These healthy baked chicken tenders become incredibly crunchy without frying in oil. They are made with simple ingredients and are not deep-fried. This is a great recipe for crispy chicken tenderloins that will save you a significant number of calories. It's a quick and easy recipe that can be ready in less than 30 minutes.
In this post, I will guide you through the process of making healthy baked chicken tenders in the oven. I'll provide a list of all the ingredients you need, along with a step-by-step cooking process to create the crispiest guilt-free chicken fingers.
Jump to:
Healthy Baked Chicken Tenders - Crispy but Not Greasy!
These breaded chicken strips serve as excellent alternatives to store-bought or restaurant chicken tenders. They are so tasty that you'll be pleasantly surprised at how uncomplicated the process is.
These chicken tenders are breaded in the traditional way. This classic three-step system involves egg, flour, and breadcrumbs to ensure you have the crispiest and crunchiest chicken fingers. Don't forget to serve these chicken tenders with this homemade honey mustard dipping sauce.
Now, let's delve into the ingredients and cooking process!
Ingredients
Below, you'll find a list of ingredients for creating oven-baked crispy chicken tenders. These components collaborate to form a flavorful and crunchy coating around the chicken tenders, resulting in a delightful and satisfying eating experience.
- Chicken Tenderloins: The main protein source for the dish, providing the base for the chicken tenders. Chicken tenderloin, a type of white meat, is situated on both sides of the breastbone beneath the breast meat. I strongly recommend opting for pre-cut chicken tenders for this recipe, as it significantly simplifies and speeds up the cooking preparation. Nevertheless, if chicken breast is your only available option, feel free to use it.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese: Adds a savory and salty flavor to the breading, and helps create a crispy texture when baked or fried.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: These Japanese-style breadcrumbs are larger and crispier than regular breadcrumbs, giving the chicken tenders a crunchy coating. I purchased the Panko breadcrumbs at my local Trader's Joe for under $2 per 7oz bag. Please keep in mind that Panko is definitely not gluten-free.
- Egg: Serves as a binder for the breadcrumbs, helping them adhere to the chicken and creating a crispy outer layer during cooking.
- All-Purpose Flour: Used as a coating for the chicken before dipping in the egg, providing an additional layer to help the breadcrumbs adhere and contribute to the overall crispiness.
- Oil: Used for baking to enhance the tenders' crispiness and prevent them from drying out. It also adds flavor to the dish.
- Paprika: Adds a subtle, smoky flavor and contributes to the overall seasoning of the chicken tenders.
- Pinch of Salt: Enhances the overall flavor of the dish by balancing the other flavors and bringing out the natural taste of the chicken.
How to Cut Chicken Breast into Chicken Strips
These steps are only necessary if you don’t have pre-cut chicken tenders and are using whole chicken breasts instead.
- Start with a boneless chicken breast.
- Lay the chicken breast flat on a cutting board.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the chicken breast into long strips.
- Aim for uniformity in size, making each strip about ½ inch wide.
- Ensuring consistent size helps the strips cook evenly at the same time.
- These uniform strips will form delicious and evenly cooked chicken tenders.
How to Make Healthy Baked Chicken Tenders in the Oven
To achieve perfectly crispy chicken strips with breading that adheres well, follow these straightforward steps:
- Pat the Chicken Dry:
- Begin by patting the chicken dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- Dredge in Flour:
- Dredge the chicken in flour until it is thoroughly coated on all sides. Remember to shake off any excess flour.
- Dip in Egg-Paprika Mixture:
- Dip the chicken tenders into a mixture of egg and paprika, ensuring each piece is well-coated.
- Coat with Panko Breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and Oil:
- Coat the chicken tenders with a mixture of panko breadcrumbs, parmesan, and oil. Make sure each piece is evenly covered.
- Bake:
- Bake the coated chicken tenders in a preheated oven at 425°F for approximately 8 minutes. After this time, flip the chicken and continue baking for another 8 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C).
How to Reheat Chicken Tenders so They Stay Crispy
To reheat chicken tenders and restore their crispiness, follow these steps:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Place the chicken tenders on a wire rack on a baking sheet to allow air circulation.
- Reheat in the oven for 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
If the chicken tenders are frozen, you can adjust the temperature:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Place the frozen chicken tenders on a wire rack on a baking sheet.
- Reheat in the oven until hot.
Alternatively, you can use an air fryer for a quicker result:
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F.
- Place the chicken tenders in the air fryer basket.
- Reheat for about 5-7 minutes or until heated through.
Check Out More Chicken Recipes:
- Tarragon chicken
- Oven-Baked Chicken Breast
- Crispy Grilled Chicken Wings
- Creamy Chicken Marsala
- Breaded Chicken Cutlets
I hope you'll enjoy this recipe and share it with friends! If you try it and don’t mind, please leave me a comment and/or give this recipe a rating. Be sure to subscribe to receive weekly recipes and follow me on Pinterest.
📖 Recipe
Healthy Baked Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken tenders, (about 6-7 medium pieces)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg, (lightly beaten)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika powder
- 1 cup panko breadcrumb
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Optional:
- ½ teaspoon salt
- a pinch of black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F
- On a large plate, place the flour. In a shallow dish, beat the egg, and season with paprika. In a third shallow dish, mix panko bread crumb, parmesan cheese, olive oil, and add the optional salt and black pepper if needed.
- First, pat the chicken tenders dry with paper towels and coat the chicken tenders with the flour. Give a little shake to remove excess flour.Dip the chicken into the egg mixture, shake off excess then coat the meat with bread crumbs and press down to adhere.
- Place all chicken tenders on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for about 8 minutes (less or more time depending on the thickness). Then turning the chicken tenders, continue cooking for 8 more minutes (less or more time depending on the thickness) or until the chicken is no longer pink or cooked through and the coating is golden brown.
- Serve with homemade honey mustard dipping sauce.
Connie says
Love this recipe, grandkids love the chicken, I cook a large portion then freeze them on cookie sheet, then put in freezer bag and take out serving size to eat later. Love, love
Rika says
Hi Connie,
Thank you so much! I'm thrilled to hear that you and your grandkids love the chicken tenders, and it's such a great idea to make a large batch and freeze them for later.
Best,
Rika
PJ says
Delicious but I would like to know how you recommend to reheat leftovers so they stay crispy?
Rika says
Hi PJ,
Thanks for sharing your feedback. To reheat chicken tenders and restore their crispiness, follow these steps:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Place the chicken tenders on a wire rack on a baking sheet to allow air circulation.
Reheat in the oven for 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
If the chicken tenders are frozen, you can adjust the temperature:
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Place the frozen chicken tenders on a wire rack on a baking sheet.
Reheat in the oven until hot.
Alternatively, you can use an air fryer for a quicker result:
Preheat the air fryer to 350°F.
Place the chicken tenders in the air fryer basket.
Reheat for about 5 minutes or until heated through.
Toni says
Hi, these are so good! Could you tell me what's the serving size for the nutrition information listed? Thank you!
Rika says
Hi Toni,
Thanks for trying and sharing your feedback. The nutritional information is based on a single piece, with an assumption of about 7 pieces per pound, equating to roughly 2.25 ounces per chicken tender according to the nutrition facts.
Feel free to reach out if you have any further inquiries.
Best,
Rika
Althea says
I made these this week and a big hit with grandkids and adults. Dipped them in chic fil-a copycat sauce and delicious! Didn’t stick to parchment paper but were crispy and golden. I sprayed them with a little cooking spray too
Rika says
Hi Athea,
Thank you for sharing your experience! I'm delighted to hear that this chicken tenders recipe was a hit with both the grandkids and adults. The choice of dipping them in Chick-fil-A copycat sauce sounds delicious!
Best,
Rika
Kathy says
Do you really mix the olive oil with the bread crumbs?
Rika says
That’s correct, Kathy.
Shelley says
I have to admit when I read the recipe and saw the olive oil was to be mixed with the bread crumbs I thought it was a typo. I assumed the oil would make the crumb mixture soggy and clumpy. So I read a few reviews and nothing was mentioned so I gave it a try. I mixed the dry ingredients and distributed them over the bottom of an appropriate container for dredging, then drizzled the olive oil over top and gently incorporated it using a wire whisk. It really works well! I used 3 chicken breast cut into 12 strip sized portions and gently but firmly pressed the coating into the meat after the flour and egg steps and it adhered excellently. I added a bit of milk when I whisked up the egg because I knew the one egg wasn't going to be enough (two would have been too much) and I had to mix up another half recipe of the crumb coating.
Rika says
Hi Shelley,
Thanks for sharing your experience with the recipe! I get why you were unsure about mixing olive oil with the bread crumbs. I'm really glad you gave it a shot and liked how it turned out!
Best,
Rika
Jayne says
Quick, easy and delicious weeknight meal. My husband likes the leftovers cold cut into cubes and throw into a big bowl of salad.
Rika says
Hi Jayne,
Thanks for the kind words! I'm glad you found the meal quick, easy, and delicious. That's a great idea to use the leftover chicken tenders in a salad!
Best,
Rika
Danyelle says
Absolutely delicious!!! Flavorful, crispy, & moist chicken! Will be adding this to my meal rotation!
Rika says
Thank you so much, Danyelle! I’m thrilled to hear you loved it! Flavorful, crispy, and moist is exactly what I was going for – so glad it turned out that way for you. I’m happy it’s going into your meal rotation! 🙌
Rika
Margaret Washington says
It seems in the description and comments that chicken breasts were sliced then used, but in the ingredients list it says chicken tenders? Could you clarify!?
Rika says
Hi Margaret,
Great question! I used pre-cut chicken tenders, but you can absolutely slice chicken breasts yourself to make homemade tenders. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Margaret says
Thank you for your response, but, chicken tenders and chicken breast are not the same; chicken tenders are a specific cut of meat from the underside of the chicken breast, while chicken breast is a larger cut that includes the tender. I just made the recipe and they’re the crispiest I ever made!
Rika says
You're absolutely right—they're not the same, Margaret. That said, this recipe still works really well with thinly sliced chicken breasts. As mentioned in the ingredients list, I do recommend using pre-cut chicken tenders for ease and quicker prep time. But if chicken breasts are what you’ve got, they’ll do just fine! I'm so glad to hear the recipe turned out well for you. Thanks a ton for giving it a try and for sharing your feedback—I truly appreciate it!