Name: Cilantro Lime Air Fryer Chicken Tenderloins
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2.5 lbs chicken tenderloins ((1104 g)); ¼ cup lime juice ((60 g)); 1 Tbsp olive oil ((15 g)); 1 Tbsp honey ((15 g)); ¼ cup cilantro (minced (20 g)); 5 frozen cubes garlic (or fresh cloves, minced); 2 tsp chili powder; 2 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp onion powder; ½ tsp kosher salt

These cilantro lime air fryer chicken tenderloins are an easy way to get juicy, flavorful chicken on the table FAST. The chicken marinates in fresh lime, cilantro, garlic, honey, chili powder, and cumin before cooking in the air fryer for just 10 minutes. It’s smoky, a little tangy, and an easy protein to add to tacos, salads, wraps, sandwiches, and bowls. I’m always looking for easy proteins I can prep once and use in different meals all week. If you are too, I have a whole collection of quick and healthy air fryer recipes that make this SO much easier.

Air Fryer Chicken Tenderloins

I recently made these air fryer chicken tenderloins and shared them on my Instagram stories and they were a huge hit! Sometimes when the recipe is so simple, I don’t think to put it in a blog post! But it turns out that lots of you requested this tasty recipe.

So, by popular request, here’s my cilantro lime air fryer chicken tenderloin recipe!

Lillie’s Expert Tips

Don’t crowd the air fryer basket. I know it’s tempting to squeeze everything in at once, but keeping the chicken in a single layer helps it cook evenly. Work in batches if you have a smaller air fryer.
Give the chicken at least 30 minutes in the marinade. Two hours is great if you planned ahead. I usually didn’t. Thirty minutes still gives the chicken plenty of flavor.
Check the temperature instead of guessing. Chicken tenderloins are small and cook quickly. I look for an internal temperature of 165°F so I know they’re cooked through.
Change up your marinade instead of getting bored with chicken. If you prep chicken often, rotating the flavors makes a huge difference. This balsamic herb grilled chicken marinade is another easy option, and these BBQ soy ginger chicken thighs give you a completely different flavor profile.
Adjust the cooking method for chicken breasts. If you’re using boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of tenderloins, lower the air fryer to 360°F and cook for 18 minutes, flipping halfway through. Tent them with foil after cooking and let them rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Don’t stress over the exact package weight. If your chicken package is closer to 2 or 3 pounds instead of exactly 2.5 pounds, use it. The small difference in the amount of marinade isn’t something I worry about.

Air Fryer Chicken Tenderloins Ingredients

You can find the full ingredient amounts in the recipe card below. These are a few ingredients that really matter here:

Chicken tenderloins: I prefer tenderloins for this recipe because they cook quickly. Chicken breasts also work, but the air fryer temperature and cooking time need to be adjusted.

Fresh lime juice: This gives the marinade its bright, tangy flavor.

Fresh cilantro: You’ll mince the cilantro right into the marinade. If cilantro isn’t your thing, fresh parsley works too.

Honey: Just a tablespoon balances out the lime and spices.

Garlic: I use frozen garlic cubes a lot, but fresh minced garlic works perfectly.

Chili powder and cumin: These give the chicken that smoky, warm flavor that works so well with the cilantro and lime.

To make these yummy chicken tenderloins in the air fryer, you have to start with a tasty marinade!

Air fryer chicken tenderloins garnished with fresh cilantro.

How to Cook Chicken Tenderloins in the Air Fryer

Air frying these chicken tenderloins is so easy! Here’s what you need to do:

1. Make the cilantro lime chicken marinade

Combine the lime juice, olive oil, honey, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, kosher salt, minced garlic, and minced cilantro.

If you like keeping different chicken marinades in your rotation, my green goddess grilled chicken with a fresh herb marinade is another good one to save.

2. Marinate the chicken tenderloins

Add the trimmed chicken tenderloins to the marinade and toss everything together until the chicken is well coated. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

I usually end up closer to 30 minutes because you know I’m not exactly a planning-ahead kind of person. Ha. If you have longer, great. If not, 30 minutes still works!

3. Preheat the air fryer

Preheat your air fryer to 400°F for 2–3 minutes.

4. Arrange the chicken in the air fryer

Give the chicken a pinch of kosher salt and a few cracks of black pepper right before cooking. Lightly spray the air fryer basket with olive oil and arrange the tenderloins in a single layer.

Don’t stack them or pile them on top of each other. You want the hot air to circulate around the chicken so it cooks evenly.

5. Air fry the chicken tenderloins

Cook the chicken tenderloins at 400°F for 10 minutes, or until the thickest part reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

6. Serve

Pull the chicken from the air fryer and eat it right away or save it for tacos, salads, wraps, sandwiches, and bowls throughout the week.

Sliced air fryer chicken tenderloins in a large serving dish.

Ingredient Swaps

Making these air fryer cilantro lime chicken tenders is super easy, but after posting these on Instagram, I received a few questions! So here are some easy swaps if you need them!

What Can I Use Instead of Cilantro?

Are you one of those people who can’t stomach cilantro in any form?

No worries! Just substitute fresh parsley in the marinade for the cilantro I used. Your flavors will be a little different, but you’ll still end up with deliciously zesty and smokey chicken tenderloins.

Can I Make This Recipe With Chicken Breast?

If you want to substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts for the tenderloins in this recipe, just adjust your cooking temperature to 360 degrees F and cook them for 18 minutes, flipping halfway through. Still aim for the final temperature of your chicken breasts to reach 165 degrees F. You’ll also want to tent the chicken breasts with foil when you remove them from the air fryer, and let them rest for 5 minutes before you cut into them.

Cilantro lime chicken tenderloins in a serving dish next to a bowl of herby dipping sauce.

Can I Cook These Without an Air Fryer?

Don’t have an air fryer? No sweat! Preheat your grill to medium-high heat, and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.

Is This Air Fryer Chicken Tenderloin Recipe Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free?

Yes! This air fryer chicken tenderloin recipe is completely gluten-free and dairy-free. Enjoy!

Air fryer chicken tenderloins garnished with cilantro in a parchment-lined serving platter.

Serving Suggestions

These chicken tenderloins are so versatile! You can tuck them into wraps, bowls, tacos, or whatever you like. You can even add them to your meals throughout the week for extra protein.

No matter how you eat these chicken tenderloins, I highly recommend making a tasty sauce to add to them! I love having macro-friendly sauces on hand to drizzle on my bowls and tacos or just for dipping.

Here are some of my FAVE sauces that you could pair with these air fryer chicken tenderloins:

And there are so many more on my blog and in my cookbooks!

Similar Chicken Recipes

Are you looking to eat more macro-friendly, protein-packed foods? I love sharing all my macro-friendly recipes here on the blog, in my meal plan subscription, and in my cookbooks!

If you love chicken and need more protein in your diet, here are a few of my favorite chicken recipes:

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Air Fryer Chicken Tenderloin Recipe

You’ll love these easy-to-whip-up air fryer chicken tenderloins in wraps, sandwiches, salads, bowls, tacos, and more! This chicken is so versatile that it can be added just about anywhere!

If you’re new to macro-counting or just looking for more recipes, I have so many GREAT places that you can grab some from! My weekly dinner meal plan (a subscription service that plans your dinners for you) and my cookbooks are perfect for seasoned and new macro-counters alike. Or for people who like balanced meals with lots of protein and veggies.

And if you’re ready to get my meal plan with over 200+ recipes in the database, then you can get the first 7 days FREE!

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