Dorito Chicken Tenders (Baked or Air Fried!)
These Dorito Crusted Chicken Tenders are incredibly delicious and so easy to whip up in the air fryer or oven!
Servings: 4 - 5
Cost: £2 / $2.50
Equipment
- Large Zip-Lock Bag & Rolling Pin
- 3 Large Shallow Dishes
- Air Fryer or Oven
- Large Tray with Wire Rack (if baking)
Ingredients
- 600g / 1.3lb Chicken Tenders OR Chicken Breast, breast sliced into strips (see notes)
- 200g / 7oz Chilli Heatwave Doritos (see notes)
- 1 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp + 1/4 tsp Salt (1/4 tsp is to season the chicken directly)
- 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1/2 tsp EACH: Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper
- 50g / 1/3 cup Plain Flour
- 2 Eggs, beaten
- Oil Spray, as needed
Instructions
- If using the oven preheat it to 200C/400F.
- Place the Doritos in a large zip-lock bag and crush them with a rolling pin until they resemble large Panko breadcrumbs. Keep a bit of that flaky texture (see video for guidance).
- Season the chicken with 1/4 tsp salt.
- Line up 3 large shallow dishes: 1st with the flour + seasoning, 2nd with the beaten eggs and 3rd with the crushed Doritos. One by one, coat a chicken tender in the flour then the egg and finish in the Doritos. Thoroughly coat the tender at each stage, namely the Doritos. Place on a wire rack above a tray (if baking) or straight in the air fryer (if air frying). Handle them gently so the Doritos don't fall off. Repeat with the remaining tenders.
- Air Fryer: Space out the tenders, spray them with oil then cook for 10-12 minutes at 200C/400F. Flip and spray them halfway. Work in two batches if you need to.
- Bake: Spray the tenders with oil then bake for 15-18 minutes.
- Timings may differ for both depending on the size of the tenders. They should be golden and crisp on the outside and white/piping hot right through the centre. Some tiny specs of char will likely form, but if they look like they're burning just reduce the heat slightly.
- Serve up and enjoy!
Video
Notes
a) Chicken - A chicken tender is actually that strip of meat located underneath the breast. I find i to be ever-so-slightly more tender than the breast itself, so if you can get a pack of chicken tenders go for that. However, sliced chicken breast works absolutely fine.
b) Doritos - I find a 180g/6.3oz bag JUST about coats 12 fairly large tenders, so I typically grab another small bag too just in case. Make sure you're using Chilli Heatwave, as that's what the seasoning mix is based on (you can of course experiment with different seasonings for different Doritos flavours if you'd like).
c) Crumb-size - Don't crush them into absolute oblivion, you want them the size of large panko breadcrumbs. Keep a bit of that flaky texture (see video for guidance).
d) Seasoning - The Doritos lose flavour as they cook, so the seasoning mix is essential to bring the tenders to life. I like to season the chicken directly with a bit of salt too, just for extra security so you don't end up with bland tenders! You can also serve with a pinch more if you think they need it.
e) Serving - I LOVE these with Ranch. I also love dicing them up and making my Chicken Tenders Sandwich. They're also of course great with a side of Wedges or Fries!
f) Calories - Whole recipe divided by 4 (slight overestimate as not all the egg/flour gets used).
Nutrition
Calories: 481kcal | Carbohydrates: 44.55g | Protein: 41.11g | Fat: 15.19g | Saturated Fat: 2.702g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6.564g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4.395g | Trans Fat: 0.414g | Cholesterol: 167mg | Sodium: 1000mg | Potassium: 545mg | Fiber: 3.5g | Sugar: 0.66g | Vitamin A: 779IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 3.3mg