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”!
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.
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!!
Give it a light spray of oil, bake for 15 minutes and voila! This is what you get:
LOOK HOW GOLDEN THEY ARE!! Just imagine that crunch when you bite into the juicy chicken inside!
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!
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Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Tenders
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:
Nutrition Information:
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.
More crunchy crumbed chicken
A crunchy golden crumb takes any chicken from bland to delicious!
LIFE OF DOZER
That hopeful sparkle in his eyes…. (it was false hope) (Oh wait, I lied. I gave him a bite!)
georgie says
i love the way you toasted the panko before hand! this look so amazingly crispy and I’m practically starving right now drooling over these (kinda like dozer!). Great recipe Nagi 🙂
Nagi says
It works a treat Georgie! 🙂 Try it!! N x
Ali says
i cant wait to try these. i buy a Perdue brand because its so convenient. i have not found a recipe i like enough to keep using. i love putting cut up tenders in my salads rather than plain grilled chicken or roasted chicken. and no store bought are good enough to dip in sauce. thanks. PS. Dozer is the cutest thing! love photos of him.
Nagi says
I agree, store bought sauce is just never the same as even the quickest home-made ones! N xx
Beth says
The best thing about your recipes Nagi are your tweaks and unique methods, that’s what keeps me coming back to your site (and to get a daily dose of Dozer). I read every single comment on this recipe and agree with most.
Nagi says
I love that you come here for Dozer too! N xx
Danielle says
I have tossed all my regular breadcrumbs and replaced them with panko. I LOVE using panko breadcrumbs – they come out so much crunchier than the others. I am also a big fan of fried foods, but yes, the waistline is not. Plus, it IS so messy and baking is just easier. I must try these.
Nagi says
I don’t think I’ve bought normal breadcrumb in YEARS!!!!
Marisa Franca says
Oh, Nagi, Nagi!! I know what you mean about loving fried foods but it’s the enemy of my hips and thighs,too!! Thank God for stretchy pants! But when the stretch pants have reached their limit? You know that something has to be done. Begone fried for a while and hello oven baked. Your chicken looks delicious and I would have given Dozer a little *ahem*taste of chicken. We do have a great method (deep frying) where the crunchy exterior NEVER comes off. We’ve done this with fish, chicken, veggies, etc. Lucky you — you’re going into summer and we 😭are going into winter. Sending a big hug to you and Dozer!!
Nagi says
Seriously Marisa, since I started blogging, it’s alarming how many stretchy clothes have started making their way into my wardrobe….
Lea says
Hi Nagi,
Can I crumb the chicken the night before and leave it in the fridge until I’m ready to cook? Lea
Nagi says
Hi Leah! I haven’t tried the night before, I’ve done in the morning. Pretty sure 24 hours should be ok! N xx
Van@Lello Pasta Bar says
This dish is quite familiar to me since my mom used to make something like this when I was young but instead of baking she manage to do it like fried chicken and it’s delicious. I guess your crispy oven baked chicken tender is much awesome. Thanks for helping me reminisce my childhood favourites too. Pinned your recipe.
Nagi says
I love hearing that Van! Bet your mamma made a wicked fried chicken! N x
J says
That’s brilliant N, I never heard anyone toasting the bread crumbs 1st! I usually dip in eggs and bread crumbs just using one hand. Then try to patch it up b4 baking, getting agitated. Now I won’t thanks to you. I see Dozer is getting better and trying to see how much trouble he can get into. Lol. 😂
Nagi says
I only do it for baked crumbed things 🙂 Just so the crumb is crunchier and looks nice and golden all over! N x
Joe @ Joe's Healthy Meals says
Nagi, your tips are terrific. This chicken looks delicious, (and hands are clean). Thanks for this post. Bookmarked.
Nagi says
Thanks Joe! Hope you have a terrific weekend! N x
Dave says
First of all, I love your blog. I found this site purely by luck and I’ve saved basically everything you’ve posted since.
For me, skinny chicken don’t make it. I’m a deep fried, oil dripping from your elbows type of guy so try using melted butter in place of the oil. It rocks the flavor and as the the butter cools. it makes the breadcrumbs hang on tight. Another trick is to place the breaded chicken on a wire rack for a few minutes to allow the breading to soak into the batter – again aiding in crumb adhesion. Cheers! Oye!!
Nagi says
I hear you Dave. But my bottom expansion issue….. 😩
Ronda says
My mom was famous for her chicken fingers (which she brought to every party she attended!). They were made the old-fashioned way (dry/wet/dry dip and deep fry) in an assembly line (I was the official helper). They were so popular she had to bring LOTS, requiring the assembly line. What’s not to like about deep-fried chicken fingers?!? BUT, I think it was her dipping sauce that made them truly amazing. I think it would go equally well with these lighter, healthier, baked chicken tenders. I don’t have exact measurements (mom eyeballed measurements (except when baking) and I’m the same way) but, here are the ingredients with APPROXIMATE amounts:
1 cup sour crème (full fat/no fat, doesn’t matter)
2-3 TBSP finely chopped dill pickle
1-2 tsp dill seeds
1-2 tsp dill weed
juice from dill pickle jar (to taste and to achieve desired consistency)
It will be a bit chunky and very dill-y!
Nagi says
Ohhh! Thank you so much for sharing that Ronda! It sounds amazing! Dill seeds? I bet that’s the secret ingredient in this!
Willi says
Ho would this be with peeled shrimp?
Nagi says
It’s brilliant with peeled shrimp because shrimp shouldn’t be baked for long 🙂 I’ll share a baked shrimp soon! N x
Willi Miller says
I happen to have some peeled shrimp but no chicken, so I’m going to give t a try. Thanks!
Janis says
Your photo description says batter with made with oil…and looks like that… recipe says mayonnaise
Nagi says
Ah yes, typo 🙂 Mayo! Thanks Janis! N x
Wanda says
Would you recommend this method for the pork Tonkatsu recipe? I’ve made it four times in the last month……that’s a lot of deep fried goodness.
Nagi says
YES! it works brilliantly for any fried recipe 🙂 Even shrimp/prawns which takes mere minutes in the oven!
Jo says
Made these for my boyfriend, who hates condiments of all kinds, and his response, as I quote: ‘these are the best chicken fingers I’ve ever eaten in my life’. A total crowd pleaser! Definitely adding this to my arsenal, Thanks Nagi!
Nagi says
I love hearing that! So glad you (and he!) enjoyed this Jo! N x
Suzanne says
Hands down the best chicken tender recipe ever!!! Brilliant idea to brown the bread crumbs ahead of time and to put the flour, egg and other ingredients into one bowl before applying the bread crumbs.
Plus you are so right that these are best served straight out of the oven. So crunchy and warm. My teenagers and their friends chowed down on these at a picnic several hours after I made them. But when I ate a few right out of the oven….that was perfection!
Wanda says
Would you recommend this method for the pork Tonkatsu recipe? I’ve made it four times in the last month……that’s a lot of deep fried goodness.
Nagi says
That’s great Suzanne! Thanks for letting me know! – N x ❤️
blair fowler says
Hi sorry. I may have missed it. What temp do you cook chicken at?
Nagi says
Hi Blair! Step 1 – just leave the oven on that temp!
Graham Lewis says
I have made this recipe many times, absolutely the best tenders ever… Thank You, so much!!!!
Graham
Nagi says
I LOVE HEARING THAT!!!!!! N xx
Sharon says
Can these be done in an Air fryer,?
Nagi says
Hi Sharon! I’m sure it could because you could deep fry it too 🙂 N x
Caitlin Cataudella says
can I sub something for the mayo in the batter I don’t have any
Mary says
I was looking for a chicken finger recipe today and came across yours — best fingers I have had. My son also liked them. Loved how much easier it is mixing all ingredients together and then dredging. I will definitely make these again and play with the spices. Oh, I did add another egg to the mixture, it was pretty thick and I used chicken that was sliced for stir-fry, so they were longer than normal. We just drizzled ranch dressing and barbeque sauce over them. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Nagi says
Glad you loved this Mary!! Thanks for sharing your feedback! N x
Ana says
I don’t know what I did wrong 🙁
I used chicken breast that had been butterflied, then cut into smaller ‘strips’. They’ve been in the oven now for more than 25 mins and still not all that golden brown and the bottoms are soggy!
Any advice?
Nagi says
Hi Ana, were they cooked through??? It sounds like your oven runs very weak if they weren’t cooked after 25 minutes!
Ana says
Hi! Yes, they were cooked through. I ended up turning on the broiler to get them crunchy on top, so they were probably in there a good 35-40mins! I don’t think my oven is weak – it’s less than a year old and I cook plenty of other things in there with no problems. I’ve tried other baked panko chicken recipes and it always turns out this way – soggy on the bottom and not golden enough. Maybe my pieces were too thick? Some were at least 0.5″ thick. Next time I’ll try it with the chicken on the rack. They ended up making very delicious sandwiches nonetheless and I love mixing all the flour, egg, etc together. I hate doing the flour-egg-panko assembly line!