Chicken Tenders

These homemade chicken tenders are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and full of comforting flavor. They come together quickly with simple ingredients and deliver that perfect golden crunch every time—no store-bought box can compare.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings: 4

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Calories: 172

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

Cooking spray

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 ¼ cups panko breadcrumbs

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken tenders, sliced lengthwise into ½-inch strips

Method

Prep the oven and tray

Heat your oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a baking sheet with foil and give it a light coat of cooking spray so nothing sticks.

Set up your coating stations

Pour the beaten egg into a shallow bowl.

In a large zip-top bag, combine the panko, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Seal the bag and shake it to mix everything well.

Coat the chicken

Drop a couple of chicken strips into the egg, making sure they’re coated on all sides.

Transfer them to the bag with the seasoned panko, seal it again, and shake until the pieces are fully covered.

Arrange the coated pieces on your prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the chicken is done.

Add a light spray

Mist the tops of the tenders with cooking spray—just a quick pass helps them crisp up in the oven.

Bake

Bake for 7 minutes, flip the pieces, then bake for another 7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the coating feels crisp.

Optional: Broil for extra crunch

Move the oven rack closer to the heat source and turn on the broiler.

Broil the chicken for 1–2 minutes, just until the coating turns golden and extra crunchy.

Serve

Enjoy the tenders while they’re hot.