When I was really young, I was even picky enough that if a restaurant didn’t have chicken tenders (or didn’t have chicken tenders I liked), my parents would just bring something else for me to eat.
That’s all changed, though. Slowly, I started finding that many of my chicken tenders had too much breading and not enough of the chicken I wanted. I started getting bored with the same meal over and over again. I started craving fresher flavors. Basically, I’ve grown a little more adventurous since then. My palate has matured. (This is coming from the girl who eats Oreos like it’s her job… ?)
But honestly, I still really like chicken tenders, but I typically favor the homemade variety. I like to play around with the spices and the crunchy coating. I also usually bake them instead of frying them because it’s not only a little healthier, but it’s also way less of a mess.
The other night, I was craving my childhood favorite. Well, I got to playing around in the kitchen a little, and I love the result. In just about a half an hour, I baked up a delicious batch of chicken tenders that were perfectly crispy, slightly cheesy, and subtly spicy. And now I want to share them with you!
A beaten egg binds the coating onto the meat. I used ground flaxseed as the main component in the coating, which means these are gluten free if that’s a concern for you. If it’s not, I suspect that Panko or flour would work beautifully. To amp up the flavor, I also added Parmesan, garlic, oregano, and a touch of cayenne pepper, plus a little salt and pepper. Toss the chicken in the oven for about 15 minutes, and you’re it gets golden.
Serve with your favorite roasted veggies (or even some fries) and some dipping sauce. Because the dip is half the fun, right? I went with ketchup, but I also love love love barbecue sauce!
- 1 lb. chicken breast tenders
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 t. water
- 1/2 c. ground flaxseed*
- 1/4 c. grated Parmesan
- 1 t. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 t. salt
- 1 t. oregano
- 1/4 t. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 t. garlic powder
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Trim chicken tenders of any extra fat and blot with a paper towel.
- Beat egg and 1/4 t. water in a shallow dish until white and yolk blend.
- Combine ground flaxseed*, Parmesan, pepper, salt, oregano, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder in a shallow dish.
- Dip each chicken tender in the beaten egg, and then coat in flaxseed mixture before placing on the prepared baking sheet.
- Repeat until all chicken tenders are coated. Spritz coated tenders with nonstick spray.
- Place baking sheet in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.
- Serve with your favorite veggies and sauce for dipping.
- *In place of ground flaxseed, if you don't need this to be gluten free, I expect you can use Panko or regular breadcrumbs.
- These do reheat well! The texture of the coating is best preserved if you reheat in the oven, but the flavor is still fantastic if you use the microwave.
Did you have a go-to restaurant order as a kid? Or do you now?
Ketchup, ranch, barbecue sauce, or honey mustard? What’s your dipping sauce of choice?
These look so good! Will definitely have to try them 🙂
Thanks, Lyss! Let me know if you do 🙂
Chicken tenders/nuggets…childhood classic! Although I was the adventurous eater as a kid and refused to order anything from the kids menu!
And…KETCHUP!!! always!
Haha I knew you were a ketchup person 😉 I want to try your homemade version soon!
Mmmm chicken tenders = childhood. Cannot get enough! This recipe looks especially delicious!
Thanks, Julia!
YUM. I love the addition of parmesan cheese to the breading 🙂
Cheese has a way of making almost everything better 😀
These look so good! I have been a huge chicken tender fan since day 1, but have yet to make them at home!
Thanks, Hayley! 🙂 I always forget how easy it is – and so tasty!
love this recipe! Chicken Fingers will NEVER go out of style!
Yessss ❤️
When I was a kid my mom used to give us chicken nuggets sometimes (rarely) but this seems so easy and yummy to make for kids (as opposed to frozen or McDonalds!)
I used to eat a lot of the frozen ones, too! But homemade are tastier and so easy 🙂