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.
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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.
Jen says
These are absolutely outstanding! I wanted something other than wings for a sports-watching night, and I came across this recipe. I used Italian panko for the breading instead of adding additional spices because I had them on hand. Your idea of adding the oil to the crumb mixture instead of brushing it on top gave the perfect crunch while keeping the inside moist. My husband cannot stop raving about this treat. I will be following you on Pinterest to see what else you’ve whipped up! Delicious!
Rika says
Hi Jen,
Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. I am glad that you and your husband really enjoyed this chicken recipe!
Best,
Rika
Judi says
Oh my goodness! Absolutely the best I’ve ever eaten. I had a party with about 20 guests and thought I probably shouldn’t try this for the first time with guests but they looked so good I went for it. When my guests were leaving they told me they had taken a unanimous vote of approval for me to cook them weekly (at least).
Rika says
Hi Judi, thanks for the feedback, happy to hear it worked out! Good on you for taking the chance and so glad your guests enjoyed it. Weekly at least for 20 guests, sounds like you'll be busy for a while :).
Tanis says
I made these tonight and they are easy and delicious
Rika says
Hi Tanis,
Thanks for taking the time to review this recipe. I am glad that you found this recipe easy and delicious.
Best,
Rika
Tammy says
This recipe for chicken fingers turned out delicious and satisfied my craving! I dipped mine in a butter and hot sauce mixture and they were as good as any restaurant.
Rika says
Hi Tammy,
Thanks for trying and coming back here to share your feedback. I am glad that the chicken fingers turned out delicious 🙂
Best,
Rika
Kim says
Can you use regular breadcrumbs
Rika says
Yes, you can but the final texture will be a bit different. Let me know how it goes, Kim!
Best,
Rika
Candy says
My teen daughter loves it!!
Rika says
Thanks for trying, Candy! I am glad that your daughter loves this baked chicken tenders recipe.
Best,
Rika
Regene says
This recipe is excellent! My family and I just loved them and will definitely make it again.
Rika says
Hi Regene,
Thanks for trying and taking the time to share your feedback. I am glad that you and your family loved the chicken tenders.
Best,
Rika
Vicki P says
These Chicken Tenders were Amazing! Even though are children are adults now, who doesn't want Chicken tenders? The Dipping sauce was excellent as well. I made everything as instructed, no subsitutions. Perfect!
Rika says
Hi Vicki,
I agree 100%! I think my husband likes these as much or more than my two kids. There's something fun about tenders too, makes me feel youthful when cooking or eating them, haha. So glad you liked the tenders and the dipping sauce, thanks for the comment!
Best,
Rika
Janet says
These were fantastic!! I will be making chicken tenders like this from now on! Thank you for the great recipe!!
Rika says
Hi Janet,
I love hearing that! We never get tired of chicken tenders, I just switch up the sauce now and then. And there’s no reason we can’t make delicious tenders right at home. Thanks again for the comment.
Best,
Rika
Anne C. says
So easy and delicious!! Had everything in my cabinet to make this! Shared this with my daughter who is learning to cook for herself. She loved it, too!!
Rika says
I appreciate the comment, Anne. Fantastic that your daughter is learning to cook! We have a lot of that going on in my kitchen too. It's such good family time and lots of life lessons! Thanks again and glad you both like it.
Best,
Rika