No false promises here! These Oven Fried Chicken Tenders come out of the oven perfectly golden all over and super crunchy just like they’ve been deep fried. You’ll love the irresistible parmesan flavour in the crunchy breadcrumb crust!
AND you won’t get your fingers caked with batter and breadcrumbs in the process of making them. Find out my little tricks!
Crunchy Baked Chicken Tenders
Have you ever made a recipe based on the photos showing a perfect golden BAKED crumbed chicken, only to find that:
a) the crumbing comes out splotchy with some burnt bits and some white bits; and
b) the crumbing is not that crunchy (unless you bake it so long the chicken overcooks)?
My hand is raised high because I am one of those people. For many years, I was lulled into a false sense of hope each time I saw a photo of a perfectly golden “oven fried” crumbed chicken for a recipe. And I was disappointed every single time. (PS It’s called Photoshop. Food photographers can’t live without it, but have been known to abuse its powers!!!)
Plus my other gripe with coating anything with breadcrumbs is that you end up with what I call “Marshmallow Fingers”, where the egg batter and breadcrumbs builds up with each piece of chicken you coat.
So one day, I actually applied some brain power to solving these problems. I know, I’m a weirdo. It’s a testament as to how much I love crunchy crumbed things, and how much I fear frying (as well as what I consider to be a waste of oil). (Oh – and health matters too ?).
And here’s my solution.
HOW TO MAKE PERFECT OVEN FRIED CHICKEN TENDERS
(without getting your fingers dirty!!!)
1 . Toast panko breadcrumbs in the oven for just 3 minutes. This gives them a head start on the colour so they come out an even golden brown all over AND dries them out even more to make them uber crunchy. For this recipe, I add parmesan cheese to the breadcrumbs for flavour and as the seasoning – no need to add any salt!
2. Don’t dredge in flour then egg separately. Add the flour into the egg. This makes the batter slightly thicker, making the breadcrumbs adhere better to the chicken AND it avoids “Marshmallow Fingers”. (PS I also add mustard and mayo – for thickening + flavour + mayo helps make this taste fried!)
3. Avoid messy fingers: Mix chicken in batter, pick it up with your left hand and place it in the breadcrumbs. Use your right hand to sprinkle with panko, press to adhere, then transfer to baking tray. No Marshmallow Fingers! Yay!
Here’s a comparison of the chicken before and after baking at a fairly high temperature (200C/390F) for 15 minutes (any longer and the chicken tenderloins will lose juiciness). Notice how there’s not that much difference? Good thing we toasted the breadcrumbs first! 🙂
Here’s an up close and personal look at these tenders. 🙂 I’ll let you be the judge – don’t you think they look like they’ve just come out of the deep fryer??? They certainly TASTE like they have!
Dipping Sauce for Chicken Tenders
I like to serve these Parmesan Oven Fried Chicken Tenders with a simple Ranch dipping sauce or Honey Mustard sauce, both of which I’ve provided in the recipe notes.
But honestly, with the addition of parmesan, these are super flavourful plus nice and juicy inside (no dry overcooked chicken!!!), so I usually serve these without any sauce, with plain yogurt or sour cream, or lemon wedges.
Serve this with a quick Every Day Cabbage Salad or or a garden salad with French, Italian or Balsamic Dressing! – Nagi x
More crunchy crumbed chicken
- Golden Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Crunchy Baked Chicken Tenders – the original recipe on which this parmesan version is based
- Crispy Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast – LOW CARB marvel!
- Shortcut Healthy Crunchy Chicken Schnitzel
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Oven Fried Parmesan Baked Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
Breadcrumb
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (Note 1)
- Olive oil spray
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese , store bought (Note 2)
Batter
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise* (I use whole egg mayonnaise)
- 1½ tbsp dijon mustard* (or any other mustard of choice)
- 1 garlic clove , minced*
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- Salt & pepper
Chicken
- 500 g /1 lb chicken tenderloins (or chicken breast cut into ⅔" / 1.5cm thick slices, lengthwise)
- Oil spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C/390F.
- Spread panko breadcrumbs on a baking tray. Spray lightly with oil. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until LIGHT golden.
- Scrape into a bowl. Add parmesan and mix.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together Batter ingredients with a fork. Add chicken and mix to coat.
- Optional: Place a rack on the baking tray (Note 3)
- Pick up chicken with left hand and place in breadcrumbs. Use right hand to sprinkle with breadcrumbs, press to adhere. Use right hand to transfer to baking tray. Repeat with remaining chicken. Spray lightly with oil.
- Bake for 15 minutes for small tenders, 18 minutes for large ones. No longer than 20 minutes, otherwise they will begin to lose juiciness.
- Serve immediately with Ranch or Honey Mustard Dip if desired (Note 4).
Recipe Notes:
1/4 cup each mayonnaise (preferably whole egg) and sour cream
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar (or any other light coloured vinegar)
1/4 tsp EACH dried parsley or dill, dried dill, dried fresh chives (Note a)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (Note b)
1/8 tsp salt + black pepper Place ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. a) All the herbs can be substituted with fresh herbs, finely chopped. Double the quantity - i.e. use ½ tsp. Don't worry if you don't have all the herbs. If you have at least 1, it will still taste similar to what it should taste like, just use more of the herbs you have (3/4 tsp dried herbs in total). b) The garlic powder is a key flavour component, fresh garlic is not quite the same. If you want to substitute with fresh garlic, use 1 small clove, mince it then make sure you set the sauce aside for at least 20 minutes to allow the flavours to develop. HONEY MUSTARD SAUCE: Another simple sauce I often serve this with - mix together 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp dijon mustard, 2 tbsp honey, 1 - 2 tsp lemon juice, salt and pepper. * These ingredients are optional. 5. Nutrition per serving, assuming 4 servings (no ranch dip).
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
So embarrassed in this jumper, he can’t even look at the camera. 😉 It’s so cruel that I dress him up just for my own amusement!!!
This is a regular staple in my family’s household. We love how flavorful it is!
We do often have trouble, however, with getting the coating crisp enough, even when making sure the crumbs are toasted and baking with a cookie sheet underneath to help air circulate.
We’ve tried using less of the wet batter, but that leaves us bald patches sometimes!
Do you have any tips to help avoid a soft coating? It’s a great recipe, but I just wonder if I’m missing something. We do add more mustard than called for, so maybe that makes it wetter?
Hi Nora – are you using panko crumbs? If they are toasted beforehand, they should definitely stay crispy once baked – N x
Nagi. I can’t thank you enough for this recipe. FINALLY, baked fried tenders that ARE crispy. I used a garlic butter spray on my crumbs and both my husband and I LOVED the tenders. Absolutely, 5 stars!
I was looking for a chicken breast recipe…
Your tip was a keeper!
I did everything except lifting them on a rake, they were fantastic! Served with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli “yum,yum,yum”!
Sounds like you nailed it Colleen!
Hi Nagi
Another winner! And the ranch sauce…AMAZING. Ty
Tania
WOOT!!
You might want to clarify that you can keep the toasted panko crumbs for another time but not if you have dipped the raw chicken in it.
Hi Jayne, yes you can keep left overs if you have some separated but I tend to toss them as I use the whole batch when I’m coating the chicken ☺️
Tender, tasty, easy to make; what more could anyone ask for.
❤️ Thanks Owen!
You only need half the amount of panko crumbs. I think this recipe is an ad for panko crumbs and wants you to use more.
I always find it’s better to have more than not enough! You can always store the toasted panic for use another day ☺️
Instead of baking them right away can we just freeze them and then bake when needed?
Hi Nagi — I’ve made 10+ of your recipes so far and just wanted to say thank you so much for sharing these. Am seriously loving this new innovative (and super effective) technique of dredging. You’re awesome!
Awww thanks Kahee! So glad you’re enjoying my recipes, thank you for reading!! N xx
Made these today and my family just loved them.. I dint have mustard on hand so i just skipped it.. Still turned out to be delicious… And ofcourse healthy substitute !! Thanks for the recipe.
Just made these tonight. My daughter and husband are both picky eaters. They both loved them and wanted seconds. Wow! This is a keeper recipe and I will be making these over and over again. I loved you no mess method.
That’s so great to hear Robyn! Glad you enjoy it! N x
Just tried these. My husband and daughter are both very picky eaters and both loved them. I will be making these again and again. They were really easy. And I loved you no mess method. So much easier.
Hi Nagi
These were delicious and enjoyed by all. Do you have any tips for freezing these and other crumbed chicken recipes? (Although your recipes are simple and relatively quick, sometimes cooking from scratch is just beyond me! I have 3 young children…I can’t be the only struggling to find the energy to cook…can I?!!!)
Hello Nagi, I came across your recipe. I was in a desperate need of how to make chicken tenders. I want to thank you for posting. I just finish prepping them and was easy to do. the only thing I did different was using corn flakes instead of bread crumbs because I didn’t have away, or the time to run to my nearby market
Jessica
I love hearing that! So glad you enjoyed this Jessica! N x
I found you a year ago and ended up making the best Chicken Wings of my life! Fast forward to today, and my hunt for a Chicken Tenders recipe led me back to you! Definitely checking out the rest of what you have to offer! Thank you so much!
This is the best baked chicken tenders recipe I’ve ever tried. Thank you. I’ll never cook them any other way. A rack is essential. Also, let the tenders sit on the rack for a few minutes after taking them out of the oven. If you plate the immediately the bottom will get a bit soggy.
Kids don’t like mustard. Any substitute?
Hi Michele! I promise they won’t even know it’s there 🙂 But if you really want to, just leave it out, it will still be super tasty N xx
These look great! If I make a large batch, do you think they’ll freeze well after being cooked?
Hi Kat! It will freeze fine but to be honest, tenders are lean so they will kind of dry out 🙂 Sorry! N x
Just discovered your site! Made these this weekend, except instead of mustard, I used Frank’s buffalo hot sauce in the batter, and I added red chili flakes to my panko because my family loves spicy! I cooked them in the actifryer for 16-18 mins, and they were so crunchy, golden, and the breading all stayed on! Teenagers and hubs approved! Thanks for the techniques!
So pleased to hear that Lisa! Thanks for letting me know – N x ❤️
I was all ready to make these tonight, and then realized I didn’t have any eggs. So, used 2 Tbs. of mayo, thinned out to batter consistency with a little milk, and they were delicious!
Love your suggestions to pre-brown the crumbs, and to combine the flour into the batter! Also, your method of eliminating sticky, gloppy fingers! Thanks so much!
That’s so great to hear Laura! Thanks for letting me know – N x ❤️