Most kids, no matter how old, adore chicken tenders. (That includes "kids at heart," too!) Instead of buying frozen pre-made chicken tenders or ordering them at a restaurant, we created a Paleo-friendly recipe with no eggs, dairy, gluten, or grains. These chicken tenders have an extra punch of flavor because we used Primal Kitchen Plant Based Ranch Dressing in the wet batter to ensure our seasoned grain-free coating sticks to the chicken pieces.

These eat-with-your-hands family favorites are typically breaded with a spiced coating, then fried to golden perfection. Rather than deep-frying them in canola or vegetable oil, we coated our breaded chicken tenders with sprayable avocado oil and baked them in the air fryer. If you don't have an air fryer, you can bake them in the oven at 425ºF for about 8 minutes per side (turn over halfway through baking) for a total of 16 minutes. Dip the finished tenders in Primal Kitchen Classic BBQ Sauce for a tangy, smoky BBQ ranch flavor that everyone will love.

Air Fryer Ranch Chicken Tenders with BBQ Sauce

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Category

Chicken

Servings

10

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Made with our no-dairy, plant based ranch dressing, these air fried chicken tenders are a treat for all ages. 

Ingredients

• 2 packages Epic Provisions Salt & Pepper Pork Rinds

• Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Spray

• 1/2 cup cassava flour

• 1/2 cup arrowroot flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

• 1/2 cup sparkling water

• 1/2 cup Primal Kitchen Plant Based Ranch Dressing

• 2 pounds (about 20) pasture-raised chicken tenders, patted dry

• Primal Kitchen Classic BBQ Sauce, for dipping

Directions

1. Blitz pork rinds into crumbs in a food processor (or crush with a rolling pin in a ziplock bag), and pour into a shallow dish or plate.

2. Spray the Air Fryer basket with Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Spray.

3. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

4. Pour the sparkling water in another shallow bowl or dish. Add the Plant Based Ranch Dressing and stir well to combine. 

5. Dip one chicken tender into the wet batter and let excess drain off.

6. Dip the wet chicken tender into the pork rind crumbs and gently use clean hand or fork to coat all sides of it. Repeat with all of the chicken tenders.

7. Lay six breaded chicken tenders onto greased Air Fryer basket. Spray each tender with avocado oil. Air fry at 425ºF for 15 minutes.

8. Air fry the remaining breaded chicken tenders, six at a time, until all are cooked. Serve chicken tenders with Primal Kitchen Classic BBQ Sauce, or any other sauce you like, for dipping.

Recipe Note

Nutrition info is calculated with 2 tablespoons Primal Kitchen Classic BBQ Sauce as a dip.

Nutrition

Nutrition

Serving Size

471

per serving

Calories

Amount/Serving % Daily Value

Carbs

15 grams

Fat

20 grams

Protein

55 grams

You might also like these other kid-friendly recipes:

• Primal Chicken Nuggets
• Easy Chicken Dinner for Kids and Parents
• Kid-Friendly Lunch Ideas  
• Grain-Free Cheese Pizza
• Stuffed Bell Peppers
• Gluten-Free Mini Pancake Cereal
• Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs with Air Fryer French Fries