These Instant Pot Chicken Tenders are ready in 20 minutes! They are perfectly seasoned and make a fast and easy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like avocado or canola oil.
- Chicken tenders – you could also cut up boneless skinless chicken breasts into tenders.
- Cornstarch – potato starch would also work here.
- Paprika – chili powder or cayenne will provide a similar flavour.
- Garlic powder – use more onion powder or substitute for garlic salt. If you’re using garlic salt, don’t add extra salt to the recipe.
- Onion powder – add in more garlic powder instead.
- Mustard powder – you can try using ground mustard or leave this out altogether.
- Thyme – oregano would be the best substitute here.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
Coleslaw
- Red cabbage – you could also use a bagged coleslaw mix from the grocery store.
- Carrot matchsticks – julienne a fresh carrot instead.
- Light mayo – regular mayo will work, but will increase the calorie count.
- Vinegar – white vinegar is best, but apple cider vinegar can be used in a pinch.
- Sugar – use a sugar substitute of your choice here instead.
- Canola oil – avocado oil would also be good.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
How to make chicken tenders in the Instant Pot
Step 1: Mix together the spices.
Mix together the cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, thyme, salt and pepper.
Step 2: Toss the chicken in the spices.
Coat the chicken in the spice mixture, tossing on a plate.
Step 3: Brown the tenders.
Turn the Instant Pot top sauté mode and add the tenders, cooking in batches until browned on both sides.
Step 4: Cook on high pressure.
Add water and a trivet to the Instant Pot, and add the tenders on top. Cook on high pressure for 2 minutes, then do a quick release of the pressure.
Step 5: Make the coleslaw.
While the tenders cook, mix together the cabbage, carrots, mayo, vinegar, sugar, oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy!
Serve the tenders with your fave dipping sauce and coleslaw, and dig in!
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Try different seasonings: I like seasoning my tenders with garlic and onion powder, paprika and thyme, but you can try out any seasonings of your choice like Italian seasoning, lemon pepper, Cajun seasoning, shawarma spice and more.
- Dipping sauces: Serve these tenders with your favourite sauce for dipping like ranch, blue cheese, honey mustard, BBQ sauce or sweet chili sauce.
- Serve with your favourite sides: These chicken tenders go with just about anything. More side dish ideas including sweet potato fries, pea salad or mac and cheese.
- Use them for other recipes: You can enjoy these chicken tenders on their own or use them as protein for other recipes. They’d be great on top of your favourite pasta dish or a healthy salad!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use frozen chicken tenders for this recipe, but you’ll need to increase the cooking time. Try cooking on high pressure for 6 minutes followed by 5 minutes of a natural pressure release.
There’s nothing worth than dry chicken! To make sure your chicken tenders turn out nice and moist, make sure you’re cooking them on high pressure for 2 minutes followed by a quick pressure release. Also make sure you’re adding in the right amount of water underneath the trivet.
You won’t be able to get the chicken tenders crispy in the pressure cooker, but you can stick them under the broiler in the oven for a few minutes after cooking until they have a nice crispy finish.
This recipe is super customizable, so you can use any seasoning blend of your choice. Italian seasoning, lemon pepper, Cajun seasoning or shawarma spice would all be delicious, but the options are pretty much endless.
Yes, you’ll need to use a trivet to ensure the chicken tenders cook properly without getting soggy.
Storing and reheating
Store any leftovers of these Instant Pot chicken tenders in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I’d recommend reheating the tenders in the oven to make sure they get a nice crispy finish. Pop them in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 400° Fahrenheit, then serve with your favourite dipping sauce. You can reheat them in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, but they won’t have the best texture. For best results, make sure you sprinkle some water over top first.
Freezing this recipe
You can freeze your chicken tenders either fully cooked or raw for up to 3 months in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. If you’re freezing them raw, flash freeze them on a baking sheet before transferring them to the container, then defrost in the fridge overnight and cook as normal (or cook directly from frozen).
If you’re freezing them cooked, wait until they’ve completely cooled before freezing them. Let them defrost in the fridge overnight then reheat as normal, or reheat in the oven from frozen for 10-15 minutes at 400° Fahrenheit.
More Instant Pot chicken recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken Breasts {3 Ways}
- Easiest Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Best Instant Pot Chicken Wings {Fresh or Frozen}
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls to store your Instant Pot chicken tenders and then use them in your weekly meal prep.
- Here’s an extra trivet for your Instant Pot in case you lost yours!
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen so I can use them anytime!
- Get a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked through.
Instant Pot Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb chicken tenders
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 cup water
Coleslaw to serve on the side
- 2 cups red cabbage thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup carrot matchsticks or 1 carrot, julienned
- 1 tbsp light mayo
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp canola oil
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
Instructions
- Mix together cornstarch, spices, salt & pepper. Coat chicken tenders in this mixture, tossing on a plate.
- Heat olive oil in Instant Pot on saute mode until hot. Add tenders, cooking in batches for 1-2 minutes per side until browned.
- Turn saute mode off, remove your tenders, then add water to the bottom of the Instant Pot. Top with trivet. Add tenders to the top of the trivet, then pressure cook for 2 minutes.
- Instant Pot will take a few minutes to come to pressure, then pressure cook the 2 minutes. While you're waiting for them to cook, mix the cabbage, carrots, mayo, vinegar, sugar, oil, salt & pepper together in a large bowl and set aside.
- When chicken is done cooking, do a quick release of the pressure. Serve with your fave dipping sauce and alongside coleslaw if desired. Enjoy!
