Cheetos crusted chicken is fun to make and even more fun to eat. A great way to use up leftover Cheetos that are starting to get a little stale. This recipe has air fryer and baking instructions (though I really recommend baking them!)
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Total Time38 minutesmins
Ingredients
1lbchicken tenders, about 7 pieces
2cupsCheetos, use rounded cups (about 4-5 oz)
½cupall-purpose flour, use gluten-free flour if needed
1.5teaspoonssalt
½teaspoonground black pepper
1egg
2tablespoonsmilk,
Optional: ½ teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning (or dried basil or oregano)
Place Cheetos in a food processor and pulse ~20-30 times, or until the Cheetos are the size of breadcrumbs, with a few slightly bigger pieces.
Set up your dredging stations: In one bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and pepper. If you want to add more flavor to the chicken, add in some garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning (or dried oregano or dried basil). In another bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Place the Cheeto crumbs into a third bowl (optional: add shredded Parmesan to the Cheetos)
Use tongs (or your hands) to dredge the chicken tenders in flour, then in the egg wash, then in the Cheeto crumbs. Press the chicken tender into the Cheeto crumbs so that the crumbs stick to all the surfaces of the chicken tenders.
Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350F for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F, using a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.
Air fryer Cheetos chicken
Place Cheetos-coated chicken on the air fryer tray and spray with oil spray. Air fry at 350F for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until the chicken is cooked through to 165F. Keep an eye on the Cheetos topping to make sure it's not burning or turning too brown.
Notes
If you want to double this recipe, you only need to double the Cheetos amount. You should have enough flour and enough egg mixture to coat 2 pounds of chicken tenders.
Make these into nuggets: You can chop each chicken tender into 3-4 pieces to be about the size of chicken nuggets, and dredge each individual nugget.
If using whole chicken breasts, cut them into smaller pieces or into nugget-sized bites.
You can air fry Cheetos chicken, but I really recommend baking it. Air frying only saves you about 5 minutes of time, but it makes the Cheetos burn a little and turn slightly brown. Spraying the Cheeto crumbs with oil thoroughly helps prevent the browning.
Dipping sauce idea: Mix ketchup and mayo in a 1:1 ratio. Add sriracha for a little spice, or some relish for a salty kick.
Reheat in an oven or in a skillet to not lose the crisp.