Crispy Baked Chicken Tenders
These tenders are equally kid- and adult-friendly. The key to the crispy coating is browning the panko (mixed with a little melted butter and parmesan) on its own before using it to coat the chicken. You’ll need a rimmed baking sheet and a wire rack that fits inside.
Calories: 458kcal
Ingredients
For the chicken tenders
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- A few good grinds black pepper
- ¼ cup grated parmesan divided
- 1 ½ pounds chicken tenders about 12
- 1 ½ cups panko
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
To make sandwiches
- 4 good rolls
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 full-sour pickle minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- A few good grinds black pepper
- Shredded Romaine lettuce
- Hot sauce such as Frank's Red Hot to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F with a rack in the center.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together mayo, garlic, lemon juice, mustard, salt, some pepper and two tablespoons of the parmesan.
- Dry chicken well with paper towels. Remove tough tendons. (See note.)
- Add chicken and stir to coat well. Set aside.
- On a rimmed baking sheet, mix together the panko, remaining two tablespoons parmesan and the butter with your hands. Spread out in a single layer and bake for about 4 minutes, depending on your oven, watching very carefully to prevent burning, until just about browned to your liking.
- Pour browned panko onto a large plate or into a wide, shallow bowl. Place wire rack onto baking sheet.
- Use tongs to remove each chicken tender from the bowl and dredge in panko until well coated, then lay on wire rack with a little bit of space between tenders.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, until chicken is just cooked through. There's no need to flip them.
- Serve right away with ketchup or dipping sauce of your choice (if you like — the chicken is nice and flavorful on its own).
If you'd like to make sandwiches
- Split each roll lengthwise, leaving attached at the bottom.
- In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, minced pickle, lemon juice and black pepper.
- Spread sauce over inside bun faces.
- Place three warm baked chicken tenders in each roll and top with lettuce and hot sauce.
- Serve right away.
Video
Notes
- To remove the tough tendons from tenders: Slip the tendon between two tines of a fork. Using a paper towel, grab the tip of the tendon firmly with the other hand. Push down with the fork, and the tendon will strip away from the tender in one piece.
- The breadcrumbs won’t brown much more at all once they're on the chicken, so brown them to your liking in the first stage.
- You can make these up to a few hours in advance and serve at room temperature if you like.
- Store any leftovers tightly sealed in the fridge for up to three days. Recrisp in a low oven or toaster oven before serving if you like.
Nutrition
Calories: 458kcal | Carbohydrates: 10.8g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 26.3g | Fiber: 0.7g