Oven Baked Chicken Tenders
Updated May 28, 2025
These Oven Fried Chicken Tenders are juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and flavorful all around, making them an easy family dinner!
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Make Crispy CHicken Tenders in the Oven!
Oven baked chicken tenders is what I make for my kids when they ask me for fried chicken. They have probably had fried chicken a handful of times while hanging out with their cousins or friends, but I just never like not knowing all the ingredients that go into those. This homemade chicken tenders are baked in the oven with a panko breadcrumb coating to make them crispy without using a lot of oil or a lot of ingredients.
My kids will admit that these baked chicken tenders are definitely not the same as fried chicken haha, but they really a similar effect since they’re juicy, crispy and taste so good dipped in ketchup or ranch. While the chicken tenders are in the oven, you can also make baked sweet potato fries or baked zucchini fries in the oven at the same time to pair with them!
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Oven Baked Chicken Tenders Ingredients
- Chicken tenders: You can also make these with skinless chicken breasts cut into strips.
- Panko breadcrumbs: These are the trick to getting perfectly crispy tenders. They crisp up easily in the oven to get that crunchy bite. Make this recipe gluten-free by using GF breadcrumbs.
- Dijon mustard: Just a tablespoon of this to coat the chicken tenders adds a layer of moisture to keep keep the chicken juicy and flavorful. You can leave out or use mayonnaise too.
- Egg: Beaten to help the breadcrumbs and seasoning stick to the chicken. You can use just egg whites if you’d like.
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, mustard, paprika and dried thyme.
How to Make Oven Baked Chicken Tenders
Oven Baked Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ pounds chicken tenders
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large eggs beaten
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Pat the chicken tenders dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together the eggs and dijon mustard. In another medium size bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder.
- Dip the chicken into the egg mixture, then toss into the panko mixture. Dust off any excess panko mixture and lay the chicken tenders on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat for the remaining chicken and spread them out on the baking sheet so they are not touching.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until the chicken is golden. Enjoy immediately with any dip you like.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
If you try this Oven Baked Chicken Tender recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe.
Recipe Tips
- Make them extra crispy. If you want them extra crispy, you can also cook them on a wire rack over the baking dish. That does create one extra item to wash, so if you’re just looking for convenience, the baking sheet lined with parchment paper works perfectly still.
- Tenderize the tenders before coating them. Lightly press each tender with a fork, this will help to soften the fibers in the chicken and make them less chewy.
- Set up your dredging station first. When you dredge the tenders, try to keep one hand wet and one dry and this will help you from washing your hands multiple times during the process.
- Spread the tenders in a single layer on the baking sheet. This will help them get crispy all over so make sure they aren’t touching.
FAQs
These chicken tenders are best served fresh but can be stored in the fridge if you have any leftovers for up to four days. Reheat them in a 350ºF oven until warmed through. You can microwave them as well, but they won’t crisp back up.
See below for freezing before baking. You can also freeze any leftovers that have already been baked. Just pop them in the oven at 350ºF until warmed through and crispy again – about 10 minutes.
After preparing the chicken according to the instructions, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place them in the freezer for 2-3 hours. When they are frozen solid, you can place them in a ziplock bag and store for use up to 3 months later. When you are ready to bake, you can just add 5-10 extra minutes to the baking time.
Comments
I swapped out the mustard with mayo and cooked them in the Air Fryer, and they came out perfectly! The Panko mix helped retain the juice and I ate them for lunch for the next 5 days. l appreciate recipes where dinner is done in 30 minutes!
That’s perfect! Yay!!
I made these last night for my picky toddler and to my AMAZEMENT, he ate 5 in a row and loved them. Thank you for this recipe A it’s an easy weeknight dinner option for a busy working mom. Delicious! I added a little oregano in with the spices (Italian household!) and they came out incredible.
That’s amazing! You’re so welcome!
It was very good ! Everyone loved them and my kids were impressed with my cooking..very easy and wuick to make
Thank you! That makes me so happy to hear!
Thank you for sharing. I hate mustard, may I sub it with something else? Could you answer that question for me please?
You’re so welcome! For the dijon mustard, you can leave it out or use mayonnaise instead.
Made these tonight for dinner. A big hit! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
That makes me so happy to hear! You’re so welcome!