One thing the Vortex Plus isn’t great at is battered foods, like chicken tenders. When using a wet batter, like with fried chicken, not having it suspended in oil like when frying, makes it difficult. Air fryers can also cause foods to become dry unlike with frying in oil. However, I found that if you first soak your chicken in a quick brine, that helps the chicken to stay moist. And if you first dip the food in a flavored, thick, wet batter and then roll it in a dry coating like crushed corn flakes, crispy onions, or panko, it creates a crispy and flavorful batter that works great for quick and easy chicken tenders.
Vortex Plus Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Tenders
Recipe by Lana Horruitiner-Perez
- 3 uncooked Chicken Breasts
Brine:
- 6 Quarts cold Water
- 3 Tbl Salt
- 3 Tbl Sugar
Batter:
- 3 Eggs
- 3 Tbl Flour
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Salt + 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 Tbl Adobo (or your favorite Seasoning Mix or Garlic Powder)
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
- 4 cups Corn Flakes
- 1 Packet Italian Seasoning
Butterfly the Chicken Breasts (that simply means place your hand flat on top of the chicken breast, and with a sharp knife slice the chicken almost in half like a bagel. Stop before you go all the way through to the other side. Now when you open it flat, it will look like a butterfly or heart.)
Cut each butterflied Chicken Breast into 3 inch long Chicken Tenders. 
In a large measuring jug or bowl, add 6 Quarts of cold water. Dissolve 3 Tbl Salt and 3 Tbl Sugar. 
Add the Chicken and cover with cling wrap and place in fridge for 30 minutes. 
While the Chicken is in the brine, start preparing the batters and coating.
Place 4 cups of Corn Flakes in a gallon Ziploc bag. Press out all the air and using a rolling pin, crush the Corn Flakes until they are fine crumb. (You can also crush them in a food processor or use a mallet.)
Place the crushed Corn Flakes and the packet of Italian Seasoning into a small baking dish or pie plate and mix together. Set aside.
In another baking dish, whisk together 3 Eggs, 3 Tbl Flour, 1 tsp Paprika, 1/2 Tbl Adobo, 1 tsp Salt, and 1/4 Pepper (you can also add a few dashes of hot sauce or cayenne if you want to add heat). Set aside.
After the 30 minutes of brining is over, remove the Chicken Tenders and pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 tsp Salt.
Dredge the Chicken Tenders one at a time in the wet batter (allow excess to drip off) and then roll in the crushed Corn Flakes. Place on the Vortex baking tray. Continue with the rest of the Chicken Tenders and assemble on 2 trays. 
Make sure the drip tray is on the bottom of the Vortex Plus. Press the “BROIL” mode on the Vortex Plus oven. Set the Time to 10 mins. Allow the oven to preheat. When Vortex Plus displays “ADD FOOD” place the trays in the Top and Bottom position.
At 5 mins flip the position of the trays and also flip each chicken piece. (Use a piece of foil or silicone mat to cover the door. This helps with clean up.) Close the door and allow to continue to cook.
**You are going to flip the trays and chicken depending on the time. If after you flip the chicken the display again says “TURN FOOD”, just ignore it.
When the Vortex Plus displays “COOL” and then “OFF” remove the trays and allow to cool a few minutes. Serve with dipping sauce.
Buen Provecho!
Lana Under Pressure 
Those look really good!! Of all the cooking skills I’ve gotten fairly good at breading things so far has not been one of them! I need to try this one, possibly next weekend unless I come up with the time this weekend! Thanks for lighting the fire under me to try to learn that skill!
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Hi Gary! I used ot be horrible at breading but I learned from practice and also using tips and techniques from America’s Test Kitchen. One thing I learned that was the most important was make sure whatever you are breading is dry. Use a paper towel and really dry the surface of the chicken. Sometimes they even dredge it in flour first, then wet batter, then dry again. But I think with this recipe, the extra flour wasn’t necessary. Also, the importance of flavoring and seasoning at each and every stage. Good luck and with all the great photos you shared of your amazing cooking, I am certain you will be a master breader! 🙂
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Dipping sauce suggestions please?
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That sauce is just a purchased honey mustard. I love Sweet baby rays bbq, too.
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Lana, since the Vortex hit the market you seem to have forgotten us regular IP users. Don’t forget, we are still here…
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Hi Steve. I just added an IP video. You can find it under the Instant Pot Tips menu. I’ll be adding more IP recipes soon but since I like to make sure my recipes work, I usually make them at least 3 times to get them perfect. ❤
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Thanks for the prompt reply, I appreciate it. I just started watching you when the Vortex came out and it seemed like you were more interested in it than the IP. By the way, what kind of Dr. are you? My dad introduced himself to my mother as an MD but didn’t tell her it stood for meat dealer…
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Hahaha, MD, meat dealer…that is fantastic! I love that. I have a PhD is Education Policy specializing in Multicultural Education from the University of Virginia. Go Cavs, lol. I started my blog more than a year ago and focused mainly on IP recipes. I has a steady flow of readers and it was more a small hobby. But the day the Vortex came out, I realized if I could get one of the frist and started adding recipes and videos, that would help my IP blog get more traffic and maybe I could make a tiny bit of money to cover the costs of ingredients. So you caught me right at the beginning of getting the Vortex, so I completely understand why it would look like I am no longer interested in the Instant Pot. But actually, I consider myself more an IP aficionado than the Vortex and it’s still the main appliance I use. Today I am finishing up my recipe for simple and tender chicken breasts in the IP. I’ve done 4 tests and I think I finally have the timing done right. Thank goodness I have a large dog or else all of the “Failed” ones would go to waste. lol But in the end it is only me doing the testing, photography, shopping, cooking, research, cleaning, videography, editing, writing, etc and not on a full time basis so I can only do one or 2 recipes a week. But don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about my fellow potheads. 🙂
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If I were to do this recipe on the Omni plus. Would you suggest still doing the broil option or do the air fry?
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I also have the same question.
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Air Fry
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Thank you!
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Can these be put into the rotating basket?
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Hi. No because it would knock off all the breading.
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