Walnut-crusted air fryer chicken tenders are easy to make at home and loved by both moms and kids. In twelve quick minutes, you only need three main ingredients to whip up these savory chicken tenders. Serve with our homemade ranch and a side of your favorite veggie for a nutritious, gluten-free, and kid-friendly meal this week!

Here at The Produce Moms, we know that chicken tenders are on your kids’ radar. But you don’t always want to just toss some frozen nuggets into the oven. Especially when it’s summertime, the kids are home, and heating up the oven means heating up your house.

But what if you could keep the kitchen cool and still satisfy those chicken tender cravings with a quick and delicious alternative? 

You only need three main ingredients, and it cooks until golden brown in the air fryer. We tested this nutty twist on a classic air fryer chicken tenders recipe to make sure it delivers on crunch, flavor, and ease. So that you love making it just as much as your kids love eating it! 

Air fryer walnut-crusted chicken tenders are sponsored by California Walnuts.

We made this recipe with homemade walnut flour for a naturally gluten-free tender. But don’t let that part scare you, it’s so easy to make that your kids can make it themselves.

We decided to use walnuts in the crust because they air fry to crispy golden perfection. In fact, we love them so much we’ve included some of our favorite walnut recipes for you to try.

Come check out how quickly you can whip up these chicken tenders … and don’t forget to serve them with a side of veggies and our homemade ranch dressing!  

Simple Chicken Tender Ingredients

These chicken tenders use simple ingredients that you likely already have on hand — you may not even have to make a trip to the store. All you need are …

• California Walnuts
• Parmesan cheese
• Herbs & spices
• Avocado spray

Let’s take a quick look inside your pantry before we get started.

Walnuts

These soft and buttery nuts often get overlooked. Walnuts are softer than other nuts so they break down in the food processor quickly. They provide a naturally gluten-free and toasty coating that delivers a classic crunch to air fryer chicken tenders. 

Plus, walnuts have extra protein, so your kids stay full longer. We used California Walnuts because they deliver a plant-based nutritional punch and an unbeatable flavor.

Related: California Walnuts Nutrition, Storage Tips, and Recipes

Chicken Tenders

You can’t have chicken tenders without the chicken! You’ll need about ten tenders for your walnut-crusted chicken tenders. If you can’t find chicken tenders, we like to get a family pack of chicken breasts when they’re on sale. Cut them into tender size strips for a bigger batch that you can reheat during the week. 

Parmesan Cheese

We love adding salty parmesan cheese to any type of breading. The crunchy little bits mixed with the crispy chicken skin and spices effortlessly adds a layer of complex flavor. We love using freshly shredded parmesan cheese for its sharp flavor. But you can also use shredded or grated parmesan if that’s what you have on hand.  

Herbs & Spices

The first thing you will add to the mixture is some chopped parsley. Then, you’ll also add garlic powder, onion powder, and salt to your crust mixture, ensuring your walnut-crusted chicken tenders are extra flavorful. All produce comes to life when it’s generously seasoned, and walnuts are no different. This is a simple step but super important to make sure your kids love these air fryer tenders.  

Avocado Spray

When cooking anything in an air fryer, cooking spray helps prevent your ingredients from sticking to the air fryer basket. We used avocado spray because it has a higher cook point. That means when we air fry the chicken tenders, they brown instead of burn. (We both know how kids feel about burnt food.😉) 

If you don’t have avocado spray, use what you have on hand. But be careful, you may need to cook your tenders for less time and at a lower temperature. 

How to Toast Walnuts in the Air Fryer

First, you’ll want to toast your walnuts whole before pulsing them into a protein-rich breading for your air fryer chicken tenders. But don’t worry, it’s easier than it sounds — promise!

Step 1: Lay the walnuts in a single layer. 

Spread out the walnuts in the air fryer basket so they don’t overlap. If the walnuts are falling through the cracks, use a small oven-safe baking dish, like a cake pan. Put the walnuts in the cake pan and set the pan inside the air fryer basket.

Step 2: Toast the walnuts.

Toast the whole walnuts in a single layer at 425 ℉ for three minutes. Whole walnuts toast evenly and are easier to transfer to the food processor later.

Step 3: Set aside to cool.

When the walnuts are done toasting, transfer them to a cutting board or plate. If you use a bowl, the hot air gets trapped and continues to cook the walnuts. Just as walnuts cook evenly in a single layer, they also cool quicker in a single layer, too! 

How to Make Walnut-Crusted Air Fryer Chicken Tenders 

Now that you’ve got your toasted walnuts, it’s time to make your chicken tenders in the air fryer. This part is fun so grab your kiddos and let’s head to the kitchen.

Step 1: Pulse the walnuts into breadcrumbs.

When the walnuts are cooled, add them to the food processor. Hold the pulse button down for about 30 seconds until it breaks down into a breadcrumb-like consistency. 

Be careful not to overpulse your toasted walnuts! You’ll end up with walnut butter, which your kids may also love, but not exactly what we’re shooting for this time. 

Step 2: Season the toasted walnut breadcrumbs.

Transfer the walnut breadcrumbs to a mixing bowl. Add the parmesan, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Mix it all together with a fork until the breading mixture is combined. 

Step 3: Coat the chicken tenders in walnut breadcrumbs.

Take each chicken tender and lay it in the breadcrumb mixture. Gently press down so the walnut crust sticks to the chicken. Flip the tender onto the other side and gently press down again to make sure the entire chicken tender is coated with a raw walnut crust. 

Step 4: Air fry the walnut-crusted chicken tenders.

Lay each walnut chicken tender in the air fryer basket in a single layer. It’s best to leave space between the tenders so they cook evenly. 

Spray each tender with avocado oil cooking spray and air fry at 425℉ for twelve minutes, until lightly brown and done. Serve with dunkable homemade ranch dressing and a side of veggies!

Why We Love California Walnuts

California is home to more than 99% of the nation’s walnuts due to optimal weather and soil for orchards to thrive. Over 4,000 multi-generational family farmers take great pride in caring for the land that has been passed down for generations, so they can continue to harvest nutritious walnuts for people to enjoy throughout the year.   

More Tasty Walnut Recipes

• Toasted Walnuts and Blackberry Jam Bites — elegant, effortless, and easy bite-size appetizer 
• Apple Walnut Baked Brie — a gooey, dippable sweet treat
• Breakfast Banana Split — a kid-friendly recipe for the most important meal of the day
• Pear Galette — topped with soft and buttery walnuts for an earthy crunch
• Dairy-Free Walnut Whipped Cream – great for both sweet and savory application