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Oven Baked Chicken Tenders

Homemade easy baked chicken tenders that are perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside! Plus, these you can freeze!
Homemade easy baked chicken tenders that are perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside! Plus, these you can freeze!
Image: baked parmesan chicken tenders with vegetables and fruit in a lunch container with marinara sauce on the side.

Chicken tenders are one of the most popular food items in America -and they are not just for kids, adults love them too! If you want to see how to make chicken tenders at home without frying, check out this video.

My tender-loving family loves this recipe because the crust is everything you’d want on a chicken tender without frying, which means that now you don’t have to go out to eat to enjoy these!

This homemade recipe for chicken tenders is the perfect alternative to the frozen, pre-packaged tenders. They are made with real, unprocessed chicken, and you’ll have minimal cleanup because they are baked, not fried.

Recipes like this are what I use to create my family meal plans. Instead of starting from scratch, why not take out family’s favorite meals and recreate them into healthier versions? 

Pair those recipes with a meal prep guide and done-for-you shopping list and parents can pull off mealtimes without a glitch. You’ll find them inside the MOMables Classic Meal Plan. Download a sample meal plan here.

Images: baked chicken tenders in a lunchbox.

How to Make Chicken Tenders

It couldn’t be easier to get these homemade chicken strips on the table! Let’s go through it step by step.

Preheat
Preheat the oven to 400F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Set up
Set out three medium bowls. In the first bowl combine the white flour, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir to combine.

In the second bowl combine the whisked egg and minced garlic, stir.

In the third bowl combine the basil, paprika, Panko, and parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.

Bread
Place the tenders in the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, and finally the panko mixture making sure to evenly coat each piece.

Bake
Place the tenders on the sheet pan leaving enough room between each tender and bake for 15 minutes before flipping and baking for another 5 to 8 minutes or until the temperature reaches 165F. 

Serve
Remove from the oven and allow the tenders to rest for 5 minutes. Grab your favorite dipping sauce and serve! 

Making them Crunchy!

Thanks to the use of Panko breadcrumbs they are perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. What’s not to love?

Of course, you can use regular breadcrumbs if needed but Panko is great for adding extra texture and crisp without a lot of carbs or calories.

Making Homemade Chicken Tenders Gluten-Free

If you need a gluten-free recipe you can use 1:1 Gluten-Free flour and gluten-free breadcrumbs. I have an easy, gluten-free Panko breadcrumb recipe that would be perfect for these chicken tenders.

How to Freeze Homemade Chicken Tenders

It gets better! These homemade chicken tenders can be frozen before cooking by placing them on a parchment-lined tray, feezing them, and then transferring them to a freezer-safe bag.

Make sure to label the zip bag with the oven temperature and time (add about 2-3 minutes to cooking time if cooking them frozen) and you now have a recipe that yields leftovers for another meal.

image: small lunchbox with four baked chicken tenders, and snow peas. Smaller containers hold dip and fresh berries.

Packing Homemade Chicken Tenders in a Lunchbox

Kids love chicken tenders and nuggets from the drive-thru for lunch so why not pack these in the lunchbox? Bake them the night before, making a few extra, and store them in the refrigerator.

To pack for a lunch, take them out of the fridge in the morning, pack into a lunchbox, and enjoy at lunch with a dipping sauce.

If eating lunch from home, you can reheat the tenders in the oven or toaster oven.

Dipping Sauce for Chicken Tenders

Speaking of dipping sauce, do you have a favorite? I’m partial to BBQ but there’s so many options when it comes to chicken tenders. Here are a few family favorites you can enjoy with this recipe as well as my homemade chicken nuggets. 

  • Healthy Homemade Ketchup
  • 5 Minute Homemade Ranch
  • Homemade Barbecue Sauce
  • Easy Broccoli Pesto 
Print

Baked Parmesan Chicken Tenders

Image: angled view of breaded and baked chicken tenders with a side dish of marinara sauce.
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Perfect, crispy oven baked chicken tenders – at home! This recipe yields a wonderful batch of tenders baked to perfection and breaded with Parmesan cheese! 

  • Author: MOMables – Laura
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Cook Time: 20-23 min
  • Total Time: 35-38 min
  • Yield: 6 servings
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units
  • 1 and ¼ pounds boneless skinless chicken tenders
  • ½ cup white flour
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1 egg, whisked
  • 3 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • 1 cup Panko (or Gluten-Free Homemade Panko)
  • ⅔ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup marinara sauce, for dipping

Instructions

  1. Trim the fat from the tenders.
  2. Preheat the oven to 400F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Set out three medium bowls.
  4. In the first bowl combine the white flour, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir to combine.
  5. In the second bowl combine the whisked egg and minced garlic, stir.
  6. In the third bowl combine the basil, paprika, Panko, and parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.
  7. Place the tenders in the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, then the panko mixture making sure to evenly and thoroughly coat each piece.
  8. Place the tenders on the sheet pan leaving enough room between each tender to ensure even cooking.
  9. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes before flipping the tenders and cooking for another 5 to 8 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F.
  10. Remove and serve with marinara sauce.

 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 tenders
  • Calories: 218
  • Sugar: 3.4g
  • Sodium: 595.6mg
  • Fat: 7.6 g
  • Saturated Fat: 3.2g
  • Trans Fat: 0.1g
  • Carbohydrates: 26.8 g
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 10.1 g
  • Cholesterol: 47.5mg

Keywords: chicken tenders, baked chicken tenders, chicken strips

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @MOMables on Instagram and hashtag it #momables

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Julie

    January 22, 2023 at 11:16 pm

    Hi! These look yummy! My daughter has a severe egg allergy. Is there a good substitute for this? Thanks!

    Reply
    • MOMables-Laura

      January 24, 2023 at 5:35 pm

      Hi Julie, I would try 1/4 cup whole milk or canned coconut milk.

      Reply
  2. Marie

    September 15, 2020 at 1:31 pm

    I made these chicken tenders and sent them in a lunchbox at room temperature and they were great!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • MOMables - Laura

      September 15, 2020 at 4:11 pm

      So glad they were a hit!

      Reply
  3. V. Gainer

    June 02, 2019 at 10:01 am

    I made the for my grandchildren and they loved them . I have since made them for my husband and he loved them. This is a great recipe and if you want a little more seasoning use Italian Seasoon Panko.
    Thanks for this wonderful, healthy easy recipe.

    Reply
    • MOMables - Laura

      July 10, 2019 at 1:30 pm

      I’m so glad these were a hit with the grandkids!

      Reply
  4. Maya fiallo

    September 06, 2018 at 11:45 pm

    Hello Laura thank you so much for your recipe of chicken tenders.
    I do really need to learn how to cook something my kid likes and easy for school.
    She is very picky,It is hard to do a sandwich becuase all she wants is the bread and the salami. She loves pasta bolognese,and carrot soup that I have never made in my life. Basically I need to start to cook for real. Thanks

    Reply
    • MOMables - Laura

      September 07, 2018 at 1:34 pm

      Hi Maya, the hardest part is just getting started. Check out the Classic Meal Plan . I really think you’ll find it useful to start cooking real food!

      Reply

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