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    🏠Home » Recipes » Chicken Recipes

    Quick & Easy Grilled Chicken Tenders on a Gas Grill

    Jul 2, 2022 · Modified: Dec 15, 2022 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · 10 Comments

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.22 from 61 votes

    Give those picky kids what they want. Kids love chicken tenders, but adults will love them too. In only 10 minutes of grill time, serve these easy moist chicken tenders along with your main dish, and everybody will be happy.

    Grilled chicken tenders on a white plate

    Jump To:
    • 👨‍🍳How to make this recipe
    • 🐓Ingredients
    • ♨️The Grill
    • FAQs
    • 📖Kid-Friendly Chicken Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📝Recipe

    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Introduction

    Do you have one of "those" kids? You know, the one who won't eat what you cook and you end up doing something separate and almost always unhealthy. Let's fix that and give them a healthy meal.

    This solution is minimal work and time and is guaranteed to calm that 3-year-old dinner monster. You have steak, and they have healthy chicken tenders.

    👨‍🍳How to make this recipe

    1. Clean and oil the grill grates well—preheat to a surface temperature of about 450°.
    2. Trim chicken tenders of any tendon and pat dry.
    3. Coat the tenders with oil and season to your taste.
    4. Place chicken tenders on the grill over direct heat—use a grill pan if you wish.
    5. Flip after 5 minutes, and the edge is turning white.
    6. Grill for about 5 minutes more on the second side until the internal temperature is 165° in the thickest parts.

    🐓Ingredients

    The Chicken

    Chicken tenders are chicken tenderloins, the equivalent of a beef or pork tenderloin. So moist and tender if done right.

    I like to cut the tendon that is attached to the meat off. You can't chew it, and the kids tend not to like it there.

    If frozen, thaw completely before grilling.

    Oil

    A nice coat of olive oil will add some flavor, help keep the surface from drying and prevent sticking.

    Seasoning

    Just a good sprinkle of salt and pepper will do, but we like to use All Purpose Seasoning - 7:2:1 and 7:2:2, which will add some garlic.

    You can easily complement the flavors with chicken marinade.

    ♨️The Grill

    You want a grill surface temperature of about 450°. With tenders, a little under is much better than a little over on the temperature. On most gas grills, it will be medium-high heat.

    A grill surface thermometer will help you become a better griller. Please see A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill for more information on controlling your grill temperature.

    Chicken tenders can be done easily on a charcoal grill but not directly over the coals.

    FAQs

    Can I cut chicken strips instead of chicken tenders?

    You can cut chicken breast strips to do this if you want, but they will cook a bit slower. But you are cooking to a final internal temperature anyway, so that it will be fine.

    What to use for dipping sauce.

    None is needed, but kids love to dip. Give them a little sauce to dip, like some ranch dressing, BBQ sauce, or your favorite dipping sauce.

    What to serve with grilled chicken tenders?

    Side dishes like green salad, vegetables, pasta, rice, or potatoes.

    What to do with leftover chicken tenders?

    Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months.

    Leftovers are great on a salad or used in chicken tacos or a fajita.

    📖Kid-Friendly Chicken Recipes

    Oven Baked Chicken Legs — Quick and Easy

    Grilled Chicken Drumsticks — Quick and Easy

    Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets

    Spicy Baked Chicken Strips

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    Chicken Recipes, Grill Recipes
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    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    Start with the number of tenders you need, olive oil, and seasoning of your choice.

    clean and oil grill crates

    Preheat the grill to a surface temperature of about 450°, which is medium-high on most gas grills and medium on a hot gas grill. Clean and oil the grill surface well.

    trimming tendon off a chicken tnderloin

    Pat dry the chicken tenders. Trim the tendon off—it doesn't need to be perfect.

    adding oil to chicken tenders in metal bowl

    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.

    placing chicken tenders on grill grate

    Place over direct heat on the grill grate.

    edge of grilled chicken tender turning white
    The edge of chicken tender turning white—time to flip

    Grill until the chicken turns from a pink color to white along the edge (about 5 minutes). You will see the white moving up the sides. Flip and grill another approximate 4-5 minutes until the internal temperature is 165°. Time will vary with the size and thickness of the tender and your exact grill temperature.

    pile of grilled chicken tenders
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    📝Recipe

    Grilled chicken tenders on a white plate

    Quick & Easy Grilled Chicken Tenders on a Gas Grill

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    Give those picky kids what they want. Kids love chicken tenders, but adults will love them too. In only 10 minutes of grill time, serve these easy moist chicken tenders along with your main dish, and everybody will be happy.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.22 from 61 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 2 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 12 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 6 tenders

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 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
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • 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°, which is medium-high on most gas grills and medium on a hot gas grill. Clean and oil the grill surface well.
      clean and oil grill crates
    • Pat dry the chicken tenders. Trim the tendon off—it doesn't need to be perfect.
      trimming tendon off a chicken tnderloin
    • 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.
      adding oil to chicken tenders in metal bowl
    • Place chicken tenders over direct heat on the grill grate.
      placing chicken tenders on grill grate
    • Grill until the chicken turns from a pink color to white along the edge (about 5 minutes). You will see the white moving up the sides. Flip and grill another approximate 4-5 minutes until the internal temperature is 165°. Time will vary with the size and thickness of the tender and your exact grill temperature.
      edge of grilled chicken tender turning white
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips

    1. This recipe is easy to combine with grilling chicken or pork since the grill temperature is the same.
    2. If you do this with beef, you will need to turn down the heat on part of the grill.
    3. The recommended surface temperature is 450°. If you cook much hotter, they will dry.
    4. Use the seasoning of your choice.
    5. The final internal temperature of 165° is important for safety.
    6. You may cut chicken strips out of chicken breasts. They may take a few minutes longer but you are cooking to the final internal temperature.
    7. Kids love to dip so use a dip if you want. Just some Ranch dressing, BBQ sauce, or mayo is fine.

    To adjust the recipe size:

    You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Nutrition Facts
    Quick & Easy Grilled Chicken Tenders on a Gas Grill
    Amount Per Serving (1 tender)
    Calories 78 Calories from Fat 36
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 4g6%
    Saturated Fat 1g5%
    Cholesterol 32mg11%
    Sodium 252mg11%
    Potassium 185mg5%
    Carbohydrates 1g0%
    Sugar 1g1%
    Protein 11g22%
    Vitamin A 15IU0%
    Vitamin C 0.6mg1%
    Calcium 3mg0%
    Iron 0.2mg1%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Main Course
    Cuisine : American

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    Editor's Note: Originally Published May 30, 2013. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

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    More Chicken Recipes

    • Grilled Whole Chicken without Spatchcocking
    • Super Moist Grilled Reversed Seared Chicken Breast with Marinade
    • Extra Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Wings
    • Baked Split Chicken Breasts (Bone-in)

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    1. Lila

      July 02, 2022 at 10:22 pm

      Do you close the cover of the gas grill for the 2 five minute grilling times or leave it open to watch.
      Thx!
      Lila

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        July 02, 2022 at 10:27 pm

        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

    2. Tom

      May 11, 2019 at 9:18 am

      5 stars
      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!!

      Reply
    3. Ian

      November 30, 2016 at 10:12 am

      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).

      Reply
      • DrDan

        November 30, 2016 at 10:02 pm

        Thanks for the comment and your experience.

        Dan

    4. Judy

      March 30, 2016 at 5:57 pm

      I've been using your chicken recipes for awhile now. My daughter 3 and husband love the chicken I make. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    5. DrDan

      April 01, 2014 at 2:06 pm

      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

      Reply
    6. Sheila H.

      April 01, 2014 at 11:28 am

      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.

      Reply
    7. spence wainright

      December 07, 2013 at 1:36 pm

      great recipe

      Reply
    8. Chris

      May 31, 2013 at 8:01 pm

      Great idea and not just because it is healthy, but because it sounds like it tastes great.

      Reply

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