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Oven Fried Chicken Tenders

These Oven Fried Chicken Tenders are a lighter take on a Southern classic. They bake crispy and golden perfect for serving with your favorite dipping sauces any night of the week.

baked Oven Fried Chicken Tenders

 

Oven Fried Chicken Tenders

We Southerners are known for our love of fried chicken and everything you’ve heard is true. We do. However, we all know we can’t eat it everyday. So, we have to come up with ways of enjoying the crunchy breading we love without the guilt. These oven fried chicken fingers are my choice to serve my family on such an occasion. They’re lighter but, not lacking in flavor. Crusted with panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese, they’re simple to make and flavorful.

breaded chicken tenders on a pan

Use Cooking Spray or Butter for Oven Fried Chicken Tenders

  • You can spray these chicken tenders with butter flavored cooking spray to keep them on the lighter side.
  • You could also use light butter.
  • I prefer spraying them with cooking spray first, then lightly drizzling them with light butter halfway through baking. The reason I choose that technique is, that it gives the breading time to adhere to the chicken. In the case of oven frying, a light drizzle is best.
  • You can drizzle them lightly with butter at the beginning of cooking too, if you prefer.

easy recipe for Oven Fried Chicken Tenders

Chicken Tenders are Made for Dipping

Serve these crispy chicken tenders with your favorite dipping sauces such as comeback sauce, ranch dip, or with warm pizza sauce as an entree or an appetizer. You could go with another classic, homemade honey mustard from The Novice Chef.

panko paremsan Oven Fried Chicken Tenders

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Oven Fried Chicken Tenders

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time22 minutes
Resting time5 minutes
Total Time42 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: oven-fried-chicken, oven-fried-chicken-fingers
Servings: 12 pieces [May vary]
Calories: 162kcal
Author: Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lb chicken tenders
  • 1 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 Tbsp chopped chopped chives
  • 1 tsp dry Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 Tbsp milk
  • salt & black pepper
  • cooking spray
  • 2 Tbsp butter or light butter melted

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F. Liberally spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Set aside.
  • Mix together all purpose flour with 1/2 tsp garlic salt
  • Beat 2 large eggs with 2 Tbsp of milk. Season with salt and black pepper to your taste
  • Mix together the panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, chopped chives and dry Italian seasoning.
  • Dredge the chicken pieces through the flour, then the egg wash. Roll in the panko-Parmesan breadcrumbs. Press the breading onto the chicken tenders.
  • Arrange on baking pan without touching. Spray the chicken liberally with cooking spray.
  • Bake for 20-22 minutes drizzling with melted butter halfway through baking.
  • Rest on the pan for 5 minutes then serve. with your favorite dipping sauces.

Notes

a) To brown the chicken breading further at the end of baking turn the oven to broil for 2-3 minutes.
b) Adjust the baking time according to the size and thickness of the chicken tenders being prepared.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 162kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 311mg | Potassium: 253mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 163IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!

10 Comments

  1. Could sliced chicken breast be used in place of tenders? Those tend to be very pricey and sometimes hard to find.

  2. I made these last evening. They were so good especially for being baked instead of fried. I followed the recipe exactly and they were perfectly done, crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. Thank you – I’ll be making this one again.

    1. Hi Stacy my kids, too. It’s nice to make this at home for them and they’re just as happy with it. Hope he likes it!

  3. These look delicious! It’s always great to see recipes like this that incorporate a healthier side of the dish. Thanks for sharing!

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