.
- Large egg: For binding the potato chip mixture to the chicken tenders.
- Garlic powder: Gives your chicken tenders a rich and slightly sweet spicy flavor.
- Onion powder: Blends perfectly with garlic powder to add a zesty taste.
- Ranch seasoning
- Dried parsley: Adds an earthy peppery flavor.
- Paprika: You can use regular, sweet, or smoked paprika.
- Cayenne pepper: For a bit of spiciness in your chicken.
- Cooking oil spray: To keep your chicken from sticking.
- Salt
How to make potato chip chicken from scratch?
- Mix spices and potato chips: First, combine potato chips in a plastic zipper bag mixed with the onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, ranch seasoning, and parsley. Crush the chips with a rolling pin or can until they are fine crumbs and shake the bag until completely mixed.
- Preheat the air fryer: Now, preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Make the coating: In the meantime, pour the chips into a shallow bowl and whisk the egg in a shallow dish.
- Dip the chicken: Then, use a fork to dip chicken tenders into the egg before rolling it in the crushed potato chips until the meat is completely covered.
- Spray the air fryer basket: After you coat all of the chicken pieces, take the basket from the air fryer and give it a light spritz of cooking oil spray.
- Air fry chicken: Place coated chicken in an even layer in the air fryer basket and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, carefully turning over halfway through.
- Serve with sauce: Serve with your favorite dipping sauces like honey mustard sauce, BBQ sauce, hot sauce, or ranch dressing.
Recipe variations:
- Other flavors: Feel free to use other flavors of potato chips like barbecue, honey mustard, cheddar, sour cream, and onion.
- Corn flakes: Instead of potato chips, you could also use corn flakes, crushed crackers, or whatever coating you like.
- Chicken bites: Instead of chicken tenders, you can use chicken nuggets or chicken bites.
- Other meat: Not in the mood for chicken? You can use turkey, pork, or beef for this recipe as well.
- More herbs and spices: You can also add your favorite herbs and spices like thyme, basil, dill, sage, or rosemary.
- No spice: Alternatively, these chicken tenders are also great without cayenne pepper for those who do not like spicy food.
Frequently asked questions
What if I cannot use oil on my air fryer basket?
Some air fryers say that you should not add oil to your basket. Certain types of non-stick sprays with lecithin and other additives can damage the non-stick coating on the basket. The best thing to use is just a light coating of olive oil or avocado oil.
How long should I cook chicken in the air fryer?
If you are cooking chicken tenders as called for in the recipe, you should air fry them for 8 to 10 minutes. They should be golden brown. If you are cooking other cuts of chicken that are thicker than these, cook for 10 to 15 minutes depending on the thickness. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees F when finished.
Why is my chicken dry?
Your chicken pieces can dry out if they are cooked too long. Make sure you check them at about eight minutes, so you do not overcook them. The temperature should be 165 degrees F when done but you can remove it from the air fryer when it is 160 degrees F. Cover it with aluminum foil and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes to finish cooking.
How to store leftovers:
- Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container or large zipper baggie for several days.
- Freeze: If you still have leftover air fryer potato chip chicken after a few days, you can freeze it for several months in a freezer bag.
- Thaw: Be sure to thaw frozen leftovers in the fridge overnight before serving.
- Reheat: To reheat, transfer the chicken to a microwave-safe dish and heat it in the microwave for 60 to 90 seconds or in the air fryer for two minutes.
More air fryer recipes to try:
- Air Fryer Shrimp Cakes [Video]
- Crispy Air Fryer Blooming Onion [Video]
- Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Chicken Drumsticks
- Crispy Air Fried Brie Recipe
Air Fryer Potato Chip Chicken
- Prep Time10 MIN
- Cook Time10 MIN
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
- 8 small chicken tenders
- 1 egg beaten
- Cooking oil spray
Seasoning:
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Ranch
- 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 small bag of potato chips your favorite chips
- Salt to taste
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Instructions
First, combine the seasoning ingredients in a large Ziploc bag, zip it, and crush the chips with a rolling pin until they are fine crumbs. Shake the bag to combine the seasonings with the chips.
Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.
Add the beaten egg to a shallow dish, and the chip mixture to another shallow dish.
Then, use a fork to dip the chicken tenders into the egg first.
After that, roll in the chip mix until the meat is fully covered.
Spray the air fryer basket with oil spray. Arrange the coated chicken in the air fryer basket in an even layer, without the tenders touching each other. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, carefully turning over halfway through. Cook longer if needed.
Serve with your favorite dipping sauces like honey mustard sauce, BBQ sauce, hot sauce, or ranch dressing.
Nutrition Facts
Recipe tips:
- One tip is to add some flour to your coating if you want more coverage.
- This chicken may have to be cooked in batches if they do not fit in your air fryer basket. Just transfer the cooked chicken tenders to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or aluminum foil and put them in the oven set at the lowest temperature to keep them warm.
- If you make a large batch of these tasty chicken tenders, use two or three eggs instead of one.
- To bake these in the oven, arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cook at 400 degrees F for about 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Make sure they are arranged in a single layer.
