Hot Lemon Pepper Chicken Tenders
Get ready to spice up your dinner with these zesty hot lemon pepper chicken tenders! Coated in a crispy, flavorful blend of lemon zest and cracked black pepper, these protein-packed delights are not only delicious but also guilt-free. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal, they’ll satisfy your cravings without the extra calories!
Prep
15
min
Cook
15
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- garlic salt
- fresh lemon juice
- lemon pepper seasoning
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 24 ounces of chicken breast (680 g)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- egg whites
- light butter
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- cooking oil
- flour
- honeyoptional
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- onion powder
- smoked paprika
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- pickle juice
📦Other(2)
- cornflakes
- low calorie buffalo sauce
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Take out 24 ounces of chicken breast and cut it into 3 ounce strips.
- 2
For the first dipping station, add flour to a plate, add in garlic salt, smoked paprika, onion powder, give it a mix, and fully coat the chicken in the seasoned flour.
- 3
For the second station, add egg whites to a plate along with some pickle juice and completely coat the flour tenders in the egg wash.
- 4
For the final station, spread out some cornflakes on a plate and press the tenders firmly into the cornflakes until they look coated.
- 5
Spray them with some cooking oil and air fry at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes.
- 6
To make the sauce, combine low calorie buffalo sauce, lemon pepper seasoning, some fresh lemon juice, light butter, and optionally add honey.
- 7
Microwave the sauce until everything is combined, cover the cooked chicken tenders in it, and enjoy.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Crush the cornflakes to a coarse rubble (pea-sized pieces, not powder) before breading so the coating creates air pockets that crisp via convection instead of steaming against the chicken surface.ingredientpea-sized pieces
- ✓Let the flour-coated chicken rest for 3-5 minutes before dipping in egg wash so the flour hydrates slightly and forms a tacky paste layer, giving the egg wash and cornflakes something to mechanically grip instead of sliding off.technique3-5 minutes
- ✓Flip the tenders halfway through air frying at the 6-7 minute mark since air fryers circulate heat unevenly around a single top-mounted element, and unflipped coating will brown 20-30% less on the bottom-facing side.timing6-7 minute flip
- ✓Pull the chicken at 165°F internal temp using a probe thermometer rather than relying on the 12-15 minute range, since tender thickness varies and overcooking past 165°F rapidly toughens the lean breast meat as myosin proteins over-contract.equipment165°F
- ✓Add the pickle juice to the egg wash at a 1:4 ratio with egg whites so the acidity (pH ~2.5) lightly denatures surface proteins on the chicken, improving adhesion of the flour layer underneath without making the tenders taste overtly pickled.ingredient1:4 ratio
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
15
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Hot Lemon Pepper Chicken Tenders
Get ready to spice up your dinner with these zesty hot lemon pepper chicken tenders! Coated in a crispy, flavorful blend of lemon zest and cracked black pepper, these protein-packed delights are not only delicious but also guilt-free. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal, they’ll satisfy your cravings without the extra calories!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- garlic salt
- fresh lemon juice
- lemon pepper seasoning
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 24 ounces of chicken breast (680 g)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- egg whites
- light butter
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- cooking oil
- flour
- honeyoptional
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- onion powder
- smoked paprika
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- pickle juice
📦Other(2)
- cornflakes
- low calorie buffalo sauce
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Take out 24 ounces of chicken breast and cut it into 3 ounce strips.
- 2
For the first dipping station, add flour to a plate, add in garlic salt, smoked paprika, onion powder, give it a mix, and fully coat the chicken in the seasoned flour.
- 3
For the second station, add egg whites to a plate along with some pickle juice and completely coat the flour tenders in the egg wash.
- 4
For the final station, spread out some cornflakes on a plate and press the tenders firmly into the cornflakes until they look coated.
- 5
Spray them with some cooking oil and air fry at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes.
- 6
To make the sauce, combine low calorie buffalo sauce, lemon pepper seasoning, some fresh lemon juice, light butter, and optionally add honey.
- 7
Microwave the sauce until everything is combined, cover the cooked chicken tenders in it, and enjoy.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Crush the cornflakes to a coarse rubble (pea-sized pieces, not powder) before breading so the coating creates air pockets that crisp via convection instead of steaming against the chicken surface.ingredientpea-sized pieces
- ✓Let the flour-coated chicken rest for 3-5 minutes before dipping in egg wash so the flour hydrates slightly and forms a tacky paste layer, giving the egg wash and cornflakes something to mechanically grip instead of sliding off.technique3-5 minutes
- ✓Flip the tenders halfway through air frying at the 6-7 minute mark since air fryers circulate heat unevenly around a single top-mounted element, and unflipped coating will brown 20-30% less on the bottom-facing side.timing6-7 minute flip
- ✓Pull the chicken at 165°F internal temp using a probe thermometer rather than relying on the 12-15 minute range, since tender thickness varies and overcooking past 165°F rapidly toughens the lean breast meat as myosin proteins over-contract.equipment165°F
- ✓Add the pickle juice to the egg wash at a 1:4 ratio with egg whites so the acidity (pH ~2.5) lightly denatures surface proteins on the chicken, improving adhesion of the flour layer underneath without making the tenders taste overtly pickled.ingredient1:4 ratio