Who doesn’t love a good crispy crunchy piece of chicken? We sure do! These succulent, juicy Oven Fried Chicken Tenders is so perfectly delicious and crispy, make the perfect finger food for kids and adults!
This easy recipe skips the mess (and fat) of deep frying for an extra crispy oven-baked version! The combination of crumbs in the coating create the perfect crispy texture and great flavor.
Baking the chicken at a high temperature ensures you get the crunch you’re looking for while keeping the meat tender and juicy.
WHAT ARE CHICKEN TENDERS?
Chicken tenders are the narrow, strip of meat loosely attached to the underside of chicken breasts. They taste exactly the same as breast meat, but are juicy and tender when cooked properly.
Tenders can be pulled gently from a breast, or find them sold separately at your supermarket/butcher.
WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED?
Not only is is this healthy baked chicken tenders recipe quick to make, dairy free, perfectly spiced and requires minimal ingredients that you might even have in your kitchen right now! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chicken Tenders: Boneless chicken breasts are easiest to trim and prepare. Trimmed thighs will work here too, they’ll just need to bake a little longer.
- White Flour: This coasts the chicken.
- Salt and Pepper: I like to season both the flour and the breadcrumb mixture.
- Olive Oil: This is added to moisten the bread crumbs a little and help brown them. Creates a crispy outside when baked.
- Cilantro : It brings a subtle seasoning everyone loves.
- Paprika, Garlic Powder and thyme: These spices add a nice flavor that pairs well with the chicken
- Panko : Gives it the breaded thickness and crunch on the outside.
- Eggs : This acts as the “glue” to help the breadcrumbs stick to the chicken.
HOW DO YOU MAKE CHICKEN TENDERS?
It takes 3 simple steps to make these delicious homemade tenders, fresh from the oven!
Prepare the seasoned panko mixture and flour.
Dredge chicken in seasoned flour and then in egg and finally into the panko mixture.Place on a parchment lined pan and spray with cooking spray or olive oil spray.
Bake until golden and crisp!
Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.
CAN I USE TRADITIONAL BREAD CRUMBS?
For best results stick with panko bread crumbs, you’ll get the crispiest end result with them.
CAN I FRY THESE CHICKEN TENDERS?
Yes. It should work well to fry these in a large skillet with about 1/2 cup of vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
CAN I ADD PARMESAN?
Yes. For one more layer of flavor you can try replacing 1/2 cup bread crumbs with grated parmesan, add after you’ve toasted bread crumbs and cooled slightly.
SERVE SUGGESTIONS:
I love to serve these Homemade Chicken Tenders with Ketchup or Honey Mustard Sauce or Yum Yum Sauce.
Whether you want to serve these chicken tenders with a dip, cut up on a salad, or even on a bun for a crispy chicken sandwich, I guarantee your family is going to love Homemade Chicken Tenders!
HOW TO FREEZE CHICKEN TENDERS?
These are perfect for storing and last in the freezer for a good amount of time.
You can bread the chicken strips and place in the baking sheet until frozen solid. And then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for 2 months.
Taking out chicken tenders when needed and bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 425F.
HOW TO STORE LEFTOVERS?
If you happen to have leftover chicken strips, you can store them for future use.
Refrigerator: Once they are cooled completely, place in a ziplock bag and store in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days long. It is best to warm up in the oven but the microwave will do too.
Freeze: After they are cooled place on a sheet pan in a freezer for about 20 to 30 minutes. Once frozen, place in a ziplock bag or freezer bag and store in the freezer for 3 months. Taking out chicken when needed and reheat in the oven or microwave.
Juicy, tender, moist, soft — all of those. PLUS crispy. It’s a win win!
CRISPY BAKED CHICKEN TENDERS RECIPE:
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced on a bias into even strips
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt, divided
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups plain panko breadcrumbs
1 tbsp cilantro, fresh
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Pour panko into a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and toss with fingertips to evenly moisten. Spread into an even layer (wiggle baking sheet to level as needed).
- Bake in preheated oven 3 – 5 minutes until slightly toasted and golden brown (toss once halfway if needed, for even toasting).
- Remove from oven and add paprika, garlic powder, dried thyme, fresh cilantro and season with salt to taste. Toss mixture well with a spatula.
- In a another bowl, whisk together flour, salt and pepper.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs until well blended.
- Working with one chicken strip at a time, dredge both sides well in flour. Transfer to eggs coat both sides.
- Transfer to bread mixture and press well, flip and coat both sides. Repeat process with remaining chicken.
- Spray each piece lightly with olive oil or cooking spray. Bake in preheated for about 15 – 20 minutes.
- Allow to cool for few minutes (coating will crisp it up even more as it rests a few minutes), season with more salt if needed, serve warm with a dipping sauce.
RECIPE NOTES:
- Ensure your chicken is cleaned and dabbed dry before starting.
- Be sure to clean off all fat and tendons from chicken strips.
- Use Panko in place of regular breadcrumbs, they have extra crunch
- Cook at a high temperature (425°F) for crispy tenders
- Spray with cooking spray or olive oil before baking.
Are you making this recipe? Then don’t forget to like and leave your comments for this recipe! I LOVE to see your creations so snap a photo and tag BlendOfSpicesbySara on Instagram with the hashtag #blendofspicesbysara
Reach out to me at blendofspicesbysara@gmail.com and also you can follow me on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM ,PINTEREST,TWITTER to see what’s latest in my kitchen!
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