Smoked Chicken Tenders

I’ve been cooking on my Traeger for years and testing recipes that make smoking approachable for beginners or experts. Smaller cuts like chicken tenders are great because they’re easy to get right and don’t take all day. Season them well, let the smoker do the work, and you’ll have juicy chicken every time.

Course dinner, lunch

Cuisine American

Keyword smoked chicken tenderloins, smoked chicken tenders, smoked honey BBQ chicken tenders, Traeger chicken tenders

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 40

Servings servings

Calories 249kcal

Author Brandi Crawford

Equipment

Ingredients

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins/tenders

Homemade Dry Rub (You can also use your favorite BBQ or chicken rub).

2 teaspoons brown sugar or sweetener
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

Optional Honey BBQ Sauce

½ cup BBQ sauce
¼ cup honey

Instructions

Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees.
Sprinkle the spices over the chicken and rub them into the meat.
Place the chicken tenders on the smoker. Smoke the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. This will usually take an hour or two.
Remove the chicken from the smoker and allow it to rest for at least 10 minutes prior to serving.
Mix the honey and bbq sauce together in a bowl or mixing cup. Drizzle the honey BBQ sauce over the tenders.

Air Fryer Instructions

Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil. Place the seasoned chicken in the air fryer.
Air fry for 8 minutes at 400 degrees.
Open the air fryer and flip the tenders. Air fry for an additional 4-8 minutes at 400 degrees or until the chicken is crisp. Ensure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Remove the tenders from the air fryer. Drizzle the tenders in honey BBQ sauce
Serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 4oz | Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 2g