Homemade Baked Chicken Tenders
These Homemade Baked Chicken Tenders are crispy, golden, kid-approved, and baked instead of fried. Made with simple pantry ingredients and a crunchy breadcrumb coating, they’re a lighter comfort food dinner everyone will want to dip and devour.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins or chicken breasts sliced into strips
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat or gluten-free flour blend
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 tablespoon milk optional, stirred into the beaten eggs
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs or regular breadcrumbs, gluten-free panko, or crushed unsweetened crispy rice cereal
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated, optional but recommended
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika smoked paprika may be used
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder optional
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper optional, for heat
- olive oil spray or a small drizzle of melted butter for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F so the chicken tenders bake up golden and crispy.
- Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or coat it lightly with nonstick spray to help the tenders brown evenly and make cleanup easier.
- Place the flour in one shallow bowl, the beaten eggs and milk in a second shallow bowl, and the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic powder, paprika, parsley, onion powder, salt, pepper, and optional cayenne in a third shallow bowl.
- Pat the chicken tenderloins dry with paper towels so the coating sticks well.
- Dip each piece of chicken into the flour, shaking off the excess, then into the egg mixture, and finally press it into the breadcrumb mixture until fully coated.
- Place the coated chicken tenders on the prepared baking sheet with a little space between each piece.
- Lightly spray the tops with olive oil spray or drizzle each tender with a tiny bit of melted butter to help the coating become deeply golden.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, then carefully flip the chicken tenders over.
- Bake for another 6 to 8 minutes, until the coating is deeply golden and the chicken is cooked through to 165°F.
- Let the chicken tenders cool for a minute or two so they crisp up more, then serve with ketchup, honey mustard, ranch, marinara, or sriracha.
Notes
Let leftovers cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on a baking sheet at 375°F for about 8 minutes, or until hot and crisp. To freeze, arrange cooked tenders on a sheet pan until solid, then transfer to a zip-top bag and freeze for up to 2 months; reheat from frozen in a 400°F oven for about 15 minutes without thawing.
Nutrition
Calories: 390kcal
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