Super crispy chicken tenders get their crunch from a parmesan-breadcrumb crust flecked with black sesame: chicken breast sliced crosswise into strips, dragged through a parsley-sriracha egg batter, rolled in the cheese-and-crumb mix and air-fried at 180 °C for 10–12 minutes. The crosswise cut keeps the muscle fibers short, so the inside stays tender under a crust that crunches. Serve with a sweet dipping sauce. Serves 2.
Instructions
- 1
Chop the parsley into a bowl, season with salt and sriracha to taste.
- 2
Crack in the two eggs and mix until well combined — this is the batter.
- 3
Lay the chicken breast flat and slice it crosswise into strips — short fibers stay tender.
- 4
Toss the strips in the batter until every piece is well coated.
- 5
In a second bowl, stir the grated parmesan with the breadcrumbs and black sesame seeds.
- 6
Roll each battered strip in the crumb mixture until fully coated.
- 7
Air-fry at 180 °C for 10–12 minutes until deeply golden.
12:00 - 8
Serve hot, with a sweet dipping sauce of your choice.
Watch the video
Notes from our kitchen
Slice across the breast, not along it — crosswise strips have short fibers that eat tender, while lengthwise strips chew like rope. The parmesan is half the crust by flavor: it browns faster than the crumbs, so pull the strips at deep golden, not mahogany. Sweet dips work best against the salty cheese — the contrast is the point.
Variations
- White sesame or none. Black sesame is there for looks as much as nuttiness — white seeds toast up sweeter and blend into the crust, and skipping sesame entirely still leaves a proper parmesan crunch.
- Dip pairings. The narration leaves the sauce open — “sweet, of your choice”. Sweet chili is the natural pick against the salty parmesan; honey-mustard leans lunchbox, and the hot-honey drizzle from earlier in this video works shamelessly well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why slice the breast crosswise?
Muscle fibers run the length of the breast. Cut across them and every strip is a bundle of short fibers that bite through tender; cut along them and the strips turn stringy and chewy no matter how well you cook. It is the single biggest texture decision in the recipe.
What does parmesan do in the crust?
It browns and crisps — the cheese proteins toast into a savory shell the breadcrumbs alone cannot match, and the salt in it seasons the crust from inside. Grate it fine so it distributes evenly instead of clumping.
Why black sesame seeds?
Nutty crunch and looks: the black flecks against the golden crust make the strips read as deliberate, not dredged. They also toast in the 10–12 minute window, deepening the flavor. White sesame works the same; it just disappears visually.
How do I store and reheat them?
Airtight in the fridge up to 2 days. Re-crisp in the air fryer at 180 °C for 3–4 minutes — the parmesan crust comes back to crunch better than breadcrumb-only coatings. Keep any dip separate until serving.
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