Crunchy Baked Parmesan Chicken Tenders
These crunchy baked parmesan chicken tenders are perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal or as an appetizer!
If you ever have a craving for fried chicken tenders, or you have kids that love chicken fingers or nuggets, try making this baked version for a meal that’s quick, tasty, and of course, much healthier!
The secret to these crispy baked chicken tenders is their coating, which is made from toasted panko crumbs. Panko is generally used in Japanese cooking and it can be found in the Asian foods aisle of the grocery store.
The recipe is very simple to create with just a few simple steps. Start by toasting the panko crumbs until they’re golden brown. This process should take about 7 minutes, until most of the crumbs are evenly browned (there will be some pale, lightly toasted crumbs mixed in, but that’s okay!).
Pour the toasted panko crumbs in a bowl and season with salt, pepper, dried oregano, and parmesan. Set aside for a moment.
Whisk the egg and mustard together in a bowl, then pour some flour in a separate bowl. Dredge the raw chicken strips by rolling them in the flour, dipping them in the egg and mustard mixture, then coating them in the seasoned panko crumbs. (Here’s a tip: use one hand to handle the dry ingredients, and use the other to dip the chicken in the liquid mixture. If both hands get wet, the flour and panko crumbs will cling and make the dredging process a bit messier!) Place the strips on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, then pop them in the oven.
Once the chicken fingers are out of the oven, I like to sprinkle them with fresh parsley for a touch of color and flavor.
Then, comes the fun part… choosing the dipping sauce!
These go great with barbecue sauce, sweet and sour sauce, and even plain old ketchup. But my favorite is homemade honey mustard sauce, which is as easy to make as it is delicious. Just stir together Greek yogurt, honey, and mustard for a sweet and tangy dip that’ll make these tasty tenders even more addictive!
Aside from being yummy, healthy, and easy to make, I love this recipe because it makes the best leftovers. Add sliced chicken fingers to salads for perfect, portable lunches. You can also freeze a batch of these tenders, which will keep for two to three months. On busy nights, just pull them out, bake from frozen and have dinner on the table in 15/20 minutes!
More easy chicken recipes
- Crispy Baked Chicken Breasts
- Chicken Taco Bowls
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajita Rice Bowls
- Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
If you give these crunchy baked parmesan chicken tenders a try, let me know what you think. Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to take a picture and share it on my Facebook page or tag it #aseasyasapplepie on Instagram! I love seeing what you come up with!
How To Make It: Crunchy Baked Parmesan Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
For the breadcrumb:
- 1¼ cup (65 g) panko breadcrumbs
- 1¼ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the chicken tenders:
- 1 lb. (500 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into strips
- ⅓ cup (40 g) all purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon Dijion mustard
- 2 tablespoons water
- olive oil spray
For the honey mustard dipping sauce
- ½ cup (140 g) 0% fat Greek yogurt plain
- 2 tablespoons Dijion mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Toast the panko breadcrumbs:
- In a large skillet, toss the panko with the oil. Toast over medium-high heat until golden brown, about 6-7 minutes. Stir constantly to avoid burning.Transfer the toasted crumbs to a shallow dish, then add parmesan, oregano, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine.
Prepare the chicken:
- In a second shallow dish, whisk together the egg, dijon mustard, and water.
- Place the flour in a third shallow plate.
- Working one at a time, dredge the chicken strips by rolling them in the flour, dipping them in the egg and mustard mixture, then coating them in the seasoned panko crumbs.
- Place the chicken on the prepared baking sheet and spray lightly with oil.
- Bake for 15-16 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. Baking times vary depending on thickness of the chicken.
Make the honey mustard dipping sauce:
- While chicken is cooking, prepare the dipping sauce. Stir all the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Sprinkle the parmesan chicken tenders with fresh parsley and serve hot with the dipping sauce.
These sound delicious. What would be great is if you were able to include WW points in all your recipes like Chocolate Covered Katie does. It makes it a god send for us WW people.
Hi Susan! Thank you for your suggestion.
This recipe has 7 Weight Watchers Points Plus per serving (1 serving = 3 chicken tenders without dipping sauce).