Get my Cookbooks! Baked Chicken Tenders
These Baked Chicken Tenders are tossed in a flavorful batter and coated in crispy, buttery panko breadcrumbs. They’re juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and taste amazing with your favorite dipping sauce.
Try them with my Honey Mustard Sauce or Big Mac Sauce!
Baked Chicken Tenders
This one goes out to my daughter Taylor, and any other kid (or adult!) who has been obsessed with chicken tenders for life! These amazing Baked Chicken Tenders are honestly something I could make by the truckload and they would still disappear instantly. (Not to mention, they’re really great in a Chicken Parmesan Sub!)
Why These Are The Best
- The Chicken is tossed in batter first: This helps the breadcrumbs cling onto the chicken. It also adds an amazing flavor element while keeping the chicken juicy.
- What’s in the Batter? A whisked egg is the primary binder. Sour cream adds moisture and tenderness, and a little flour thickens the batter. A hint of Dijon, Hot Sauce, and Honey are subtle flavor enhancers that round out the flavor profile and can’t be tasted outright.
- It’s then coated in buttery toasted Panko: The panko breadcrumbs are tossed with melted butter and toasted in the oven before coating the chicken, ensuring the ultimate crispy results. A little Parmesan in the breading adds natural umami and savory flavor! YOU CAN’T BEAT IT! (Sorry for yelling.)
How to Make It
Note: This is an overview. See recipe card for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Cut each chicken breast lengthwise into 3-4 strips. Cover with saran wrap and gently pound with a meat tenderizer. Season each side with salt/pepper. Combine marinade ingredients in a medium bowl and add the chicken. Marinate for 15 minutes, or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
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Combine panko breadcrumbs and melted butter in a medium bowl. Spread over a large, light colored baking sheet and bake at 400° F for 6 minutes. Remove and transfer back to the large bowl. Coat well with breadcrumbs on each side and transfer to wire cooling racks set over the same large baking sheet.
Bake at 400° F for 18-20 minutes, until cooked through. Remove and serve with Honey Mustard Sauce!
Pro Tips
- Feel free to use chicken tenderloin for this recipe, I typically have chicken breasts on hand that I just slice lengthwise, either way works!
- Surprisingly, you can’t taste the marinade on the chicken outright, it makes the tenders so much more flavorful, but not in an intense or potent way. Trust the process!
- I use Frank’s Hot Sauce for this recipe, there’s only 1 tsp. and it won’t make it spicy- this is very kid friendly!
- Mayo or Greek Yogurt can be used instead of sour cream if needed. You can also skip the Parmesan but it does add a savory natural umami flavor.
- Serve these with my Honey Mustard Sauce or Big Mac Sauce and try my homemade Chicken Nuggets, Fried Chicken Tenders, and Chinese-Style Fried Chicken Wings next!
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat at 375° F for 4-5 minutes
- These don’t freeze well unbaked. To freeze, bake them first and cool completely. Reheat from frozen at 375° for 12-15 minutes, until heated through.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links*)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- Wire Cooling Racks– Placing the wings on this after frying allows excess oil to drop from the bottom, keeping them extra crispy.
- Large Baking Sheet– I place this underneath the wire racks to catch the oil drippings for easy cleanup.
- Meat Tenderizer– Pounding the chicken not only makes it the right thickness, but it makes it so much more tender!
- My Favorite Chefs Knife. (I also have/love this knife!)
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Try These Next
-
- Chicken Fajita Pasta
-
- Chicken Mac and Cheese
-
- Chicken Pomodoro
-
- Spaghetti Pie
-
- Olive Oil Bread Dip
-
- Stromboli
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Tried This Recipe?
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Baked Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, or tenderloins
- Salt/pepper, to taste
Batter
- 1 egg, whisked
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon EACH: salt, garlic powder, paprika
Breadcrumb Mixture
- 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Slice each chicken breast into 3-4 strips lengthwise, each about 1 ¼ inches wide. Cover with saran wrap and gently pound with a meat tenderizer until just under ½-inch thick. Pat completely dry and season each side with salt/pepper.
- Combine the batter ingredients in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Set aside to marinate while you proceed with the following steps. (You can also cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.)
- Combine the breadcrumbs and melted butter in a medium bowl. Transfer to a large, light-colored baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer back to the medium bowl. Add the Parmesan cheese and toss to coat. Set wire cooling racks over the same large baking sheet if possible, (helps with even cooking and crispy results).
- Use kitchen tongs to transfer the chicken from the batter into the breadcrumbs. Use a spoon to generously coat each side of the chicken and transfer to the cooling rack/baking sheet. Repeat, leaving space in between each piece of chicken for crispy results.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce! (Like my Honey Mustard Sauce or Big Mac Sauce!)
Notes
- Feel free to use chicken tenderloin for this recipe, I typically have chicken breasts on hand that I just slice lengthwise, either way works!
- Surprisingly, you can't taste the marinade on the chicken outright, it makes the tenders so much more flavorful, but not in an intense or potent way. Trust the process!
- I use Frank's Hot Sauce for this recipe, there's only 1 tsp. and it won't make it spicy- this is very kid friendly!
- Mayo or Greek Yogurt can be used instead of sour cream if needed. You can also skip the Parmesan but it does add a savory natural umami flavor.
- Serve these with my Honey Mustard Sauce and try my homemade Chicken Nuggets, Fried Chicken Tenders, and Chinese-Style Fried Chicken Wings next!
Storage:
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat at 375° F for 4-5 minutes
- These don't freeze well unbaked. To freeze, bake them first and cool completely. Reheat from frozen at 375° for 12-15 minutes, until heated through.
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 4 servings in this recipe.
These tenders were fabulous. The flavors are excellent and they breaded beautifully. Thank you!
I’m SO happy to hear that, Ruth!! I’m thrilled that you loved the flavor and that the breading turned out so well! 🥰 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it!! ❤️
Great tenders! I had to use smoked paprika but otherwise as written.
Great with garlic spaghetti.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the chicken tenders! Smoked paprika sounds like a great substitution, and serving them with garlic spaghetti sounds delicious! Thank you so much for the 5-star review! ❤️ -Stephanie
Made these tonight, absolutely delicious! Officially in the weekly rotation. Kids loved making them and eating them!
GREAT Matt!!! I’m so thrilled to hear that, this made my day, thank you!! -Stephanie
THE BEST CHICKEN EVER
I am SOOO happy that you think so Allison! You are AMAZING! Thank you sooo much for the review!! 🙂
They are the best tasting homemade chicken tenders I’ve ever done. I will not be making anyone else else’s. The honey mustard sauce is wonderful. Now I feel like I’m a cozy cook.
Oh my GOSH, thank you soooo much Ernie!! That really made my entire day!! ☀️ You are the best, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Could I use an air fryer for this recipe?
Hi Lynn! I tested these for baking, I don’t have tested air fryer instructions outlined. ❤️
The best ever and for someone totally addicted to chicken tenders I can honestly say I’ll never buy them again!
Oh my gosh I am sooooop thrilled to hear that! You made my WEEK!!! Thank you so so much Donna!! ❤️❤️❤️