Whip up my Cheez-It Chicken for the best chicken dinner recipe that's perfect for kids and adults alike. Perfectly crispy and flavorful, these cheesy chicken tenders are made with buttermilk, ranch seasoning, and Cheez-It crackers for an easy and delicious meal.
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Looking for more easy air fryer recipes? Try frozen tilapia in the air fryer, air fryer chicken thighs, or thin pork chops in air fryer for quick and easy weeknight dinner ideas.
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About Cheez-It Chicken
Instead of just sitting and munching on crackers, I wanted to create a recipe with Cheez-Its - enter Cheez-It crusted chicken.
I love easy chicken dinners that have few ingredients, are simple to make, and have minimal clean up. It's a budget-friendly and kid-friendly meal that the whole family will devour. Say hello to your new family favorite!
This recipe for Cheez-It chicken can be made in the air fryer, oven, or stovetop. I prefer to cook this crispy cheesy chicken in the air fryer, but I have instructions for each cooking method in the recipe card below.
Bonus: I can snack on Cheez Its while I cook! For another salty snack, try my salt and vinegar popcorn recipe or air fryer bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers.
Ingredients
- Cheez-It crackers provide a unique, cheesy crunch to the chicken. They create a deliciously crispy coating that's both flavorful and satisfying. If you prefer a more traditional breaded chicken, try our panko crusted chicken cutlets.
- Chicken tenders are perfect for this recipe because they cook quickly and evenly. Their size makes them ideal for coating, ensuring a crispy, flavorful crust in every bite.
- Buttermilk tenderizes chicken. It also helps the coating adhere better to the chicken, resulting in a juicier and more flavorful dish.
- Ranch seasoning infuses the chicken with a blend of herbs and spices that pairs perfectly with the Cheez-It crust.
- Olive oil is used to lightly coat the chicken before air frying, ensuring a golden-brown crust. It also helps the chicken stay moist during cooking.
Variations
Cooking method. This recipe can be made in the air fryer, oven, or stovetop. I prefer to cook air fryer Cheez-It chicken because it involves easy clean up and is the healthiest option. Instructions for each cooking method can be found below.
Switch up the seasoning. Instead of using a ranch packet, experiment with different seasonings, like homemade Cajun seasoning. Or add spice to the buttermilk marinade with hot sauce and cayenne or buffalo wing sauce.
Size and shape. Cut a chicken breast to the size and shape you prefer. You can make Cheez-It chicken tenders, fingers, strips, or nuggets.
Cracker flavor. I prefer the cheddar cheese flavor of original Cheez-It crackers, but feel free to make this with your favorite flavor or another brand of cheese crackers.
How to Make Cheez-It Chicken
Step 1: Prepare the Cheez-It crust by crushing crackers into fine crumbs using a food processor, or place them in a Ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, whisk buttermilk and ranch seasoning packet until well combined.
Step 3: Place chicken strips into the buttermilk marinade and stir to coat.
Step 4: Cover and marinate chicken tenders in buttermilk mixture for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight. Soaking chicken tenders in buttermilk will tenderize the meat, infuse it with flavor, and allow it to stay juicy when cooking.
Step 5: Pour crushed Cheez-Its to a shallow bowl. Note: You can also add a few pieces of chicken to the Ziplock bag with the Cheez-It cracker crumbs. Shake the bag to coat the chicken tenders on all sides. It's best to do this in batches and not put all the chicken tenders in the bag all at once.
Step 6: Add chicken tender to the bowl with the crushed crackers and firmly press on both sides to evenly coat.
Step 7: Preheat air fryer. Arrange the chicken tenders in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Overcrowding can lead to uneven cooking and less crispy results. Lightly spray the breaded chicken tenders with cooking spray before air frying. This helps achieve a crispy, golden-brown crust.
Step 8: Cook Cheez-It chicken tenders in the air fryer until a meat thermometer shows an internal temperature of 165°F. Allow chicken to rest a few minutes before cutting or serving.
Pro Tips
Don't skip the buttermilk marinade. Soak the chicken tenders in buttermilk for at least 30 minutes. This tenderizes the chicken and helps the Cheez-It coating stick better. To get the juiciest chicken, soak them in buttermilk for 2 hours or overnight, if you have the time.
Crush Cheez-Its finely. Crush Cheez-It crackers into fine crumbs using a food processor or by placing them in a Ziplock bag and crushing with a rolling pin. Finer crumbs will stick better and create a more even coating.
Press the coating firmly. When breading the chicken, firmly press the Cheez-It crumbs onto the chicken tenders to ensure they stick well and form a thick, even coating.
Serving Suggestions
What to serve with chicken tenders? Here you'll find plenty of delicious side dishes for sandwiches that also pair well with this recipe.
For dipping, I like to serve air fryer chicken tenders with ranch, ketchup, or honey mustard. Some of my favorite side dishes for this Cheez-It chicken recipe are:
- simple green salad
- air fryer green beans
- asparagus
- fries
- skillet charred corn
Easy Air Fryer Recipes
If you try this recipe or any recipe from Happy Honey Kitchen, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below! Enjoy!
Cheez-It Chicken
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Equipment
- Air Fryer or oven
Ingredients
- 10 chicken tenders about 1 pound
- 2 cups Cheez-It crackers
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 ranch seasoning packet
- olive oil cooking spray
- Optional: dipping sauce
Instructions
- Combine buttermilk and a ranch seasoning packet in a large bowl.
- Add chicken tenders to buttermilk mixture, cover the bowl, and let them soak in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
- Spray air fryer basket with olive oil and preheat to 400°F.
- Add Cheez-It crackers to a Ziplock bag and close. Using a rolling pin, crush crackers into small crumbs. Alternatively, you can crush Cheez It crackers in a food processor.
- Pour Cheez-It crumbs into a shallow bowl. Remove chicken from buttermilk and allow any excess marinade to drip off. Bread chicken tenders by placing them in the cracker crumbs and firmly press down to allow crumbs to stick to the chicken. Coat all sides of the chicken.
- Place breaded chicken in the air fryer basket. Repeat until air fryer basket it full, but take care not to overcrowd the basket. You may need to cook chicken in batches.
- Lightly spray breaded chicken tenders with olive oil spray and cook at 400°F for 5 minutes. Flip and cook an additional 5 minutes until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- To bake: Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread out chicken on a baking sheet with parchment paper, or on top of a wire rack on the baking sheet. Cook for 6-7 minutes, flip and cook an additional 6-7 minutes.
- I don't add additional salt to this recipe because the Cheez-Its have enough sodium, in my option. Taste and adjust seasoning, if desired.
- Marinate for as long as you can, up to overnight. The longer the chicken marinates in the buttermilk mixture, the more tender and flavorful it will be.
Ryne
I made this tonight. The Pro tip of marinating it in the buttermilk with ranch seasoning was a game changer!! So so good!
Angela Lietzke
Thanks for your feedback. I'm happy you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!
Sofia Besondy
Great chicken cheese-it snack!
Martha A Cheves
Simply delicious!! I'm 75, lost my husband in Feb. 2025 & am trying to learn how to cook for just me. This recipe is so simple and looked so good I had to give it a try. I bought a pack of 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts that were on sale, cut them into strips & put them in the buttermilk mix. I waited 30 minutes and couldn't wait any longer so I took out 3 pieces & cooked them in the air fryer. The rest I'll cook tomorrow. I ate some of the chicken with ranch dressing but it's delicious without anything. Great recipe!!! Thank you for sharing
Angela Lietzke
Sorry to hear about your loss. I'm happy you are learning to find joy in cooking and that you loved this chicken tenders recipe! It's one of my favorites too!
Holly
Love this idea! Cheese on anything makes it better! 🙂 Excited to try this Thanks for sharing!
Lisa
I would totally make these and they would get devoured very quickly! What a fun idea!!!