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 going to be your new favorite weekday dinner! These chicken tenderloins are marinated using a killer smoky and spicy marinade and then cooked up in a flash in your air fryer.

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!

Equipment Needed to Make Air Fryer Chicken Tenderloins

I get asked frequently if having an air fryer is worth it. Is it worth storing? Pulling out? Cleaning? After having one and using it repeatedly, I can confidently say that it is definitely worth having. I was a skeptic at first, especially about having another appliance to store on the counter. But it is a major time-saver, and the food comes out tasting amazing.

If you haven’t gotten an air fryer just yet, this air fryer is great! I also love using these air fryer liners for easy clean-up.

Air Fryer Chicken Tenderloins Ingredients

Making these cilantro lime chicken tenderloins is so easy and the ingredients are super simple. I prefer using chicken tenderloins instead of chicken breasts, but you can use whatever you prefer. Just make sure to see the information below for the adjusted cooking times if using chicken breasts.

Add the following ingredients to your grocery list to make these easy air fryer chicken tenderloins this week!

Chicken tenderloins
Lime juice
Olive oil spray
Honey
Cilantro
Frozen garlic cubes or fresh garlic cloves
Chili powder
Ground cumin
Onion powder
Kosher salt
Black pepper

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:

Make the Marinade. Combine lime juice, olive oil, honey, chili powder, ground cumin, onion powder, kosher salt, minced garlic, and minced cilantro in a resealable bag for the perfect marinade.
Allow Time for Your Chicken to Marinate. Add the chicken tenderloins directly to the marinade, and allow them to marinate anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours in the fridge. I like to pull the bag out about 20 minutes before air frying for the chicken to get to room temperature. If you’re good at planning ahead (yay!), you’ll have time to marinate it for longer. But if you don’t, even 30 minutes will be great. And if you know me, I’m no planner, so you can bet ours is usually hanging out for only 30 minutes. Ha.
Pre-Heat the Air Fryer. Make sure your chicken cooks evenly by preheating your air fryer to 400 degrees F for 2-3 minutes before adding the chicken tenderloins.
Add the Chicken to the Air Fryer. Just before cooking, sprinkle the chicken with a good pinch of kosher salt and a few cracks of pepper. Spray the air fryer basket with a mist of olive oil and place tenderloins in a single layer. You don’t want them lying on top of each other, or you won’t get good results.
Cook the Tenderloins in the Air Fryer. Cooking time for this yummy cilantro lime chicken tenderloin recipe is just 10 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temp of 165 degrees F. If you’re concerned with them not being as done as you’d like, I like to turn the air fryer off but close it for a couple more minutes for them to cook a tiny bit more in the residual heat. You can also check the chicken with a meat thermometer.
Serve. After pulling these chicken tenders out of the air fryer, you can eat them just plain with your favorite dipping sauces! Or you can throw it in your bowls, tacos, salads, etc all week long.

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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