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Oven-Baked Chicken Tender Fingers

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When it comes to simple, kid-friendly, and easy to make meals, nothing quite beats Oven-Baked Chicken Tender Fingers. Aside from the chicken itself, you likely already have everything you need in your kitchen! These tenders are flavorful, never dry, and perfect for dipping in your favorite sauce.

A plate lined with parchment paper is topped with baked chicken tenders and yellow dipping sauce.

For as long as I can remember, chicken tenders or chicken fingers were my favorite item to order at any restaurant. 95% of the time I order the chicken tenders platter off the menu at any given restaurant. Its become a game to me to compare each restaurant’s chicken tenders and which one has the best batter and best technique.

The best I ever had was at Blue Ridge Grill in Leesburg, VA. They were breaded in a very unique way and flash fried. This gave it the most amazing and crunchy crust.

I don’t think I’ve ever had such great chicken tenders. I legitimately love chicken tenders or chicken fingers. What do you call them? I know regionally they’re so different in the way you call them.

I honestly still can’t stop thinking about them so I tried to replicate them (the crust at least). I didn’t fry them because I wanted to make these a little healthier so instead of frying these chicken fingers, I created these oven-baked chicken fingers!

Most chicken tenders or chicken fingers are deep-fried and while that’s great every now and then, it is not realistic to prepare it that way often! These oven-baked ones are just as good and by using a panko breadcrumb crust exterior, it gives it an extra crunch factor!

Chicken tenders are garnished with fresh herbs.

What You’ll Need:

The beauty of this recipe lies in the simplicity of it! You’ll only need this handful of inexpensive ingredients to make your new favorite chicken tenders.

  • Chicken – Boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins are what you’ll need. Cut them into strips for the best shape.
  • Panko Breadcrumbs – I use Panko because of the signature crunch! While you can use plain breadcrumbs, Panko gives these tenders the best bite.
  • Seasonings – You can customize your seasonings to your liking. With that being said, I’ve found that this simple (and delicious) blend to be the best! Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and cracked black pepper come together to create a mix that’s tasty, but neutral enough to pair well with any condiment.
  • Eggs – I like to use free range organic eggs.
A fork has pierced a bite sized piece of chicken and is resting on a plate next to other tenders.

Common FAQ’s

What kind of chicken do I use? Chicken tenders! Boneless and skinless. You could use breasts and slice them into strips, if you want, but buying chicken tenders are just easier.

Can I use regular breadcrumbs? Sure, I would make sure to season it though so it has some flavor.

Can I make my own breadcrumbs? If you’re that ambitious, go for it!

What kind of seasonings can I use? I love garlic and onion powder (which is in the recipe) but smoked paprika would be great too. Any other seasonings you want to amp up the flavor would be good. Maybe a dash of cayenne too if you like a kick of spice.

What dipping sauce do you recommend? Honey mustard all the way! Or, you can try to make your own Chick-Fil-A sauce!

A chicken tender is sliced into several pieces on a plate next to a whole tender.

If you love chicken tenders and chicken fingers, you would love these recipes:

Baked Chicken Tender Fingers

Baked chicken fingers or baked chicken tenders have all the crunch of the fried version but a fraction of the fat!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Julie Chiou
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Ingredients 

  • 10 boneless skinless chicken tenderloins, sliced into strips
  • 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 3 eggs

The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450 °F. Line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside.
  • In a shallow dish, combine panko, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well to get it all incorporated.
  • In another shallow dish, beat the 3 eggs together.
  • Take the chicken strips and dip them in the egg mixture then cover the chicken strips with the panko mixture. Gently press the panko mixture on the chicken to make sure it’s well coated.
  • Lay the strips next to each other on the baking sheets and repeat until all the chicken strips have been coated.
  • Bake for 20 minutes then turn on the broiler and broil them for another 5 minutes to get the outside even more crispy & a light brown color.
  • Serve immediately with honey mustard or BBQ sauce or ketchup!

NUTRITION FACTS

Serving: 2 chicken tenders | Calories: 326 kcal | Carbohydrates: 34 g | Protein: 37 g | Fat: 5 g | Sugar: 3 g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.

Course: Main Entree
Cuisine: American
Keyword: breadcrumbs, chicken, chicken tender
Recipe Rating




Toria Harvey

Wednesday 18th of April 2018

I am looking forward to trying this tonight! How many chicken tenderloins did you use? I was confused because it said “10 in chicken tenderloins,” and it also said 30 servings. Thanks!

Julie

Wednesday 18th of April 2018

Haha, sorry about that. The recipe conversion for the new plugin didn't convert it correctly. It makes 10 chicken tenders!

Linda Z.

Wednesday 8th of November 2017

I would like to have known the nutrition information including calories. My husband loved them. Made some fresh honey mustard dressing to go along with them. Delish!

Julie

Thursday 9th of November 2017

Hi, I don't offer nutrition information for recipes. Sorry. I don't feel comfortable giving that information as I am no expert in that field.

Valerie Koonce

Sunday 13th of August 2017

I made these for lunch and they were delicious with Honey Mustard dipping sauce! I used 3TBSP Dijon mustard and 3 TBSP yellow mustard and 6 TBSP mayo, 3 TBSP honey and a pinch of salt. So good!

Lisa

Friday 23rd of June 2017

Could you tell me what the nutrtionals on these chicke fingers are.

Thank you Lisa

Julie

Tuesday 27th of June 2017

Unfortunately, no. There are many reasons as to why I don’t post nutritional information on my recipes, one of which is that I’m not a registered dietician or nutritionist so for me to give any sort of nutritional information would be incorrect and inaccurate. There are also many differing factors when it comes to nutritional information and since I do not have the knowledge in this, I do not feel comfortable posting this sort of information. If you must have this information, there are many calculators out there (free and paid) that can help you with calculations. A simple Google search would pull up some of these calculators, but again, I’m not endorsing them as I do not know how accurate they may be.

Christa Falcone

Tuesday 6th of June 2017

These look amazing. I'll be giving these a try!