This crispy Homemade Baked Chicken Tenders recipe is a family favorite that’s perfect for busy weeknights. For a real treat, serve with our simple honey mustard sauce or any of your favorite dips for chicken tenders.
The juicy chicken is marinated in buttermilk before adding the breading and baking until crispy on the outside. You can feel free to get a little creative with seasoning that you add to the breading, or just leave as is.
Homemade Baked Chicken Tenders
This recipe for baked chicken tenders shows you a super easy way to make a healthy version of the fast-food favorite. Each chicken tender is marinated in buttermilk, then dipped into a seasoned breadcrumb mixture before baking to golden brown perfection.
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They are super crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, and taste especially good with our Honey Mustard Sauce. If you are serving these for a game day party, you could also leave out a variety of dips for chicken tenders for people to choose from. For an extra crispy version, you can also try our Air Fryer Chicken Tenders.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken Tenders – chicken tenders are a perfect finger-food size. You could also use chicken breasts that you slice into smaller chicken strips.
- Buttermilk – you’ll need buttermilk to marinate the chicken before adding the breading.
- Breadcrumbs – you can use Italian breadcrumbs or Panko breadcrumbs to make the breading.
- Parmesan Cheese – grated Parmesan cheese works well.
- Spices: this recipe calls for using garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dry mustard, salt, and pepper. You can of course feel free to adjust the seasoning however you would like.
Honey Mustard Sauce
- Honey – use your favorite kind of honey.
- Mayonnaise – full fat or even lite will work.
- Dijon Mustard – make sure and use dijon mustard, rather than yellow.
- Lemon Juice – fresh lemon juice has the best flavor.
- Garlic Powder – this adds garlic flavor without any chunks so that the sauce will stay smooth and creamy.
- Paprika – you only need a tiny bit to add a lot of flavor.
How to Make Homemade Baked Chicken Tenders
- Marinate the chicken tenders. In a large mixing bowl, add the chicken tenders and buttermilk. Use kitchen tongs to turn the chicken and cover all sides, then let sit for 15 minutes.
- Make the breadcrumb mixture. Meanwhile, in a pie pan or shallow baking dish, add the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- Coat the chicken in the breading. Using tongs, remove the chicken tenders one at a time, allowing excess buttermilk to drip off. Place the chicken tender into the breadcrumb mixture and coat on all sides, pressing gently. Transfer the coated chicken tender to a parchment paper lined baking sheet, then repeat with the rest. Drizzle olive oil over the tops just before baking.
- Bake. Bake in a preheated 500 degree oven for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- Make Honey Mustard Sauce. While baking, combine the honey, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic powder, and paprika in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Serve. Once the chicken is cooked, remove the chicken from the oven and let cool for a couple minutes. Serve warm with honey mustard dipping sauce. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- Spicy: Add cayenne pepper, chili powder, and paprika to the breadcrumb mixture for a spicy kick.
- Sweet and sour: Combine honey and soy sauce for a sweet and sour sauce to dip the chicken tenders in.
- Garlic Parmesan: Add garlic powder and grated parmesan cheese to the breadcrumb mixture.
- Ranch: Mix ranch seasoning with the breadcrumb mixture for a classic cool ranch flavor.
- Buffalo: Toss the cooked chicken tenders in buffalo sauce for a spicy and tangy twist.
- Pesto: Spread pesto on top of the cooked chicken tenders for a flavorful and colorful topping.
- Teriyaki: Brush teriyaki sauce on the chicken tenders before baking for a sweet and savory flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
While you can use them both interchangeably, the main difference between chicken breasts and chicken tenders is that breasts are larger than tenders. The chicken tenders are actually the chicken tenderloins, located just underneath the chicken breasts. Each chicken has two tenderloins. The flavor and texture once cooked is almost identical.
Since these Chicken Tenders are baked and not deep fried, the best way to keep them nice and crispy is to use breadcrumbs in the batter and to bake them at a very high temperature. For Chicken Tenders, 400 degrees-500 degrees in the oven is best. And for extra crispy chicken, you can substitute Panko breadcrumbs.
Yes! Air fried Chicken Tenders are super crispy and delicious. The only difference is that you will need to air fry for about 10 minutes at 450-500 degrees, then flip and cook for another 5-7 minutes. If you can’t fit them all into the basket without touching, cook in batches.
Sure! The only difference is that you’ll need to cut them into nugget-sized pieces and bake for slightly less time.
Dinner Ideas for Homemade Chicken Tenders
- Buffalo Chicken Wraps
- Southwest Chicken Wraps
- Chicken Salad with Pesto Dressing
- Southwest Chicken Salad
- BBQ Chicken Salad
- Serve with a Baked Potato, Spanish Rice, or a simple garden salad and a Dinner Roll.
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerator: store leftover Chicken Tenders in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To reheat: you can reheat in a microwave, or in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes to make them crispy again.
Easy Baked Chicken Tenders Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds chicken tenders
- 1 cup buttermilk
Breading for Chicken Tenders
- 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Honey Mustard Sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the chicken tenders and buttermilk. Use kitchen tongs to turn the chicken and cover all sides, then let sit for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a pie pan or shallow baking dish, add the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- Using tongs, remove the chicken tenders one at a time, allowing excess buttermilk to drip off. One at a time, place the chicken tenders into the breadcrumb mixture and coat on all sides, pressing gently. Transfer the coated chicken tender to a parchment paper lined baking sheet, then repeat with the rest. Drizzle olive oil over the tops just before baking.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- While baking, combine the honey, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic powder, and paprika in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Once cooked, remove the chicken from the oven and let cool for a couple minutes. Serve warm with honey mustard dipping sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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These crispy Homemade Baked Chicken Tenders are easy, healthy, and super delicious. Serve with a side of honey mustard sauce for dipping.
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30-Minute Meals, Air Fryer, Appetizers, Chicken, Easy Weeknight Meals, Game Day, Healthy, Main Dish, Nut-Free, Reader Favorites,
