Mix the cup of buttermilk and egg in a medium bowl. Add the chicken pieces and refrigerate for 20 minutes to 2 hours.
1 cup buttermilk, 1 egg
Mix the flour, cornstarch, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder in a bowl.
2 tablespoons cornstarch, ¾ cup flour, ½ cup breadcrumbs, 2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt
Put ½ cup buttermilk in a shallow dish.
½ cup buttermilk
Take a piece of chicken from the marinade. Dip it into the breadcrumb mixture, then the buttermilk mixture, then the flour again. Set it on a wire rack.
Continue to dip the chicken. The breading will stick better if the pieces rest on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes before air frying.
Preheat the air fryer to 370 degrees F for 3 minutes. Then, spray the air fryer basket with some oil to prevent sticking.
Put the chicken in the basket. Don't stack it, and make sure there is room for air to circulate.
Spray the chicken with oil to coat the top. Air fry at 370 F for 5 minutes.
Check the chicken. If there is visible flour on top, spray it with a little more oil.
Flip the chicken with tongs and air fry it for another 5 minutes until golden brown.
Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer and verify it has reached 165 F. If not, air fry it for another few minutes until it is done.
Notes
If you don't have buttermilk, use regular milk with 1 teaspoon of vinegar added.
Experiment with the bread crumbs. You can use regular bread crumbs, Panko breadcrumbs, pork rinds, crushed-up Doritos, or Cheetos. Try some different things and figure out what you like best.
Don't skip preheating the air fryer for this recipe. Preheating helps ensure golden and crispy chicken tenders.
Spritz the tenders lightly with oil from a spray bottle. Air frying allows you to use much less oil than deep frying. But a little oil will enhance the golden-brown color and make the coating crispier. So use a little; just don't drench the tenders in oil.