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These Baked Chicken Tenders are so crispy and crunchy, you won’t believe they aren’t fried! What’s my secret? Read on to find out!
Table of Contents
When I say “Baked Chicken Tenders” are you picturing a soggy, breaded piece of chicken with parts of the breading falling off? Well, think again!! These chicken tenders are so crispy and crunchy you are going to think they came straight out of a fryer. There are a few things that make these tenders stand out:
- Panko Breadcrumbs: These breadcrumbs are a GAME CHANGER. Do NOT use regular breadcrumbs for this recipe. They just won’t work. Panko breadcrumbs come from Japanese cuisine and they are much flakier and crispier than traditional breadcrumbs.
- Batter: Instead of dredging the chicken in egg and then flour, I mixed the two together and made a batter. This not only simplifies the preparation, but the batter binds the breadcrumbs to the chicken so much better than any other way I have tried.
- Cooking Oil: One of the most important steps when making this recipe is to spray the tenders with cooking oil right before you put them in the oven. This helps to make them even more crispy!
Ingredients in Our Baked Chicken Tenders Recipe
- Chicken Tenderloins or Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Panko Bread Crumbs
- Cooking Spray
- Egg
- Mayonnaise
- Dijon Mustard
- All Purpose Flour
- Salt and Black Pepper
- Optional: take your oven baked chicken tenders to the next flavor level and mix a little bit of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder oregano, and parmesan cheese into the breadcrumb mixture.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- First, place the breadcrumbs on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Spray lightly with cooking oil. Toast the breadcrumbs for 3-5 minutes at 400 degrees. Move them from the cookie sheet into a bowl.
- Then, trim and de-vein your chicken tenders. If you are using chicken breasts, cut them to the desired size.
- Next, make your batter. Combine the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, flour, salt, and pepper.
- Dredge the chicken tenders in the batter until they are evenly coated.
- One by one, take a chicken tender and roll in in the breadcrumbs. Lightly press the breadcrumbs in so they stick better. Place a wire rack on a cookie sheet and put the tenders on top of the rack. This helps both sides of the chicken to cook evenly. Top with salt and pepper to taste, and spray lightly with cooking oil. The cooking oil helps the baked chicken tenders to become even more crispy.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. DO NOT overcook! You want the outside to be crispy and the inside to be super juicy and tender.
- Serve baked chicken tenders immediately with your favorite dipping sauce or on top of a salad.
Questions About Baked Chicken Tenders
Store leftover chicken tenders in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Reheat in the oven or air fryer for the best texture.
We bake these homemade chicken tenders for 15 minutes. However, use a meat thermometer and make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
The egg mixture in this recipe keeps the chicken breasts or tenders very moist while baking so they come out super juicy!
Read Next: 35+ Quick and Easy To Follow Dinner Ideas Your Family Will Surely Love
To Dip or Not to Dip
Is that even a question?? If you know me, you know I am ALL about the dips. I would dip everything in something if I could. So, of course, I have to have something delicious to dunk these baked chicken tenders into! I love honey mustard and BBQ sauce, but sometimes I switch it up with one of these recipes:
How to Make Baked Chicken Tenders
Baked Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 8 ounces panko breadcrumbs
- cooking spray
- 1 pound chicken tenders or chicken breasts cut into pieces
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons flour
- salt and peper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread panko breadcrumbs evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spray lightly with cooking oil. Toast the breadcrumbs for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown. Move from the baking sheet into a bowl. Leave the oven on to bake the tenders.
- Trim and devein the chicken tenders. Set aside. Combine egg, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, flour, salt and pepper to make the batter. Add the chicken tenders to the batter and stir until the chicken is coated.
- Set a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. One by one, press the chicken tenders into the breadcrumbs until all the sides are coated. Place chicken onto the wire rack. Repeat until all the tenders are coated.
- Sprinkle tenders with salt and pepper and spray lightly with cooking oil. Bake for 15 minutes – do NOT overcook! Serve immediately with the sauce of your choice.
Notes
- Optional: take your oven baked chicken tenders to the next flavor level and mix a little bit of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder oregano, and parmesan cheese into the breadcrumb mixture.
- Nutrition Facts do not include dipping sauces.
- Use these baked chicken tenders to add extra protein and crunch to your favorite salads.
Just wanted to drop a line and thank you for this recipe! It was delicious.. moist and crunchy AND quick to prepare! I frequently cheat and make fried eggplant with a shortcut mayo mix as a base and when I searched for a chicken version, I found yours and it’s so much better than mine! Going forward I’m going to apply your mayo base, with the egg and flour, to my eggplant! Can’t wait to try it and thank you again for sharing!
We make these often! Baking them is a great option & so much healthier!
My kids never complain when they find out I am making these!! We all love them! You can pair these with anything!
I love that these are baked. So crispy and juicy.
I am so happy to find this recipe we all suffer with high cholesterol and these satisfied us without all the extra oil and calories terrific recipe!
My kids love chicken tenders, so I can’t wait to make these for them! And I love that they’re baked.