Baked Chicken Tenders
Crispy, crunchy, addicting Parmesan Crusted Oven Baked Chicken Tenders are made with freshly grated parmesan cheese and flavorful spices for a quick weeknight dinner the whole family will love. Make a little, make a lot….this easy Chicken Tenders recipe is on repeat weekly at our house.
Easy dinners that my kids will actually eat are a rarity and we always reach for a pack of chicken breasts whenever we need a sure thing for dinner. The usual go-to are Chick-Fil-A Nuggets but when I’m feeling really lazy these Baked Chicken Tenders are always a winner.
They’re totally super easy to make and you can kind of customize them to fit your family’s tastes. Parmesan and panko chicken tenders baked in the oven with a variety of seasonings to boost the flavor without adding a ton of calories. My little guy loves the crispy chicken tenders and the parmesan cheese makes them extra crunchy on the outside while keeping them tender and juicy on the inside.
Ingredients
I like to use simple ingredients you can keep on hand for this recipe. Then you can whip them up at a moments notice.
- Chicken – To make things easier buy boneless, skinless chicken tenders. They’re a little more than chicken breasts but cut your prep time. Otherwise, just use chicken breasts and cut them into strips.
- Seasonings – Onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper are tossed with flour to provide flavor and crispness.
- Panko Bread Crumbs – Lighter in texture than traditional breadcrumbs, panko bakes up super crispy.
- Cheese – Parmesan cheese has a salty flavor that makes the tenders extra tasty. It also gets super crispy in the oven.
For the full ingredient list and instructions, see the recipe card below.
How To Make Chicken Tenders
Making homemade Chicken Tenders in the oven is really easy to do. It’s almost like making Oven Fried Chicken Tenders but without all the butter required for the ‘frying.’
- In a small shallow bowl, whisk together the parmesan cheese and panko bread crumbs.
- In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon water. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a third shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, cayenne (you can omit this if sensitive to spice), garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Dredge the chicken tenders first in the flour mixture, then the egg wash and finally the panko crumbs pressing gently to help the crumbs stick to the chicken.
- Arrange the chicken on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment and coated with cooking spray.
- Drizzle the breaded chicken tenders with a small amount of olive oil and bake in a 425 degree oven for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken over carefully with tongs or a spatula and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.
How long do you cook Chicken Tenders in the oven?
I like to bake my homemade chicken fingers in a 425 degree oven for maximum crispness. Depending on how thick your chicken is they should be done in approximately 20-25 minutes. If you have thicker cut chicken tenders you may need to add 5 minutes to the cooking time.
Check your chicken breast tenders for doneness at about 15 minutes, especially if your tenders were cut on the thinner side.
Now you can enjoy your chicken fingers with your favorite sides and dipping sauces.
Dips for Crispy Chicken Tenders
- Honey Chipotle Barbecue Sauce.
- Thousand Island Dressing
- Blue Cheese Dressing
- Avocado Ranch Dressing
- Buffalo Sauce
- Roasted Garlic Aioli
- Chick Fil A Sauce
- Polynesian Sauce
What to Serve with Chicken Tenders
- Super easy Macaroni and Cheese….10 minutes and it’s on the table!
- Classic Coleslaw is quick and tangy.
- Chopped Italian Pasta Salad…always a kid hit!
- Caprese Tortellini Salad…five ingredients! That’s it!
- Parmesan Crusted Zucchini Fries…OMG!
- Rice Pilaf
Want even more super easy family favorite recipes? Follow us over on Instagram! NOW…..like RIGHT NOW! 🙂
More Easy Chicken Recipes
- Oven Baked Chicken Breasts
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts.
- Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
- Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts
We also are totally loving these easy Pretzel Crusted Chicken Tenders…..you will, too!
Get the Recipe: Baked Chicken Tenders Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken tenders
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp italian seasoning
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- olive oil
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet
- dredging trays
Instructions
- In a small shallow bowl, whisk together the parmesan cheese and panko bread crumbs.
- In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon water. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a third shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, cayenne (you can omit this if sensitive to spice), garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Dredge the chicken tenders first in the flour mixture, then the egg wash and finally the panko crumbs pressing gently to help the crumbs stick to the chicken.
- Arrange the chicken on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment and coated with cooking spray.
- Drizzle the chicken with a small amount of olive oil and bake in a 425 degree oven for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken over carefully with tongs or a spatula and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.
4 Comments on “Baked Chicken Tenders”
My kids love your chicken tenders!! They could eat them everyday! Crisp & so tasty!
My kids loved these so much! They were SO delicious!
Incredibly delicious! I love knowing what’s in the food I’m feeding my kids. They love the flavor and it’s so easy!
These are really good. And, I like the additional suggestions for sides and follow-on recipe links. I will often use Marion Kay Spices “Chicken Seasoning 99x” blend for a KFC flavor.