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.
Hot honey chicken tenders trade breadcrumbs for crushed corn flakes: 500 g of tenders rubbed with three tablespoons of paprika, a teaspoon each of chili and salt, dipped in beaten egg and pressed into 100 g of crushed flakes, then air-fried at 180 °C for 15 minutes — exactly long enough to stir together the no-cook drizzle of honey, soy sauce, sriracha and one crushed garlic clove that goes over them at the table. Serves 3.
Hash brown chicken schnitzel swaps breadcrumbs for a crispy potato crust: grate and rinse 3 potatoes, squeeze them bone-dry, mix with grated Parmesan, dip thin chicken fillets in a light cornstarch-flour batter, press the potato mix on and shallow-fry 3–4 minutes per side until deep golden. Juicy inside, crackling potato crust outside — about 30 minutes, serves 2.
Rice crust pizza blends 100 g of air-fryer-cooked rice with eggs and mozzarella into a smooth base, crisps it at 180 °C for 15 minutes, then tops it with a 10-minute buffalo chicken — diced breast simmered with onion, broth, 3 tbsp of sriracha and cream — plus mozzarella for a final 5-minute melt. Crispy base, creamy heat on top, naturally wheat-free. Serves 4.
Never eat dry chicken again: this Japanese low-temperature method keeps chicken breast tender and juicy every time. Trim the tendons, cure a 300 g breast with 3 g salt and 1.5 g sugar for 15 minutes, then poach in just-off-the-boil water (80–85 °C / 175–185 °F) for 23–25 minutes until the center hits 74 °C / 165 °F. Finish with a 1-minute butter sear for colour. Serves 2.