Crispy Baked Chicken Tenders
Crispy oven baked chicken tenders made with tenderloins soaked in buttermilk then seasoned with panko coating. Juicy inside, golden outside, and perfect for an easy family dinner.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Breading
- 1 ½ cups panko crumbs , see notes
- 2 Tablespoons grated parmesan , optional but recomended
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- spray olive oil , or drizzle
Optional: Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together buttermilk, salt, garlic powder and paprika. Soak chicken in buttermilk for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Move the oven rack one spot up from the center position. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet and spray generously with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a shallow bowl mix 1 cup panko, 2 Tablespoon parmesan, 1 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon paprika. Using tongs, transfer the chicken into the bowl and press down the crumbs to adhere.
- Place chicken on the wire rack. Spray generously with olive oil (or drizzle some over top). Bake 10 minutes. Flip and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the center reads 165°F and the tops are crisp. Be careful not to overcook or they won't be as tender.
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve immediately, or return to a wire rack in a 170°F oven to keep warm and crispy until ready to serve.
Notes
Bread crumbs: To get your chicken tenders more of a golden color, place the bread crumbs on a pan and spray with oil. Bake 3 minutes or until golden and then set aside for dipping.
Dip: Here's a quick recipe for my honey mustard sauce.
Crispy: You can turn the oven to broil for the final minute of cooking to get an extra-crispy texture. Watch closely so they don't burn. Remove from the oven when golden brown.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat in the air fry for crispy results.
Recipe change: We replaced the extra flour with more crumbs to make these tenders more crispy. 7/27/26
Nutrition
Serving: 2tenders, Calories: 168kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 52mg, Sodium: 1023mg, Potassium: 353mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 194IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 71mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
