Hidden under the crunchiness of the breadcrumbs is a tender, juicy bite of well-seasoned chicken, which goes perfectly when dunked into creamy chili mayo dip. These cheesy chicken tenders are all that and more.
Best of all, they’re actually super easy to make- perfect for when you’re looking for a simple and quick appetizer to make for your guests.
Scroll down and read on to discover everything you need to know about the recipe.
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Ingredients For the Recipe
You’ll need two sets of ingredients to make these chicken tenders along with the dip.
For the Chicken Tenders
- Chicken Tenders: 8-10 pieces
- Mayonnaise: 1 cup
- Mustard paste: 2 tbsps
- Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp
- Bread crumbs: 2 cups
- Garlic powder: 1 tbsp
- Salt: 1 teaspoon or as per taste
- Black pepper powder: 1 tbsp
- Mixed herbs: 1 tbsp
- Parmesan (grated): ½ cup
For the Chili Mayo dip
- Mayonnaise: ½ cup
- Tomato ketchup: 2 tbsp
- Red chilies: 3-4
- Vinegar: 1 tbsp
- Mixed Italian herbs: 2 tsp
- Black pepper powder: 2 tsp
- Salt: 1 teaspoon or as per taste
- Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
How to Make the Cheesy Chicken Tenders and Chili Mayo Dip.
Got all your ingredients and tools ready? Here’s what you need to do next to get it done.
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, add the mayonnaise, mustard paste, and ginger garlic paste. Whisk.
Next, add the chicken tenders into this mixture and coat them well.
In another bowl, add the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, salt, black pepper powder, mixed herbs, and cheese. Mix them together.
Next, take the chicken tenders and roll them over the spiced bread crumb mixture. Make sure the pieces are properly coated on all sides.
Spray the air fryer basket with oil.
Next, place the pieces in the air fryer basket, spray a bit of oil on them, and cook them at 400°F for 5-6 minutes.
You can rotate them once in between so that they are cooked well.
For the Chili Mayo dip, mix all ingredients in a blender and make a smooth paste.
Enjoy the chicken tenders along with the mayo.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe calls for the use of an air fryer to cook the chicken, but you don’t necessarily need to stick to that method. You could also just deep fry the chicken, or bake it if you’re trying to stick to a healthier cooking approach. 
There are several ways to make your cheesy chicken tenders even more crispy and crunchy. The easiest way to do it is to use a bit of rice flour in the coating mixture. Another good idea is to coat the chicken with roughly crushed cornflakes or panko breadcrumbs instead of regular breadcrumbs. 
You sure can! The chili mayo dip can absolutely be batch made, transferred to an airtight jar, and refrigerated for upto a week- if it lasts that long! For the chicken, you can coat the chicken with the ingredients mentioned, prepare the spiced breadcrumb mixture separately, and then transfer them to different containers and refrigerate for upto 3 days, until they are ready to be put together. 
Tips & Tricks to Make the Cheesy Chicken Tenders
Think you’re ready to try the recipe? Keeping these additional tips and hacks in mind will ensure you nail the recipe.
- For an extra flavor and nutritious punch, you can also add some coconut flakes into the breadcrumb mixture.
- To get a more even coating, you can also use a mixture of panko and regular breadcrumbs.
- Want your chicken tenders to have an extra savory flavor? You can also add some chicken stock powder to the mayonnaise mixture.
- If you’re planning to deep fry the cheesy chicken tenders, make sure you use a mild or neutral-flavored oil that has a high smoke point.
- Don’t forget to top the chicken tenders with a generous sprinkle of chopped coriander or any other fresh herb of your choice before you serve.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Your cheesy chicken tenders taste amazing when paired with their chili mayo dip, but if you’re a sucker for more dips and flavors, you can always serve them with some tomato ketchup or ranch or tartar sauce on the side.
And if you’re trying to make this a complete meal, preferably a bit more on the healthier side, you can whip up a quick salad (ideally with some quinoa or couscous) and serve it with these tenders.
Loved this easy and flavorful appetizer? Looking for some inspiration for more appetizers and sides that you can recreate in your kitchen? Here are a few good ideas that you can check out.
- Vegan Kung Pao Chicken with Sweet Potato Noodles
- Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps
- Easiest Chicken Seitan Recipe
📖 Recipe
Cheesy Chicken Tenders with Chili Mayo Dip
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Chicken Tenders
- 8-10 pcs Chicken Tenders
- 1 cup Mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon Mustard paste
- 1 tablespoon Ginger garlic paste
- 2 cups Bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Black pepper powder
- 1 tablespoon Mixed herbs
- ½ cup Parmesan , (grated)
Ingredients for the Chili Mayo dip
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon Tomato ketchup
- 3-4 pcs Red chilies
- 1 tablespoon Vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Mixed Italian herbs
- 2 teaspoon Black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
Instructions
- Pre-heat the air fryer at 400°F for 5 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl, add the mayonnaise, dijon mustard, and ginger garlic paste. Whisk.
- Next, add the chicken tenders into this mixture and coat them well.
- In another bowl, add the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, salt, black pepper powder, mixed herbs, and cheese. Mix them together.
- Next, take the chicken tenders and roll them over the spiced bread crumb mixture. Make sure the pieces are properly coated on all sides.
- Spray the air fryer basket with oil.
- Next, place the pieces in the airfryer basket, spray a bit of oil on them, and cook them at 400°F for 5-6minutes.
- You can rotate them once in between so that they are cooked well.
- For the Chili Mayo dip, mix all ingredients in a blender and make a smooth paste.
- Enjoy the chicken tenders along with the mayo.
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