Baked Chicken Tenders are your family’s new favorite dinner. Skip the frying and still end up with crunchy tenders!
One of my kids is totally obsessed with chicken tenders. They order them every time we go out to dinner. But breaded chicken tenders are so easy to make at home. I don’t love frying – all of the oil, the kitchen smell – none of it is my favorite. That is why I love these delicious baked chicken tenders. They cook up in the oven and are still just as crunchy as you want them to be.
How to Make Chicken Tenders
Here is a brief overview of how this oven-baked chicken tenders recipe comes together. For the full recipe including all measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Make the breading mixture. In a food processor combine the cereal, bread crumbs, vegetable oil, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and mustard. Mix until well combined.
- Prepare your breading station. Spread the flour on a plate. In a pie plate or small baking dish, whisk together the buttermilk and eggs and set it beside the flour. After that place another pie plate filled with the cornflake breading mixture.
- Bread the chicken tenders. Working with one or two chicken tenders at a time, place them in the flour, making sure they are fully coated. Next, dip them in the buttermilk mixture. Finally, coat them in the breading mixture and place them on the prepared wire rack.
- Bake the chicken tenders. Bake the chicken for 15 minutes or until it registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Serve the baked chicken strips with your favorite dipping sauce; I share some ideas below.
How to Make Breadcrumbs
If you don’t keep breadcrumbs on hand, it is super easy to make them using old or stale bread. You can even season them! I love using them in my Italian Meatballs. The breadcrumb mixture in this recipe gives the chicken strips a crunchy outside packed with flavor.
How to Make Breadcrumbs
Buttermilk Alternative
If you don’t keep buttermilk on hand, I have a great way to make a substitute with two simple ingredients. Combining milk and lemon juice (or vinegar) and letting it sit for five minutes results in a thicker, tangy milk that is a great swap for recipes like this one.
How to Make Buttermilk
How Long to Bake Chicken Tenders in The Oven
The key when cooking chicken for any recipe is to cook it until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the meat reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This ensures that it is cooked enough for food safety purposes, and prevents it from being overcooked and dry.
Baking chicken tenders at 400 degrees will take about 15 minutes, but the best way to know exactly when to take your crispy chicken tenders out of the oven is to use an instant-read meat thermometer. I’ll link the one I have and love below.
Instant-Read Meat Thermomter
Dipping Sauces
Serve your homemade chicken tenders alone, with ketchup, or any of these delicious homemade sauces.
Chick Fil A Sauce Recipe
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Store any leftover baked chicken strips in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. My favorite way to reheat them is in the air fryer at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes, watching them so they don’t burn. You can also use the oven or microwave to reheat leftover chicken strips. These would be delicious on top of salads or to make a breaded chicken sandwich.
Freezing Chicken Tenders
Want to keep some of these homemade chicken strips in your freezer for a quick meal? Place the cooked chicken tenders in a freezer-safe bag or container in the freezer for up to three months. Grab out as many as you’d like to make and heat them up in the oven or air fryer at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Remember you should never reheat something that has been cooked more than once.
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
If you’d prefer to make homemade chicken tenders in your air fryer rather than the oven, I have a great recipe for that. Bake them in batches in your air fryer at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until the chicken registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure to spray the air fryer basket and the chicken tenders with cooking spray before cooking them.
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
What to Serve With Chicken Tenders
If you make these breaded chicken tenders or any of my other recipes, I’d love to hear what you think! It makes my day to read your comments about how you enjoy my recipes.
Baked Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
For Chicken Tenders
- 2 pounds chicken tenderloins (907.2 grams)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups corn flakes cereal (60 grams)
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (133 grams)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (49.5 grams)
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard powder
- 1 cup buttermilk (227 grams)
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup all purpose flour (120 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and then place a wire cooling rack in the pan. Spray with cooking spray and set aside.
- Pat the chicken very dry. Season it with salt and pepper and set aside.2 pounds chicken tenderloins, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- In a food processor combine the ingredients for the breading mixture: cereal, breadcrumbs, vegetable oil, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and mustard.2 cups corn flakes cereal, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard powder
- In a pie plate or small baking dish, whisk together the buttermilk and eggs.1 cup buttermilk, 2 eggs
- Set up your breading station. Spread the flour on a plate. Next to that plate place the pie plate with the buttermilk mixture. After that place another pie plate and fill it with the cornflake base breading mixture.1 cup all purpose flour
- Working with 1 or 2 chicken tenders at a time, place them in the flour, making sure they are fully coated. Next, dip them in the buttermilk mixture. Finally, coat them in the breading mixture and place them on the prepared wire rack.
- Bake the chicken for 15 minutes or until it registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit with an instant read thermometer. Serve with my amazing BBQ sauce, Chick Fil A Sauce, Ranch dressing, or any of your favorite dipping sauces.
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