If needed, preheat air fryer (400 degrees) or oven (425 degrees).
Set up your dredging station in either of these two ways—using half of the ingredients called for as you will refill halfway through:
a. Three dredgings: Bowl 1–flour, salt, and pepper; Bowl 2–whisked eggs; Bowl 3–seasoned breadcrumbs or breading mix (REPEAT!)
b. Two dredgings: Bowl 1–whisked eggs; Bowl 2: seasoned breadcrumbs or breading mix (REPEAT!)
Stir ½ to 1½ TBSp of oil into breading mix bowl (last bowl), depending on whether you want to use 1 TBSP or up to 3 TBSP oil total and half the paprika.
If using the flour first, dredge the first stick in the flour, cover with flour, and coat thoroughly.
Dredge the tender in the egg then the breading mix. If double dipping, dredge in egg and breading mix again. (The amounts given in the recipe are for double dipping; you will likely want to double dip.)
If oven baking: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment or foil sprayed with cooking spray
Place stick on sprayed rack in air fryer or prepared baking pan.
Repeat for all sticks, stopping halfway through to refill all bowls.
Air fryer cooking: Be sure sticks are barely touching and are not overlapping at all. Fry at 400 degrees for 2-5 minutes or until outsides are golden brown and insides are melty and gooey!
Oven cooking: Bake in regular oven for 3-5 minutes or convection oven for 2-4 minutes.