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Home Chicken

Truly Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Tenders

By:Nagi
Published:16 Jan '20Updated:11 Oct '22
1,434 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

These crunchy baked chicken tenders are life changing! The secret to truly golden, truly crunchy baked breaded chicken is to toast the breadcrumbs in the oven first. Bonus: No dirty fingers with my quick crumbing technique!

This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!

Crunchy Baked Chicken Tenders piled on a plate with a side of Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce, ready to be eaten

Really crunchy Baked Chicken Tenders

There is no feel-good story behind these crunchy Oven Baked Chicken Tenders. Quite simply, I am yet to meet anything deep fried that I didn’t love, but a) my waistline can’t afford the real thing every time I feel like it; and b) I reserve deep frying for “special occasions”. Because… well, you know.

Mess, oil wastage, gluey fingers.

Waistline. Bottom expansion.

Etc etc.

It also irritated me no end that the breadcrumbs always came out splotchy, no matter how much oil I used.

So this is how I make baked crumbed chicken.

How to make crunchy Baked Breaded Chicken

Baked breaded chicken – my way

  • Toast the breadcrumbs in the oven for just a few minutes. This is the path to truly golden, truly crunchy baked breaded chicken even with a short bake time (max 20 minutes for chicken tenders). PS Much MUCH easier than pan frying!

  • One dredge batter – the usual process for crumbing is flour then egg then breadcrumbs. For this quick ‘n easy recipe, I combine the egg with flour plus mustard and mayo for flavour + oil (attempt to replicate deep fried) to make a thick batter in which the chicken is dredged. This stuff is great glue for the breadcrumbs!

  • Clean fingers! Use tongs to transfer the batter slathered chicken into the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over breadcrumbs to cover, press down to adhere. Transfer to tray. Marvel at clean fingers!!

How to make crunchy BAKED chicken tenders

Give it a light spray of oil, bake for 15 minutes and voila! This is what you get:

Crunchy Baked Chicken Tenders on a tray with a Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce on the side, fresh out of the oven

LOOK HOW GOLDEN THEY ARE!! Just imagine that crunch when you bite into the juicy chicken inside!

Crunchy Baked Chicken Tenders being dipped into Honey Mustard sauce

Dipping Sauces

It’s pictured above with a Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce. Just like Maccers. Only homemade. 🙂

Other Dipping Sauces: Try the Pink Steak Sauce from the Beef Kebabs, Sweet and Sour Sauce, Thousand Island, Tartare or even a classic Seafood Cocktail Sauce.

– Nagi x


Watch how to make it

This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!

Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Crunchy Baked Chicken Tenders on a tray with a Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce on the side, fresh out of the oven

Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Tenders

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 15 minutes mins
Cook: 15 minutes mins
Total: 30 minutes mins
Baked, Chicken, Crumbed
4.97 from 493 votes
Servings3 – 4 people
Tap or hover to scale
Print
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Recipe video above. Beautifully golden, truly crunchy baked chicken tenders! The trick is to toast the breadcrumbs before coating the chicken. See recipe notes for pictured Honey Mustard Dipping sauce.

Ingredients

Breadcrumb

  • 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs (Note 1)
  • Oil spray

Batter

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard (or other mustard)
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Black pepper

Chicken

  • 500 g/1 lb chicken tenderloins (or breast cut into 2/3″ / 1.5cm thick slices, lengthwise)
  • Oil spray

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 200C/390F.
  • Spread panko on a baking tray, spray with oil (spray vertically to avoid blowing the panko off the tray), then bake for 3 to 5 minutes until light golden. Transfer to bowl.
  • Place a rack on a baking tray (not critical but bakes more evenly).
  • Place the Batter ingredients in a bowl and whisk with a fork until combined.
  • Add the chicken into the Batter and toss to coat.

Crumbing (see video & photo in post)

  • Pick up chicken with tongs and place it into the panko bowl.
  • Sprinkle surface with breadcrumbs, then press down to adhere. Transfer onto baking tray. Marvel at clean fingers, repeat with remaining chicken.
  • Spray lightly with oil, sprinkle with a touch of salt (optional). Bake 15 minutes (medium) or up to 20 minutes if gigantic. Any longer = dried out chicken.
  • Remove from oven and serve immediately, with Sauce of choice (Honey Mustard pictured, see Note 2) and sprinkled with fresh parsley, if desired.

Recipe Notes:

1. Panko are Japanese breadcrumbs which are larger than standard breadcrumbs. Nowadays they are available in all major supermarkets, usually in the Asian section, and cost just a fraction more than ordinary breadcrumbs.
It is well worth using because the breadcrumb pieces are bigger so they create a far better “crunch” than standard breadcrumbs.
2. HONEY MUSTARD SAUCE (pictured): Mix together 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp dijon mustard, 2 tbsp honey, 1 – 2 tsp lemon juice, salt and pepper.
RANCH SAUCE:  Mix together 1/4 cup each mayonnaise (preferably whole egg) and sour cream, 2 tbsp milk, 1 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar, 1/4 tsp each dried parsley or dill, dried dill, dried fresh chives (Note a), garlic powder, 1/8 tsp salt & black pepper
a) All the herbs can be substituted with fresh herbs, finely chopped. Double the quantity – i.e. use 1/2 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).
3. MAKE AHEAD: Best way is to toast breadcrumbs, then put chicken in batter, leave up to 2 days. Then crumb the chicken just before baking. It is ok crumbed up to 24 hours beforehand, store in the fridge. Freezing raw doesn’t work. 
Reheating: Best way is to blast in the oven for literally 3 – 5 minutes at 200C/390F until it is just warmed through inside.
4. Nutrition per serving, assuming this serves 3. Dip not included.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 248gCalories: 416cal (21%)Carbohydrates: 29g (10%)Protein: 42g (84%)Fat: 12g (18%)Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)Cholesterol: 163mg (54%)Sodium: 973mg (42%)Potassium: 705mg (20%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 2g (2%)Vitamin A: 130IU (3%)Vitamin C: 2mg (2%)Calcium: 85mg (9%)Iron: 2.9mg (16%)
Keywords: Baked Chicken Tenders
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

Originally published April 2015, updated with new photos, video, words in post. No change to recipe, though some minor writing tidying up has been done.

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LIFE OF DOZER

LIFE OF DOZER

That hopeful sparkle in his eyes…. (it was false hope) (Oh wait, I lied. I gave him a bite!)

Dozer the golden retriever dog lusting after crunchy baked chicken tenders
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

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1,434 Comments

  1. vanita Hutchinson says

    August 20, 2023 at 7:22 pm

    I won’t ever buy ready made crumbed chicken. This was easy and incredibly delicious. (and so much cheaper!) The whole family loved it. Thanks!

    Reply
  2. llp says

    August 15, 2023 at 9:22 am

    can these be frozen after breading them and before cooking them??

    Reply
  3. Celeste Ciulla says

    July 22, 2023 at 2:37 am

    Hi there! I’m looking to take chicken to a picnic. Is there a way to preserve the crispness of these tenders and serve at room temp? Thank you!

    Reply
  4. Gail Fesnak says

    July 21, 2023 at 9:51 am

    No temp in the recipe. What temp and how long on how long to cook

    Reply
  5. E.Macapagal says

    July 7, 2023 at 8:59 am

    5 stars
    I love your technique of browning the crumbs first before coating and the batter with egg mixed in. No mess at all and saves time! I just doubled the salt in the batter so I won’t need to add after crumbing. Also didn’t have oil spray so I just mixed in the oil (a bit more amount) with the crumbs and won’t need to spray after crumbling. Works well too!

    Reply
  6. LucreziaBorgia says

    June 21, 2023 at 9:03 pm

    5 stars
    Couldn’t believe they were so crunchy without being deep-fried! I used your Tachin Yoghurt Sauce for dipping… Deeelish! 😘

    Reply
  7. NH says

    June 16, 2023 at 11:51 am

    5 stars
    I love this recipe! I use the version printed in your amazing cookbook, and in fact will be making it tonight for dinner as chicken tenderloins were on special!

    To make it gluten free, we use either gluten free panko breadcrumbs or the largest looking gluten free crumbs available. I also replace the flour with gluten free plain flour, and add a splash of milk if the batter looks too thick/dry. However, that isn’t usually a problem as we use the largest size eggs in our house and that adds a fair amount of moisture back.

    Reply
  8. Terry says

    June 6, 2023 at 8:31 am

    5 stars
    These were quick, easy and delicious. Loved the flavor of the batter

    Reply
  9. Cathy says

    June 4, 2023 at 8:04 am

    I’ve made the chicken tenders many times and they are wonderful, and your instructions are excellent. This makes great breaded shrimp cocktail also!

    Reply
  10. Tammy Hussey says

    May 22, 2023 at 10:21 am

    5 stars
    Great baked chicken recipe, I made nuggets out of the chicken and they turned out really well. Highly recommend!

    Reply
  11. Lisa Salisbury says

    May 18, 2023 at 4:14 am

    5 stars
    Without a doubt, the best crispy chicken tenders I have ever made. We were shocked to be honest. I have the cookbook and made them from there. Everything I’ve made in the cookbook has been absolutely incredible.

    Reply
  12. Alison Dennis says

    May 15, 2023 at 8:24 am

    5 stars
    My grandchildren love this recipe so I make it often. Though they prefer ketchup for dipping.

    I don’t know why, but I need to make twice as much of the batter and I still have to wipe some of the batter off each piece of chicken on the edge of the bowl to have enough batter.

    Reply
  13. Marianne says

    May 12, 2023 at 2:27 am

    5 stars
    These are delicious! Anytime my kid is craving chicken nuggets we make these. So easy and so crispy!

    Reply
  14. Kelly says

    May 10, 2023 at 12:26 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe! I have celiac n made it w GF flour and panko. Glad I doubled the recipe. Honey mustard is divine.

    Reply
  15. Peta says

    April 26, 2023 at 7:47 pm

    5 stars
    Yumm yumm yumm!
    Serious tasty – big hit at home.
    Served with mash AND the fried cabbage n bacon dish (without the noodles. Instead I added shredded carrot and currents. Top meal 🙂

    Reply
  16. Erin says

    April 26, 2023 at 9:30 am

    5 stars
    This is so delicious. I added some sourdough starter discard to the batter and also added smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and cayenne as well to up the flavor. Will make again very soon!

    Reply
  17. Lyn says

    April 21, 2023 at 4:19 pm

    5 stars
    I make this all the time- so quick and easy and the chicken stays really tender. I accidentally forgot to toast the panko breadcrumbs once (someone was talking to me when I was making them) and it tasted OK but looked pale and awful and I realised that how food looks is really important. So don’t forget!! The honey mustard sauce is great with this.

    Reply
  18. Tui says

    April 9, 2023 at 3:58 pm

    5 stars
    Best ever, amazing and I’m never, ever going back to dipping separately in flour, then egg and breadcrumbs. After following Nagi for so long, I jumped online and bought her recipe book. Everyone needs to have this cookbook.

    Reply
  19. Melissa says

    March 15, 2023 at 6:08 pm

    5 stars
    Yes, this is a winner. Easy to prepare, doesn’t take long and the sauce really makes the dish. Great job!

    Reply
  20. Kim Spalding says

    March 12, 2023 at 1:29 pm

    I’d love to make this recipe but my son is allergic to egg, what could I use as a replacement?

    Reply
    • gail livingstone says

      August 2, 2023 at 11:28 am

      You could try an egg free mayo. I have done this. Is he allergic to egg whites and yolks? If not, could try just the one he is not allergic to. good luck

      Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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