Baked Chicken Tenders

30-minute easy baked chicken tenders for the whole family. Moist and tender with no messy frying, just follow these simple step by step photo instructions.

Chicken tenders are now a standard meal for many kids and adults. Most are fried, and the meat is of dubious origin — time to take control of your diet with this healthy substitute.

You can easily cook as many as you need for a party or a few for a meal.

My Rating

Really good and a solid higher 4.

Pro Tips: Recipe Notes for Baked Chicken Tenders

The Chicken

I usually use chicken tenders, but you can slice up some skinless boneless chicken breasts the same size. Either will work.

There are usually 4-5 chicken tenders per pound.

The tenders have a tendon that you will want to trim off.

To wash or not: We no longer recommend washing any raw chicken due to the spread of contamination by droplets of water. See Chicken; To Rinse or Not To Rinse? for a more detailed discussion.

The Breading

This is a fairly breading with flour, egg wash, and then some bread crumbs with some spicing.

Spice it up some. 

I originally created this recipe as "spicy," but that is just a tiny adjustment.

Add some cayenne pepper to the third tray. One-fourth teaspoon will get you a 5/10 heat, and a half teaspoon will be 8/10.

TWO BIG TIPS:

1. Be sure to start with very dry chicken tenders.
2. After the breading, let the chicken sit on the rack for 5-10 minutes. It will adhere much better.

A Few Other Notes

1. To keep the fat down, I used two egg whites, but you could use one egg with the yoke.
2. If you want to speed up the prep, you can use a seasoning salt for the main spices. (about 2 teaspoons) Just add the pepper.
3. The coating can be a little dry. I gave them a light spray with PAM... problem solved.

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Crispy Chicken Tenders

Preheat oven to 400 convection. Prep a baking tray by lining with aluminum foil, fit with a rack and spray with PAM.

Trim 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of chicken tenders. Or trim and slice 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts into 1/2 inch thick strips. Pat dry the chicken. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP.

Create a dredge line:
Tray #1: 1/4 cup flour
Tray #2: 2 egg whites or one egg wiped with 1 tablespoons water
Tray #3: 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Optionally add 1/4 t cayenne pepper (adjust for taste).

Roll the chicken in tray one and shake dry.

Dip in the egg wash and shake off excess.

Roll in the final tray.

Place on prepared tray. Give them a light spray of PAM.

Cook until 165 in the thickest part. 16 to 18 minutes.

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3.71 from 17 votes

Baked Chicken Tenders

30-minute easy baked chicken tenders for the whole family. Moist and tender with no messy frying, just follow these simple step by step photo instructions.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time16 mins

Total Time26 mins

Author: Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

Servings/Adjust Amount: 10 tenders

Ingredients

• 1½ to 2 pounds Chicken tenders - or Skinless breasts cut into strips
• 2 egg whites - or 1 whole egg
• 1/2 cup AP flour
• 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne - Optional
• PAM

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 convection or 425 conventional oven. Prep a baking tray by lining with aluminum foil, fit with a rack and spray with PAM.
• Trim 1½ to 2 pounds of chicken tenders. Or trim and slice 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts into ½ inch thick strips. Pat dry the chicken. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP.
• Create a dredge line:
  Tray #1: 1/4 cup flour
  Tray #2: 2 egg whites or one egg wiped with 1 tablespoons water
  Tray #3: 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Optionally add 1/4 t cayenne pepper (adjust for taste).
• Roll the chicken in tray one, and shake dry.
• Dip in the egg wash and shake off excess.
• Roll in the final tray. Do not shake off excess. Place on prepared tray.
• Give them a light spray of PAM. Cook until 165 in the thickest part. 16 to 18 minutes.

Recipe Notes

Pro Tips

1. I like to use a rack to cook these and you will not need to flip them. Without the rack, you will need to flip halfway through with a fork.
2. I like to use chicken tenders but you can use cut strips of chicken breasts.
3. Be sure to pat dry the chicken before starting.
4. There are usually 4-5 chicken tenders per pound.
5. If you rest the chicken after coating but before baking for 5-10 minutes, the coating will stick better.
6. This will usually take about 16-18 minutes but will vary some by the thickness of the chicken and your oven. The endpoint of cooking is 165 degrees in the thickest part of the chicken. No a set time.
7. If you want to speed up the prep, you can use a seasoning salt (2 teaspoons) for the main spices. Just add the pepper.
8. Cayenne pepper is optional. One-fourth teaspoon will get you a 5/10 heat and a half teaspoon will be 8/10. Please don't add it if this is for kids.
9. The coating can be a little dry. I gave them a light spray with PAM just before baking.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Baked Chicken Tenders, Chicken Strips, Chicken Tenders

 

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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

Nutrition Facts

Baked Chicken Tenders

Amount Per Serving

Calories 104.5 Calories from Fat 17

% Daily Value*

Fat 1.91g3%

Saturated Fat 0.41g2%

Cholesterol 43.55mg15%

Sodium 189.99mg8%

Potassium 265.9mg8%

Carbohydrates 4.97g2%

Fiber 0.25g1%

Sugar 0.15g0%

Protein 15.77g32%

Vitamin A 90.47IU2%

Vitamin C 0.82mg1%

Calcium 5.6mg1%

Iron 0.56mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

Nutrition is generally for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.

 

All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

Originally published February 4, 2012. Updated with expanded and more detailed instructions and refreshed photos.