These air-fried chicken strips are a healthier alternative to deep-fried chicken, but just as juicy and crispy! They are also low-carb, paleo and Whole30.

A healthier fried chicken recipe that tastes just as delicious!

I got an air fryer this Christmas and I have been using it pretty much nonstop. It’s something I’ve been wanting for a long time, and now that we have a house, I had room for one!

I have made crispy potatoes a bunch of times and think I’ve got that recipe down, so I decided to step things up a notch with some fried chicken strips.

If I’m being honest, I figured this would take me awhile to figure out, but it turns out that I got it right pretty quickly! Air fryers are pretty easy to use once you get the hang of them.

Plus, mine came with a great little recipe book that I’ve been using until I get the cook times right. No one wants undercooked chicken for dinner, that’s for sure.

Easy and quick to make, plus zero oil to clean up!

As with pretty much all my recipes, this one takes just a few minutes to prepare. You’ll want to start with chicken tenderloins. Make sure they are fully thawed out, if you are starting with frozen ones.

You’ll need two bowls, one with an egg wash and one with the following dry ingredients:

Blanched almond flour
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Garlic powder

First, dip the chicken in the mixture of dry ingredients, then into the egg wash, then again into the dry ingredients.

Place the chicken into the air fryer in a single layer. You also want to make sure that there is room between each piece of chicken so they get crispy on all sides. Do not overcrowd the air fryer. Fry in batches if needed, for the best results and chicken that is cooked through.

Cook in the air fryer at 400F for 5-6 minutes, then flip over and cook for another 5-6 minutes. Check that internal temperature is 165F before serving.

Can I use this recipe for chicken thighs, legs or wings?

You certainly can! The basic recipe is all the same, the only thing that will vary is the cook time and the internal temperature required.

For dark meat chicken such as thighs, the internal temperature should be 175F. The cook time will also be longer for larger chicken, so please be mindful of that requirement. Also, be sure that your chicken is thoroughly thawed out, or the cook time will also be longer. I recommend the following:

Wings: 400F for 6 minutes on each side
Boneless thighs: 400F for 10 minutes on each side
Legs or bone-in thighs: 400F for 12 minutes on each side

After cooking the total time, check the internal temperature and level of crispness. If not done, or not cooked to your liking, continue to cook in 2 minute increments until done.

If you give these air-fried chicken strips a try, please let me know what you think in the comments below. Also be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest so you don’t miss a recipe!