Baked Chicken Tenders Recipe
Oven baked chicken tenders are quick and kid-friendly - with no breading! This 30-minute recipe uses chicken tenderloins for a fast, easy, healthy dinner.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 177kcal
Equipment
- shallow baking dish or rimmed baking sheet
- dipping trays Ziploc bags, or plates
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons melted butter or cooking oil
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoons paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1½ pounds chicken tenderloins fresh or frozen *for frozen, see Notes below
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF or Air Fryer to 325ºF. Prepare the shallow casserole dish or baking sheet by spraying with cooking oil or use parchment paper.
- Add seasonings to a ziplock bag, dipping tray, or plate. Use a separate bag, tray, or plate for the melted butter or oil.
- Dry the chicken pieces before dipping, dip the chicken strips in the butter or oil to coat on all sides. Let excess butter slide off before dipping them into the seasoning.
- Place dipped chicken on the prepared casserole pan or baking sheet in a single layer. Add fresh or frozen green beans, asparagus, broccoli, or small diced potatoes (see below) to the sheet, if desired.
Baking Instructions
- Bake for 15- 20 minutes, until the chicken tenders reach an internal temperature of 165ºF in the center. Serve the chicken tenders warm with your favorite dipping sauces like ranch, BBQ, or honey mustard.
Air Fry Instructions
- Air fry the chicken tenderloins for 10-15 minutes. Check the internal temperature of the chicken strips to ensure they are 165º internally before serving.
- Serve the chicken tenders warm with your favorite dipping sauces like ranch, BBQ, or honey mustard.
Video
Notes
Add 3 minutes baking time for frozen chicken tenderloins.
If using diced potatoes, ensure that the size of the potatoes are less than 1" dice so they will be baked through.
Recipe FAQs:
TFN Pro Tip:
- Can I make frozen chicken tenderloins in the oven? Since they're small, thin slices of chicken, baking chicken tenderloins from frozen is easy! Just add 3 minutes of baking time and check the internal temperature of the chicken to be sure it is 165ºF.
- What temp should chicken tenderloins be cooked at? Bake them at 350ºF or air fryer them at 325ºF for tender, juicy poultry.
- How long to bake chicken tenders? Bake for 15- 20 minutes, or air fry for 10-15 minutes. Check the internal temperature in the center chicken strips to ensure they are 165º internally before serving.
- Chicken tenderloin vs breast: What is the difference? Chicken tenderloins are small, triangular-shaped cuts of meat attached to chicken breasts. They are ideal for quick cooking methods like grilling, broiling, or stir-frying. Chicken breasts are much larger than tenderloin. They are popular and versatile, but they have longer cooking times. If you do not have tenderloins on hand, an easy substitution is to cut a chicken breast into finger-size strips.
- Dry the poultry before dipping! This allows the butter and seasonings to adhere better and gives our oven-baked chicken tenders a crispy exterior but are tender and juicy inside - with no breading.
- Mix up the spices – use your preferred spices. Feel free to swap or add spices, like Italian seasonings, chili powder, cumin, or cayenne pepper for some heat.
- Air fryer chicken tenders – the instructions are in the recipe below!
Nutrition
Serving: 4ounces | Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 327mg | Potassium: 441mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg