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    Home » Chicken

    Crispy Baked Chicken Tenders

    Published: Oct 29, 2020 by Natalie · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    RECIPE PRINT PIN

    Crispy baked chicken tenders seasoned to perfection and coated with a mixture of panko and cornmeal that adds a delicious crunch to every bite. This meal is a happy meal.

    Crispy baked chicken tenders on a baking sheet with a small bowl of dipping sauce.If you search for baked chicken tenders, you'll most likely find recipes claiming “crispy” or “better than fried” and then found those claims were false. Well, these are crispy, hold their shape, make a nice crisp sound when you take a bite, and they're delicious.

    Some recipes use cereal, some use a combo of cereal and flour, etc. The cereal came out gummy, and if you used flour without some fat added, you would get blah. You need oil to make these taste remotely like you would expect them to taste. If you bake these with 3 tablespoons of oil, you will get baked chicken tenders worth eating. In my experience, a recipe using an oil spray does not give optimal results.

    Chicken tenders in a bowl coated with wet mixture ready for breading. Breaded chicken tenders on a baking sheet ready to bake.

    If you have a nonstick baking sheet, then use it. If not, I recommend lining a baking sheet with parchment so the coating doesn’t stick to the pan, but they may not crisp as much as if you used a nonstick pan. Before baking, place your oven rack to the lowest position of your oven. That’s a trick I regularly use to get my shake and bake pork chops golden brown and delicious. The other secret is not to overbake them. The tenders should take no more 15 minutes to bake.

    I sometimes like to serve these with my homemade applesauce mixed with a little Dijon mustard. I know it sound weird, but it’s pretty tasty. You can use some of the sauce suggestions listed in the recipe or simply eat as is.

    Closeup of a crispy golden brown chicken tender on a baking sheet.

    Try some of my other chicken dishes:

    • Simple chicken cordon bleu
    • Broiled mustard garlic chicken breasts
    • Chipotle chicken with grilled peaches
    • Grilled garlic and herb spatchcock chicken
    • Roasted chicken leg quarters
    • Simple roast chicken
    • Sticky teriyaki chicken wings
    • Slow roasted chicken
    • Adobo crack wings

    Crispy chicken tenders on a black baking sheet.Life is too short for mediocre food.


    Crispy chicken tenders on a black baking sheet.

    Crispy Baked Chicken Tenders

    PRINT PIN SAVESaved!
    Crispy baked chicken tenders seasoned to perfection and coated with a mixture of panko and cornmeal that adds a delicious crunch to every bite. This meal is a happy meal.
    Makes 12 - 14 tenders - enough for 3 - 4 servings.
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Author: Natalie Gregory

    Equipment Used

    Baking Sheet
    Large Bowl
    Tongs

    Ingredients

    • 3 tablespoons neutral oil divided
    • 1.5 pounds chicken tenders about 12 - 14

    Wet Coating:

    • 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
    • 1 teaspoon (or more) hot sauce recommended: Frank’s

    Dry Coating:

    • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
    • ¼ cup fine cornmeal
    • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • 1 teaspoon chili powder
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper

    Sauces:

    • BBQ sauce
    • ¼ cup Dijon mustard mixed with 1 tablespoon honey
    • ¼ cup applesauce plain or mixed with 1 - 2 teaspoons Dion mustard
    • ¼ cup mayonnaise mixed with 1 tablespoon adobo sauce and juice of ½ lime
    • ¼ cup apricot preserves mixed with 2 -3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
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    Instructions

    • In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise and hot sauce. Add chicken tenders and toss to combine. Let it marinate while you prepare remaining ingredients and the oven preheats.
    • Set oven rack on the lowest bottom portion of your oven. This will give you a nice brown crust.
    • Preheat oven 425 degrees.
    • Combine the dry coating ingredients in a shallow dish or into a plastic bag.
    • Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the oil onto the baking sheet. I use a dark nonstick baking sheet which gives me a beautiful golden color. The color may not be as golden as it would be using a nonstick baking sheet.
    • Turn each tender onto the coating, pressing gently on each one to make sure it covers the tender completely. Or, use the bag to shake the coating onto the tender, then lightly press to make sure a good amount adheres.
    • Place the chicken evenly spaced onto baking sheet.
    • Bake on the lowest rack in oven that you positioned in oven for 8 minutes.
    • Flip tenders over and drizzle with remaining oil. Bake on lowest rack for another 7 minutes.
    • Serve as is, or with any of the suggested sauces above. Enjoy.
    Did you make this recipe? Tag @thegeneticchef and use #thegeneticchef and tell me all about it!

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    Natalie

    I'm Natalie a.k.a The Genetic Chef. Here you will find from scratch family recipes coupled with humor, helpful tips, and product recommendations.

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