Grilled chicken tenders are a quick, easy solution for weeknight dinners—juicy, flavorful, and done in 10 minutes. With just a little oil and seasoning, they’re ready for the grill and cook up perfectly every time.
They’re also a great fallback for picky eaters. Simple, familiar, and always a hit, these tenders make a family-friendly meal that’s easy to pull off even on your busiest nights.
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💛 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy: From fridge to plate in about 15 minutes. Perfect for busy nights.
- Juicy and flavorful: A hot grill and simple seasoning bring out the best in these tenderloins.
- Family-approved: Even picky eaters love them, guaranteed to calm that 3-year-old dinner monster. And make grandma smile.
- Flexible flavor: Keep the seasoning simple for wide appeal, or use your favorite seasoning or marinade. Serve with dips, salads, or wraps.
- Healthy: Lean protein, no breading, no deep frying—just grilled goodness.
🐓Ingredients
Chicken tenders: Also called chicken tenderloins. Look for pre-trimmed tenders, or trim them yourself for best results.
✅ Pro Tip: No tenders? No problem. Just cut boneless skinless chicken breasts into strips across the grain—they’ll work just fine.
Seasoning: Salt and pepper is all you need, or use your favorite blend. My go-to is All-Purpose Seasoning (salt, pepper, and garlic powder).
Flavorful rubs for the adults: Try some new flavors, such as Chipotle Seasoning, Blackened Seasoning, or Black Magic Seasoning for a Cajun flare.
Optional Marinade: Up the flavor with a marinade. Try Chicken Marinade with Lemon and Butter, Easy Chicken Marinade, Italian dressing, or even a Buttermilk Marinade for extra tenderness.
👨🍳Quick Overview: How to Grill Chicken Tenders
1. Prepare the grill and the tenders
Preheat your grill to 450°F, then clean and oil the grates. Trim the tendons from the chicken tenders and pat them dry with paper towels.
✅Pro Tip: This grill temperature works well alongside most grilled meats like pork chops and chicken breasts. If you're also cooking something that needs a different temperature, whether higher or lower, use a two-zone setup with a hot side and a cooler side to keep everything cooking just right.
2. Season the tenders
Coat the chicken with oil and season as desired. Keep it simple or go bold with your favorite rub.
3. Grill the tenders
Place the tenders over direct heat, using a grill pan if you prefer. Flip after 4–5 minutes, once the edges begin turning white. Continue grilling another 4–5 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part.
✅Pro Tip: The edges will start to turn white when it’s time to flip—let that be your cue.
4. Rest and serve
Let the tenders rest for about 5 minutes before serving. That short break keeps the juices where they belong—inside.
For complete step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the printable recipe card or keep reading for tips, flavor options, and serving ideas.
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⏲️ How Long to Grill Chicken Tenders
Chicken tenders take about 10 minutes to grill at a surface temperature of 450°F. Flip once halfway through, around the 4- to 5-minute mark. The exact time can vary based on the thickness of the meat and the consistency of your grill’s heat.
According to the FDA, chicken is safe to eat at an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part. Higher temps can dry it out, and lower temps are unsafe. Use an instant-read thermometer for reliable results—it's your best friend for perfectly cooked chicken.
♨️ Grill Temperature
For juicy grilled tenders, aim for a surface temperature of about 450°F. On most gas grills, that’s medium-high heat. Slightly under is better than over—too much heat will dry them out before they cook through.
If you’re serious about grilling, a grill surface thermometer is a smart upgrade. It gives you much more accuracy than built-in lid thermometers.
📘 See: A Beginner’s Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill for more tips on getting it right.
Charcoal grillers: tenders cook up beautifully over hot coals, but avoid placing them directly over a roaring fire. Aim for a hot-but-controlled zone.
✅ Pro Tip: For meat under ½ inch thick, you can grill with the lid open or closed. Between ½ and 1 inch, either works—but closing the lid gives you better control. Over 1 inch thick, keep the lid closed most of the time to ensure even cooking.
🍽️ More Chicken Dinners for Picky Eaters and Busy Nights
Looking for more easy, family-friendly chicken recipes? Here are a few favorites to keep in your dinner rotation:
More ways to enjoy chicken tenders:
- Baked Chicken Tenders – Oven-baked and kid-approved.
- Crispy Fried Chicken Tenders – A crunchy classic with real flavor.
Other family-friendly chicken favorites:
- Baked Chicken Strips – Breaded and baked, perfect for dipping.
- Oven Baked Chicken Legs – Crispy skin, juicy meat, no fuss.
- Grilled Chicken Drumsticks – Great for cookouts or weeknights.
- Baked Chicken Nuggets – A healthier version of the drive-thru favorite.
❓FAQs
Yes! If you don’t have chicken tenders, just slice boneless, skinless chicken breasts into strips across the grain. They may take a minute or two longer to cook, but you’re going by final temperature, not time, so it works just fine.
Not at all. These tenders are flavorful on their own. But everybody loves to dip. Try ranch, BBQ sauce, ketchup, honey mustard, or whatever’s in your fridge that makes them happy.
They’re great with grilled sides like Grilled Carrots with Honey Glazed, Grilled Peaches, Grilled Pineapple Slices, or Convection Oven French Fries. You can also serve them with fries (fresh or frozen), a green salad, roasted veggies, or rice.
Store leftover tenders in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze for up to 2–3 months.
They’re excellent sliced over a salad, stuffed in a wrap, or repurposed into quick chicken tacos or fajitas.
📖The Recipe Card
Easy Grilled Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 6 Chicken tenders - or as many as needed
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Granular garlic powder - optional
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare the grill and tenders
- Start with the number of tenders you need, olive oil, and seasoning of your choice.
- Preheat the grill to a surface temperature of about 450°, medium-high on most gas grills and medium on a hot gas grill. Clean and oil the grill surface well.
Seasoning tenders
- Pat dry the chicken tenders. Trim the tendon off—it doesn't need to be perfect.
- In a mixing bowl, mix chicken tenders with olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, and granular garlic powder (optional). Adjust spices and oil according to the number of tenders and your taste.
Grill chicken tenders
- Place chicken tenders over direct heat on the grill grate.
- Grill until the chicken turns pink to white along the edge (about 5 minutes). You will see the white moving up the sides. Flip and grill another approximately 4-5 minutes until the internal temperature is 165°.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- This recipe is easy to combine with grilling chicken or pork since the grill temperature is the same. For other temperatures, create two zones.
- The recommended surface temperature is 450°. If you cook hotter, they will dry.
- Use the seasoning of your choice.
- The final internal temperature of 165° is important for safety.
- You may cut chicken strips out of chicken breasts. They may take a few minutes longer to cook, but you cook them to the final internal temperature.
- Kids love to dip, so use a dip if you want. Ranch dressing, BBQ sauce, or mayo are fine.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Editor's Note: Originally Published May 30, 2013. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Lila says
Do you close the cover of the gas grill for the 2 five minute grilling times or leave it open to watch.
Thx!
Lila
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Lila,
Welcome to the blog.
It is generally better closed since you can control the temperature better but you can do it open as long as you adjusted the grill to a 450° temp when with the hood staying open. But remember you are cooking to a final internal temperature of 165° internal temp and not by time.
Dan
Tom says
Superb!! One of the best things about grilling is very often the best recipes are amazingly simple. This easy chicken tender prep and grill is a great example. Simple=Zen grillin’ Thanks!!
Ian says
I've been doing these for years, but out of practice and found this post for time guidelines. A good grill pan like an Isla cast iron will make it look amazing too. I prefer to brush both sides with a dot of harissa paste (north African chili and herb pase from a tube, champ du bon is my favorite).
DrDan says
Thanks for the comment and your experience.
Dan
Judy says
I've been using your chicken recipes for awhile now. My daughter 3 and husband love the chicken I make. Thanks for sharing!
DrDan says
It is one of those you know you can do it but a quick tutorial is helpful. This is so easy to do separately for the kids and keep everyone happy.
Thanks for the comment.
DrDan
Sheila H. says
I have fed my kids lots of grilled chicken over the years, but they gobbled this up better than any I have made. I did sub Herbamare for the half of the salt. Easy and soooo good. Thanks for this quick lunch idea.
spence wainright says
great recipe
Chris says
Great idea and not just because it is healthy, but because it sounds like it tastes great.