Crispy Baked Chicken Tenders soaked in lemon garlic flavours. Coated in a golden parmesan Panko crumb creates an addictive crunch! No flour needed!
Succulent, juicy oven fried Chicken Tenders dipped in honey mustard sauce are popular with kids, adults, and make the perfect finger food. No mess… no fuss, with an irresistible golden crumb!
CHICKEN TENDERS
This crispy, baked chicken tenders recipe has been in our family for years. An adaption from YOUR favourite Lemon Parmesan Garlic Chicken Milanese recipe, our oven fried tenders are a favourite for everyone who tries them! They tick ALL the boxes:
- Easy to find ingredients.
- Simple steps.
- Oven baked with a deep fried TASTE.
- Minimal mess.
- The best homemade chicken tenders.
Who says you have to stand around the stove deep frying crumbed chicken tenders with oil splattering all over the place? Not me.
WHAT ARE CHICKEN TENDERS?
Chicken tenders are the narrow, strip of meat loosely attached to the underside of chicken breasts. They taste exactly the same as breast meat, but are juicy and tender when cooked properly.
Tenders can be pulled gently from a breast, or find them sold separately at your supermarket/butcher.
HOW DO YOU MAKE HOMEMADE CHICKEN TENDERS?
Our recipe kicks off using an egg wash marinade mixed with garlic, parsley, lemon juice, salt, pepper and a splash of oil. The oil mixed through the egg wash is our secret weapon, guaranteeing juicy meat with a crispy end result.
I suggest letting them marinate in the egg wash for half an hour to an hour, or overnight if time allows. If not, don’t worry! They are still incredible and full flavoured without marinating.
You’ll also notice we don’t use flour in our breading, and you won’t miss it. The chicken tenders are coated with a parmesan breadcrumb mixture seasoned with garlic and onion powders. This gives you just as much flavour on the outside to match all of the flavours happening on the inside.
HOW TO COOK CHICKEN TENDERS IN THE OVEN?
Lightly grease a baking sheet or tray with nonstick cooking oil spray. You can also use a sheet of paper towel dipped in oil to wipe over the surface of the baking sheet, or use a pastry brush.
Arrange crumbed tenders on the baking sheet, then lightly spray them with a cooking oil spray, (I suggest using an olive oil spray for the best results). This is what makes them SUPER CRISPY without the need to deep fry!
HOW LONG DO YOU COOK CHICKEN TENDERS AT 400°F (200°C)?
Bake chicken tenders for 10 minutes, then flip and bake for a further 5-10 minutes so that they evenly brown on both sides. You can also broil them in the last 2-3 minutes for that irresistible golden crumb.
HONEY MUSTARD SAUCE
Serve baked chicken tenders with a no fuss honey mustard sauce made with only 3 ingredients! Whole egg mayo, Dijon mustard and honey. You can throw in a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of white vinegar for a little something extra. You can also dip them in my Honey Garlic Butter Sauce!
Juicy, tender, moist, soft — all of those. PLUS crispy. It’s a win win!
Love Oven Fried Chicken? Try these recipes!
Sheet Pan Lemon Parmesan Garlic Chicken & Veggies
Oven Fried Chicken
Crispy Chicken Parmesan (Parmigiana)
Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Cordon Bleu & Dijon Cream Sauce
Crispy Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings
Love Honey Mustard Chicken? Try these recipes!
Honey Mustard Chicken & Potatoes (One Pan)
Honey Mustard Chicken Salad With Bacon & Avocado
Creamy Honey Mustard Chicken With Crispy Bacon
ON VIDEO
Crispy Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (or juice of 1/2 a lemon)
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 3/4 teaspoon salt to season
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 28 ounces (800 g) chicken tenders
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup regular breadcrumbs (garlic, herb or Italian seasoned for extra flavour)
- 1 teaspoon mild paprika (or sweet, smoky, spicy)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a baking tray / sheet with cooking oil spray, or a light coating of oil. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, oil, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Dip chicken tenders into egg mixture and let sit for 5 minutes while preparing crumb mixture. OPTIONAL: Cover and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour (if time allows).*
- In another bowl, combine both breadcrumbs, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and parmesan cheese.
- Dredge the egg coated chicken in the breadcrumb/parmesan mixture, lightly pressing to evenly coat.
- Arrange tenders on the baking sheet / tray and lightly spray with cooking oil spray.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Flip and bake for a further 5-10 minutes or until cooked through. (Broil in the last 2-3 minutes for a golden crispy crumb!)
Notes
HONEY MUSTARD SAUCE
- 1/2 cup of a whole egg mayo
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup of honey
Eileen Hunsaker says
This recipe is a keeper. I didn’t have Italian bread crumbs so used more Panko crumbs. Turned out crunchy and delicious. My teens devoured them.
Ildiko says
This was so yummy! This was my first time ever making breaded chicken. I ended up using crushed Ritz-style crackers as a substitute of Panko, since I didn’t have any in my kitchen. The flavors were spot-on and the chicken came out perfectly tender at 20mins. Thank you so much! I am glad to have found your site. I’ve made 3 dishes from your recipes in the last week and each one was great!
Terry says
Wonderful! Thank you. For the recipe 😊
Cynthia L says
Awesome Recipe 😊 Delicious! Thank you
Mel5343 says
This was delicious I will make again. Also made the Honey Mustard Sauce
John says
Great recipe. Made them for my two year old who hasn’t been eating too much lately besides tenders and pizza. Can I freeze them in a ziploc bag and reheat?
Karen DG says
I used breadcrumbs and tasty cheese but these were still Del and so quick to make. Will definitely make this again.
sarah-jane gow says
These are the best chicken tenders I’ve ever had, no exaggeration . Thank you so much for the recipe. Yum! 🙂 <3
Kamila Nawiesniak says
I don’t have panko. with it be a big deal if I just use regular breadcrumbs?
Karina says
No problem at all using regular breadcrumbs.
Rachel says
Do you think chicken thighs would work just as well as chicken breast? It’s all I have at the moment. This recipe looks amazing!
cynthia says
Yes thigh meat is great and instead of adding all the oil and sprayed oil toast the Panko first then add seasonings. the tenders will come out crisp and crunchy with out being greasy..
Jo Pace says
Hello-If I don’t use Panko breadcrumbs will that be a problem?
Maria L-T says
No, the first time i made them, I didn’t have Panko and they came out really good too.
Gina says
Ok this was delish!! My husband loved it too and it was pretty easy. Thank YOU!
Bonnie says
Thank you for this delish dish. I did t make the honey mustard sauce, I forgot really. So we used Ranch dressing to dip chicken. I did use the broiler towards the end. Stay safe everyone!
Lindsey Eckles says
These turned out wonderfully! Very tender and well seasoned. Toddler and adult approved. In my oven they need a little less time on each side (6-7 minutes per side with a few extra minutes broiling at the end). I was impressed how well the coating sticks after baking, better than pan frying!
Maureen madden says
The chicken was soooo tender…this was delish…it’ll be a once a week fav…thanku!!!
Stephanie Ploss says
Can I air fry them and how long
Peg says
Can I deep fry these?
Just preparing them now
Karina says
Absolutely!
Mary says
Made these for myself and boyfriend. We both thought they were really good! I marinated them for several hours which really brought out the lemony flavor. I thought it was a pretty easy recipe and made it exactly according to directions. Very tasty-not your avg. chicken tender! Barely used any dipping sauce as they didn’t really need it. Will be making again. Thanks!!
Charlie says
Fantastic, super easy to make. I use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs and marinate for at least an hour and they always come out soooo tender and full of flavor. Very quick n easy dinner for me and boyfriend, they taste so good on their own, no dipping sauce is required!
Kathy says
These were delicious, crispy and tender. I let my (7) tenders marinate for about an hour which allowed the lemon flavor to come through. My husband really liked them! I also made the honey mustard dipping sauce (half as someone said the recipe made a lot), added a 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar as suggested, it was delicious and I also used it as my salad dressing that night. I will definitely make this again.
Lupe says
Can the chicken be left to marinate all night?
Karina says
Yes it can, covered in the refrigerator X
shammah rodriguez says
Made this today and it was delicious! I placed the chicken tenders on a cookie cooling rack to while they baked so they would bake evenly without having to turn them. They were cooked perfectly at 20 minutes and I did the extra 3 minutes under the broiler for added crisp. I served these tenders with a side of pasta (seasoned with butter, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese). Will definitely make again
Cristina says
This recipe was a hit with my family! The best they’ve had they say! Thanks will continue to use it! Thanks for sharing!
Marie says
Made as written and the family loved them. Marinated the chicken for about 45 minutes with great results. The honey mustard was also a big hit. I will definitely make this again! Thanks for this fabulous recipe ?
LindaB says
I made these tonight for my family and loved them. Will definitely make them again. They came out tasty and tender. The honey mustard dip was wonderful. Thank you!
Tamra says
How many chicken fingers is considered one serving size? This looks delicious!
Christina S says
I need to chime in on the EASE and DELICIOUSNESS of this recipe. I’ve saved it to prepare over and over again. It’s a huge hit with kids and adults!! And yes. The honey mustard is divine too!! Love it so much, thanks for this!!
Mandie says
Eating this right now, delicious! I love the cheese. The only change I made was marinating overnight and then dredging the chicken twice and recrumbing a’la KFC extra crispy. Love the dipping sauce too, although the recipe produces a TON.
Maria B Rugolo says
Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner! I cut boneless/skinless chicken breast into half inch thick tenders, put the marinade ingredients in a ziploc and marinated for almost 3 hours. The breading ingredients went in another ziploc bag and it made it nice and easy with no mess. I cooked them 40 minutes at 400. I had about 6 that didn’t fit in the pan so I left them marinating in the fridge for another 4 hours. I breaded those 6 and cooked them at 425 for 40 minutes. These came out even crispier. I will surely make these again and use the 425 temperature (probably my old oven needs the higher temp). These are so flavorful and how wonderful not to have to fry them. I did not try the honey mustard dipping sauce recipe as I had a jar of honey mustard. I will definitely keep the recipe for the sauce handy for another time. Your recipes are amazing and I am so grateful. 3 recipes from your website made and raved over.
Michelle says
Ok, ive made a lot of baked chicken fingers and this recipe is by far the best one ever!!! Followed it as written and was great! Def will make again
Susan says
Thumbs up!! Really great recipe — thank you for sharing this. We LOVED it 🙂
Catherine says
I made these tonight and they were a huge hit with my family.
Valerie says
This recipe was awesome! I made this tonight. The only changes were I marinated the chicken in the egg mixture about 24 hours. I also completely forgot to put in the parmesan cheese! Still turned out delicious! Honey mustard sauce was great as well!
Huberte says
I made this recipe last night, it is very good. I didn’t change a thing. It is on my monthly menu. Thank you so much.
Joyce says
This chicken tender recipe and honey mustard dipping sauce are amazing! So easy and SO DELICIOUS! thanks for sharing, I didn’t change a thing on this recipe and I marinated my tenders for a few hours before breading and cooking them. A simple and outstanding recipe!