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.
Catherine says
These were so good! Adding oil to the breadcrumb mixture helped it stick to the chicken way better than other recipes I’ve tried. Saving this recipe for sure!
Rika says
Hi Catherine,
Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. It's great to hear that the trick of adding oil to the breadcrumb mixture worked wonders for better adherence. Saving the recipe is a smart move—I'm glad you found a winner!
Best,
Rika
Monique says
Mine never got golden brown?
Rika says
Hi Monique,
You can try to bake the chicken on a wire rack and spray it with more olive oil to bring more color.
Let me know how it goes!
Best,
Rika
Stephannie says
OMG!! This is a delicious dish. I followed the recipe very closely and the chicken was so juicy and moist. I will definitely be making it again.
Rika says
Glad you enjoyed them, Stephannie!
Best,
Rika
Bev says
What a tasty dish!! Chicken came out so tender! It’s the first time I’ve cooked with oil in the breadcrumbs and it definitely won’t be the last.
Rika says
So glad you like the tenders, Bev! Yes, oil in the breadcrumbs.. one of those little things that really make a difference! Thanks for the comment.
Best,
Rika
Kari says
SO good! Absolutely saved to our favorites list.
Rika says
Thanks Kari, am honored! I make tenders quite frequently and just change up the sauces I use for them. If you’d like, try out my honey mustard sauce recipe (just 7 ingredients).
Best,
Rika
Antoinette says
Hi Rika! Excellent recipe! I’m a little confused with the calories in this recipe? What method you use to come to total 409. Also if it serves 4 and you use 7 tenders. Serving size is 1.75?
Rika says
Hi Antoinette,
Thanks for trying and sharing your feedback. I also appreciate that you pinpoint the error. I didn't know why I put 4 in there.. the recipe is for 7 chicken tenders, it's probably debatable as to how many that would serve. I just fixed the serving size and recalculated the nutritional value.
Best,
Rika
Amber says
Is the nutritional value for 1 tender?
Rika says
Hi Amber,
Yes, the nutritional value is for one tender, assuming that you are using 1 pound of chicken tenders, which amounts to 7 pieces. Let me know if you still have any other questions.
Best,
Rika
Donna says
These were absolutely awesome!! I'd recommend these time & time again!!
Rika says
I’m so glad you liked them! Thanks for the comment, Donna!
Best,
Rika
Susan says
It turned out crunchy and delicious!
Rika says
Hi Susan,
Thanks for sharing your feedback. Great to hear that your chicken tenders turned out crunchy and delicious! It seems like you nailed the cooking process.
Best,
Rika
Linda says
Can I substitute Parmesan cheese with mozzarella?
Rika says
Hi Linda,
Specifically for this recipe, I wouldn't suggest substituting mozzarella cheese for parmesan.
Best,
Rika
Sharon says
I made this for dinner . I loved how quick it was to make , and how fast the clean up was . It’s delicious . I added a little bit of buttermilk powder , awesome!
Rika says
Hi Sharon,
I'm so glad you enjoyed the healthy baked chicken tenders, and it's great to hear that they were quick to make and easy to clean up after. Adding buttermilk powder must have given them a delicious twist.
Thanks for sharing your feedback!
Best,
Rika