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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
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Crispy Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1 egg large
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice or juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 3/4 teaspoon salt to season
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper
- 28 ounces 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 parmesan cheese fresh grated
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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was delicious I will make again. Also made the Honey Mustard Sauce
Made this recipe twice… In both times I didn’t have panko, I dried up a pita bread over the stove then crunched it into tiny pieces on the food processor it came out amazing… Thank you for an amazing recipe… My wife couldn’t tell that they were baked in the oven, she thought they were deep fried
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?
I used breadcrumbs and tasty cheese but these were still Del and so quick to make. Will definitely make this again.
These are the best chicken tenders I’ve ever had, no exaggeration . Thank you so much for the recipe. Yum! 🙂 <3
I don’t have panko. with it be a big deal if I just use regular breadcrumbs?
No problem at all using regular breadcrumbs.
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!
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..
I used extra of the italian bread crumbs and used boneless chicken thighs instead and it was moist and delicious. My 19 month old was asking for more !
Hello-If I don’t use Panko breadcrumbs will that be a problem?
No, the first time i made them, I didn’t have Panko and they came out really good too.
Ok this was delish!! My husband loved it too and it was pretty easy. Thank YOU!
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!
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!