dishesanddustbunnies.com
Extra Crispy Baked Chicken Tenders
Ditch the frying and create extra crispy chicken tenders right in your oven! Follow our easy recipe for tender and juicy homemade baked crispy chicken tenders with an extra crispy coating. This is the ultimate finger food and is perfect along with your favorite dipping sauces. Give them a try tonight and get ready to be amazed by the delicious results!
Prep
—
Cook
—
Total
—
Serves
4
Instructions
- 01
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper and coating it with cooking spray.
- 02
In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk with hot sauce. Add the chicken tenders and toss them well, ensuring each piece is coated. Cover the bowl and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
- 03
In a separate shallow dish, mix together the panko breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, cornmeal, flour, melted butter, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, ground mustard, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and ground black pepper.
- 04
Remove the chicken tenders from the buttermilk marinade, allowing any excess liquid to drip off. Press each tender into the breadcrumb mixture, ensuring they are evenly and thoroughly coated.
- 05
Place the coated chicken tenders on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space in between for even cooking.
- 06
Bake the chicken tenders for 20-25 minutes, or until they are golden brown and fully cooked through (internal temperature should reach 165°F or 74°C). Flip the tenders halfway through baking to achieve even crispiness on both sides.
- 07
Allow the tenders to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Variations & swaps
Recipe Variations
- If you're looking for some easy and simple variations to the crispy baked chicken tenders recipe, here are a few ideas to try out:
- Lemon-Pepper Chicken Tenders: Add the zest of one lemon and 1-2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper to the breadcrumb mixture to give your tenders a zesty, tangy twist. You can also add a little lemon juice to the buttermilk mixture if you like.
- BBQ Chicken Tenders: Swap out the Buffalo hot sauce for your favorite barbecue sauce in the buttermilk marinade, and add 1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar to the breadcrumb mixture for a sweet and smoky flavor.
- Italian-Style Chicken Tenders: Replace the smoked paprika and ground mustard with 1 teaspoon each of Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes for a taste of Italy in every bite.
- Ranch Chicken Tenders: Mix 1-2 tablespoons of dry ranch seasoning into the breadcrumb mixture for a deliciously tangy and herby coating.
- Looking for more ways to spice up this already great recipe?
- Transform your chicken tenders into mouthwatering chicken nuggets with a few simple changes! First, cut the tenders into bite-sized pieces before marinating.
- You can add a more of a kick of heat by mixing in a teaspoon of cayenne pepper with the other spices in the breadcrumb mixture.
- If you don't have panko crumbs on hand, don't worry – simply use regular breadcrumbs in place of panko crumbs for a slightly different texture.
- Feel free to mix and match these variations or create your own homemade chicken tenders flavor combinations! Remember, the key is to have fun and experiment with different ingredients to make these crispy baked chicken tenders even more amazing. Enjoy sharing your passion for food with family and friends! 😋🍗✨
Free · No ads
Save this recipe to your own library.
iCook.ing is a free recipe library. Create an account in 10 seconds to save this recipe, plan your week, and head to the store with one shopping list.
Save from anywhere
Paste a link from a recipe blog, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, or Pinterest — we pull the ingredients, steps, and photo.
Plan your week
Drag recipes onto a weekly plan, scale for the number of people you're feeding, and never wonder what's for dinner.
One shopping list
Your plan rolls up into a single, de-duplicated shopping list — sorted by aisle so the store run is faster.
Cook, don't scroll
Big, screen-stays-awake cook mode with built-in timers. No ads. No life story above the recipe.