OVEN-BAKED CHICKEN TENDERS
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The best recipe for crispy, tender, juicy, and flavorful chicken tenders that you will find on the internet.
Chicken tenders are a favorite snack for my family. I have been making chicken tenders at home for many years but only recently I tried to make them in the oven. They turned out so good that now I am only making these. For those of you who have kids at home, this is an ideal recipe. It is crispy and juicy without it being too oily.
Having said that, you may still prefer deep-fried chicken tenders and that is totally legit. So, for the sake of my readers, I have shared the recipes for both deep-fried and oven-baked chicken tenders. Choose what suits your moods and needs.
There are a few tricks to making that perfect chicken tender and guess what I am going to share them with you.
The first and most important step is to cut the chicken into strips. Now you might be wondering what is so important about it. Would you believe me if I say that this seemingly insignificant step can determine the fate of your chicken tender? Trust me I am not exaggerating!
How to correctly cut the chicken for chicken tenders?
To get a more tender strip, you need to cut against the grain of the chicken. This makes the cooked fibers of the chicken shorter, so they tear apart easier. This way your chicken tender will not be chewy and fibrous.
How to tenderize chicken for making chicken tenders?
The next trick is to properly tenderize your chicken strips. For that, I have a secret ingredient, buttermilk, and cornstarch. You must have heard about buttermilk but when you combine cornstarch with it, it helps in locking the natural juices of the chicken making them tender and juicy.
ABOUT THIS RECIPE
This is a simple recipe for oven-baked chicken tenders. The recipe uses minimum ingredients but turns out to be as good as the tenders from a restaurant.
The tenders are crispy, crunchy, juicy, and flavorful. I have not used a lot of spices but if you prefer a bolder flavor feel free to add more.
I have also shared how you can deep-fry the chicken tenders if that is what you prefer. I prefer the oven-baked version because it is tasty without all that grease. Also, when the tenders are oven-baked, I do not have to worry about the oil that I used for frying the tenders.
Why should I make chicken tenders at home?
You should make these chicken tenders at home because they are:
- Delicious
- Great Game day or Party appetizer
- Quick and easy to make
- Healthy
- Customizable
- Inexpensive
- Kid-friendly
INGREDIENTS
For the marination, you will need buttermilk, cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, and freshly crushed black pepper.
For breading the chicken, you will need panko breadcrumbs, all-purpose flour, salt, and pepper.
For the oven-baked version, you will need oil spray. If you are planning to deep fry, you will need canola oil.
HOW TO MAKE IT?
The path to the best homemade chicken tenders is a 3-step process.
STEP 1: MARINATION
Cut a chicken breast or boneless thigh into thin strips. make sure to cut the strips against the grain.
Marinate the strips with buttermilk, cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, and freshly crushed black pepper. Keep aside for 20 minutes.
STEP 2: BREADING
On a plate combine the all-purpose flour, panko breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Thoroughly coat the chicken strips in the breadcrumb mixture.
Place them in the breadcrumbs, then spoon some on the top of the chicken and press down. Flip and repeat the process. Repeat until all chicken strips are coated.
STEP 3: BAKING/FRYING
Oven baking - Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray and arrange chicken tenders. Spray chicken tenders lightly with oil. Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Deep-frying - Heat oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, fry chicken pieces on medium heat for 2 minutes per side. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan.
HOW TO MAKE THE CHICKEN TENDERS EXTRA CRUNCHY?
For extra-crunchy oven-baked chicken tenders, place them on a greased oven-safe cooling rack and bake. This ensures that air circulates evenly around the chicken, allowing the breading to get crispy on all sides.
You can also broil the chicken tenders for a few minutes after they are done baking. This too results in crispy tenders.
VARIATIONS
- Fire up the BBQ and grill the chicken tenders without breading for succulent BBQ chicken tenders.
- Use beer instead to buttermilk to make beer-battered chicken tenders.
- Add fresh Italian herbs to the panko bread for herb-roasted chicken tenders.
- Marinate the chicken in soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, garlic, honey, salt, and pepper. Then bread as usual and bake for Chinese flavored chicken tenders.
- Make gluten-free tenders by avoiding breading, use grated parmesan, garlic, and herbs instead.
- Marinate chicken in hot and spicy sriracha sauce and coat with panko breadcrumbs for hot chicken tenders.
- Mix Cajun seasoning in the breadcrumbs for Cajun flavored tenders.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I air-fry the chicken tenders?
Yes, you can air-fry the chicken tenders too. The marination and breading process will remain unchanged. For air-frying, spray the chicken with cooking spray and cook at 400F for 5 minutes. Flip chicken over, spray more cooking spray and cook for 5 minutes more. Repeat with remaining chicken tenders.
How can I make chicken tenders without breading?
If you are looking for a low-carb option and want to avoid breading, here is what you can do.
Make a mixture of grated parmesan cheese, salt, and spices of your choice. Marinate the chicken as usual. Dip the marinated chicken in molten butter and then roll them in the cheese mixture. Proceed as usual.
How can I make them gluten-free?
For the gluten-free version, avoid breading the chicken strips as you would normally do. Just coat them in a mixture of grated parmesan, salt, dried herbs, and black pepper. The rest of the recipe remains unchanged.
What can I use instead of buttermilk?
If you don't have buttermilk at home, don't worry! Here is a quick substitute:
Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a cup of milk. Stir the mixture then let it sit for 6-8 minutes until it curdles and thickens slightly, then proceed with the recipe as directed.
How do you keep chicken tenders moist when baking?
Spray the tenders with some cooking oil before baking them for keeping them moist.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
My daughter loves her tenders with tomato ketchup. I prefer the sweet chili sauce or the ranch dip.
You can serve these chicken tenders with a dip, with a salad, or even as a chicken sandwich. But whatever you do I guarantee your family is going to love these Homemade Chicken Tenders!
STORING SUGGESTIONS
If you have leftover chicken tenders, you can freeze them in a freezer bag for future use.
To freeze chicken tenders
- Let the chicken tenders cool down completely. Put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Place in the freezer until frozen solid and then put them in a freezer-safe bag.
To reheat chicken tenders
- Remove chicken tenders from the freezer and place them on a baking sheet.
- Bake at 400F for 15-18 minutes or until warmed through.
OVEN-BAKED CHICKEN TENDERS
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts or thighs cut into strips
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
- Oil spray for baking or Oil for frying
Instructions:
- Marinate the chicken strips with buttermilk, cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, and freshly crushed black pepper. Keep aside for 20 minutes.
- On a plate combine the all-purpose flour, panko breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Thoroughly coat the chicken strips in the breadcrumb mixture.
- Oven baking - Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray and arrange chicken tenders. Spray chicken tenders lightly with oil. Bake for 12-15 minutes.
- Deep-frying - Heat oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, fry chicken pieces on medium heat for 2 minutes per side. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan.
- Serve with your favorite dip.
Notes:
- Cut chicken strips against the grain.
- To add some moisture, spray the chicken tenders with a little oil spray prior to baking, after you bread them.
- You may add a hot sauce or BBQ sauce or Sriracha sauce in the marination for an extra kick.
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