Baked Chicken Tenders

By Alison Roman

Baked Chicken Tenders
Craig Lee for The New York Times
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(3,116)
Comments
Read comments

Chicken tenders may be known as a kid favorite, but it's hard to find an adult who doesn't enjoy them just as much. And there's a lot to love when a crisp, golden brown coating meets juicy, tender chicken strips. This weeknight version strays slightly from the traditional deep-fried recipe: It can be pan-fried (see tip below), but it shines when baked in the oven. Proper chicken tenders, or the smaller muscle underneath the breast, can be hard to find, but boneless, skinless breasts — from chicken, or even turkey — sliced into thin strips are an excellent stand-in. For a little punch, feel free to add cayenne, crushed red-pepper flakes or fennel seed, or ground cumin to the flour mixture. Lastly, this version is paired with an herbed yogurt dip, but it can also be served with ketchup.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Dip

    • 1½cups full-fat Greek yogurt, labneh or sour cream
    • ¼cup finely chopped chives
    • ¼cup finely chopped parsley
    • 2tablespoons finely chopped dill
    • 2tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    • 1small garlic clove, finely grated or chopped
    • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

    For the Chicken

    • 1½pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
    • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
    • 1cup all-purpose flour
    • 2teaspoons smoked paprika
    • 2large eggs, beaten to blend
    • 2cups bread crumbs (preferably panko or other coarse bread crumbs)
    • 3tablespoons olive oil
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

765 calories; 26 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 70 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 60 grams protein; 970 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the dip: Mix yogurt, chives, parsley, dill, lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl; season with salt and plenty of pepper. Set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Prepare the chicken: Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut chicken breasts lengthwise into about 1¼-inch-wide strips. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

  3. Step 3

    Mix together flour and paprika in a medium bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Place eggs in a large bowl and whisk with 1 teaspoon water. Season with salt and pepper. Put bread crumbs in a large bowl or shallow baking dish, and season with salt and pepper.

  4. Step 4

    Working with few pieces at a time, toss the chicken in the flour mixture, making sure it’s evenly coated. Shake off excess flour, and dip into egg wash. Shake off any excess.

  5. Step 5

    Dip chicken into bread crumb mixture a few pieces at a time, pressing to adhere as many bread crumbs as possible. Shake off any excess, and set chicken aside on a large plate.

  6. Step 6

    Place breaded chicken strips on a foil- or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and bake until one side is beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Using tongs or a spatula, flip chicken and continue to cook until the other side is golden brown and crisp, another 6 to 8 minutes. Serve with herbed yogurt dip.

Tip
  • If pan-frying, heat ½ cup vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering and hot (and registers about 375 degrees on a thermometer), working in batches, add chicken strips, taking care not to crowd the skillet. Fry until one side is golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip chicken using tongs or a spatula, and continue to fry until the other side is golden brown and crisp, another 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt. Serve with herbed yogurt dip.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
3,116 user ratings
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Comments

Linda

Skip the flour,egg, crumbs mess. Give tenders with a coat of good mayo (yes, mayonnaise!), dip in crumbs and bake. Also no need for oil drizzle. Works on fish too.

ingrid

when preparing chicken I like to marinate it in buttermilk for at least a 1/2 hour -- excellent tenderizer ! (also, since the chicken is then moist I skip the egg and flour dredge, and go straight for the bread crumbs -- panko, parmesan, red pepper flakes -- but, that's a different story ;) )

SL

Toss the panko crumbs with a little olive oil and toast to a golden brown at 425 degrees in the oven before using in the breading process. Will result in beautifully brown and appetizing tenders...without the white /uncooked edges typically resulting from breaded chicken.

Susan Finnegan

Has anybody tried the mayonnaise option but with half Greek yogurt & half mayonnaise?

Margie

This is delicious. I don’t consider myself a stingy breaded by any means but I had at least 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of bread crumbs leftover. That’s a little bit of waste. The eggs were fine a perfect amount. I’ll definitely make this agsin.

Dave B

This recipe for oven baking yields a soggy unappealing version of breaded chicken. I usually pan fry but was trying to be healthier and this was an utter disappointment. Lesson learned, sometimes it's best to just fry things.

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