Air Fryer Malaysian Red Curry Chicken Tenders

Ingredients

• 1¼ pounds chicken tenderloins
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more)
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper (plus more)
• ½ cup flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups panko
• Avocado oil spray (optional)
• 2 scallions (minced)

Malaysian red curry sauce:

• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons honey (add more for a sweeter chicken tender)
• 1 heaping tablespoon Grumpy Ginger Spicy Malaysian Red Curry Paste 
• Kosher salt (to taste)

Instructions 

Prepare the chicken:

1. Pat the chicken tenderloins dry and season them with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
2. Set up your dredging station:
3. Set out three shallow dishes. To the first dish, add flour and a pinch of kosher salt. To the second dish, add 2 eggs and whisk until smooth. Add panko with a pinch of salt and pepper to the third dish.

Dredge the chicken:

1. Dip a chicken tenderloin into the flour and shake off the excess. Next, dip it into the eggs and shake off the excess. Finish dredging the chicken by rolling it gently in the panko; gently press it into the tender to ensure it adheres. Transfer to a lightly greased baking rack. Continue until all tenders are dredged.

Air fry the chicken tenders:

1. Spray the air fryer basket lightly with oil. Spray the tops of the chicken tenders lightly with oil. Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF.
2. Place the tenders in the basket and air fry in batches for 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and air fry for 5 to 7 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Once the tenders reach 165ºF, transfer them to a second baking rack. The tenders will air fry for about 10 to 14 minutes total. Continue air frying until all the chicken is cooked.

Prepare the sauce:

1. Place the butter in a glass measuring cup and transfer to the microwave for 1 minute until completely melted. Add 2 tablespoons honey and 1 tablespoon Grumpy Ginger Spicy Malaysian Red Curry Paste. Whisk until smooth. The sauce should be a drizzling consistency. If it’s very thick, add a splash of water to thin it out. Set aside.
   

Sauce the tenders:

1. Once all the chicken tenders are air-fried, pour the warm sauce into a large bowl.
2. Add the chicken tenders to the bowl in batches and toss gently to coat in the sauce.

To serve:

1. Transfer the sauced tenders to a serving platter and sprinkle with the minced scallions. Enjoy!