Oven-Baked Chicken Tender Fingers

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.

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!

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.

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!

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

• Chick-fuh-lay nuggets and sauce
• Three ingredient chicken nuggets
• Peri peri chicken drumsticks
• Holy yum chicken

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!

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Author: Julie Chiou

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Ingredients 

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• ▢ 10 boneless skinless chicken tenderloins, sliced into strips
• ▢ 2 cups (120 g) 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.

Equipment

• Large rimmed baking sheet

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Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450 °F (232 °C). 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