Oven Baked Chicken Tenders

5 from 55 votes

These Oven Fried Chicken Tenders are juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and flavorful all around, making them an easy weeknight family dinner!

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If you’re looking for easy chicken recipes, this one’s for you! These oven baked chicken tenders are not actually fried, but baked in the oven. Easy to make and ready in 30 minutes, these crispy chicken tenders make a perfect weeknight meal.

Oven Fried Chicken Tenders on a white plate served with ketchup
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Enjoy the taste of fried chicken without the frying! These baked chicken tenders get so crispy in the oven, so it has a similar effect to fried chicken – in a healthier way. Aside from the major-reduction in grease factor on your fingers, I think these taste just as good or even better than traditional fried chicken. They’re juicy, crispy and so easy to whip together.

They are great to serve with my Air Fryer VegetablesOven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries or Baked Zucchini Fries.

Ingredients for baked chicken tenders

  • 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 wonderfully 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.
  • Seasonings: Salt, pepper, mustard, paprika and dried thyme.
Ingredients to make chicken tenders in the oven

How to bake chicken tenders

  1. Mix together the egg and mustard in one bowl and dip the chicken tenders in that mixture.
  2. Combine the panko breadcrumbs, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder in another bowl and dredge the chicken in that mixture after the egg mixture. Make sure to shake off any excess breading.
  3. Lay the breaded chicken tenders onto a parchment lined baking sheet, making sure they’re not touching
  4. Bake in the oven until the panko chicken tenders are crispy and golden in color. Then you can enjoy with ketchup or your favorite dip!
4 image collage to show how to bread the chicken tenders and bake in the oven

Tips To Make Oven Baked Chicken Tenders

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

Frequently asked questions

What makes these oven fried chicken tenders different?

I like to whisk eggs with mustard to give them a juicy inside with a slight spicy flavor from the mustard. And I prefer to use panko breadcrumbs over traditional breadcrumbs because they have more of a crunch, especially if you toast them beforehand.

What are chicken tenders?

Tenders are the piece of meat found just behind the breast of the chicken. They are a small and tender piece of chicken that is very lean and low in fat. If you can’t get tenders, you can substitute with strips of chicken breast.

Can you make oven fried chicken tenders ahead of time?

These chicken strips are best enjoyed straight out of the oven, but you can make them ahead of time and freeze them too. Prepare the chicken and then freeze them for up to 3 months. You can cook them straight from frozen for an easy weeknight meal.

oven fried chicken tender dipping into ketchup

These panko chicken tenders are so perfect for an appetizer or as part of a larger meal. My kids love them and they are for sure a family favorite!

For more chicken recipes, check out:

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This Lemon Rice Soup recipe was originally published on December 1, 2017. It has been updated slightly and now includes step-by-step photos.

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Oven Baked Chicken Tenders

These Oven Fried Chicken Tenders are juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and flavorful all around, making them an easy weeknight family dinner!
5 from 55 votes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 245
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients
  

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

Make ahead: These oven fried chicken tenders can also be made ahead and frozen. 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 245kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 132mg, Sodium: 624mg, Potassium: 601mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 354IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 47mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Cuisine American
Course: Main Course

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Comments

  1. 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!

  2. 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.

  3. Thank you for sharing. I hate mustard, may I sub it with something else? Could you answer that question for me please?