Is there anything better than a chicken tendy? These Baked Chicken Tenders are the bomb. They’re crispy, they’re easy, and your whole family will love them. The best part about making homemade chicken tenders is that you can also feel confident about what’s in them. Storebought chicken tenders often have a lot of misc ingredients you can’t pronounce. These are fresh, healthy, and taste even better!

❤️ Why You’ll Love Baked Chicken Tenders

• Quick Prep: These Baked Chicken Tenders will only take you about 15 minutes to prep. They are so easy and delicious.
• Healthier: The best part about making homemade chicken tenders is that you can feel confident about the ingredients that you are cooking with and feeding your family.
• Versatile: I made these Chicken Tenders with a Homemade Caesar Dressing that’s so damn good but you can serve these with whatever your fav dipping sauce is.

🍲 Ingredients

Chicken – The key ingredient to Baked Chicken Tenders is chicken! I use chicken breasts and slice them thinly to make the tender shape we know and love. Chicken is a lean source of protein and making Chicken Tenders is a great way to get your kids eating a protein-packed meal that you can feel good about (and that they’ll love).

Homemade Caesar Dressing – I love this dressing it’s so perfect for dipping. It’s made with mayo, mustard, parmesan, and of course, garlic and lemon. It’s creamy and flavorful but you can also serve these Chicken Tenders with ketchup, BBQ sauce, plum sauce, or whatever you prefer.

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Hemp Hearts – Hemp hearts are so good for you and I’ve snuck them into the breadcrumb mixture in this recipe for an added nutritional boost. Hemp hearts are a source of protein and nine essential amino acids. They are also rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

👩‍🍳 How to Make Baked Chicken Tenders

1. Preheat the oven to 400F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Make the caesar dressing dip by mixing all of the caesar dressing dip ingredients and set aside in the fridge.
3. Prepare the breading stations:a) In a low bowl or shallow dish mix together ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs, 2 tbsp hemp hearts, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp ground pepper, ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese and zest from one lemon. Set aside.b) In a second shallow dish or low bowl mix together ¾ cup all-purpose flour, 2 tsp onion powder, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper.c) In a third shallow dish or low bowl whisk together the 2 eggs and 1 tsp anchovy paste until well blended.
4. Bread the chicken tenders: Dip each piece of chicken into the flour and toss to coat. Next, dip into the egg wash, letting excess egg drip off. Finally, place the piece of chicken in the panko mixture and press gently to adhere the breadcrumbs. Add each breaded chicken tender to the parchment-lined sheet pan.
5. Spray the tops of the chicken tenders with cooking spray.
6. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through to 165F. Serve with caesar dressing for dipping!

🗒 Tips and Tricks

• Hemp Hearts: If you don’t have hemp hearts, substitute with the same amount of breadcrumbs.
• Chicken Nuggets: If you love this recipe, try our Greek Style Homemade Chicken Nuggets.
• Don’t Overcrowd: Don’t overcrowd the pan or air fryer. This lowers the temperature and leads to uneven cooking.
• Serving: Chicken Tenders go great with a salad, french fries, or veggies & dip.

🗒 Substitutions

• Breadcrumbs: You can just use regular breadcrumbs to coat these Chicken Tenders if you don’t want to add any seasoning or additional ingredients to it.
• Dip: Swap the Homemade Caesar Dressing for dipping for whatever you like – BBQ sauce, ketchup, and plum sauce are all great options.
• Anchovy Paste: If you don’t have anchovy paste you can just use the egg without it to help the breadcrumbs stick to your Chicken Tenders.

🗒 Best served with

• Serve alongside a delicious salad like Maroulosalata aka my Mama’s Salad for a full meal!
• Make a whole appetizer spread by pairing these Chicken Tenders with our Greek Meatball Recipe (Keftedes) and Spicy Greek Feta Dip (Tirokafteri).

👝 How to Store Leftovers

Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze leftovers for an easy, quick after-school snack or meal during the busy weeknights.

🤔 Common Questions

Baked Chicken Tenders (with Homemade Caesar Dressing)

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These Backed Chicken Tenders are healthy and delicious. I love to serve them with Homemade Caesar Dressing for an added pop of flavor.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Main

Cuisine American-Inspired

Servings 3 -4 people

Calories 978 kcal

Ingredients

  

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For the Caesar dressing

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 3 garlic cloves minced or grated
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp regular Worcestershire Sauce
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper

For the chicken

• 1 1/2 lbs (650-700 grams) chicken breasts, cut into 3 inch long x 1/2 inch thick pieces

For the breadcrumbs mixture

• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp hemp hearts
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• zest from 1 lemon

For the flour mixture

• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper

For the egg mixture

• 2 eggs, whisked
• 1 tsp anchovy paste

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Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 400F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Make the caesar dressing dip by mixing together all of the caesar dressing dip ingredients and set aside in the fridge.
• Prepare the breading stations:

  a) In a low bowl or shallow dish mix together ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs, 2 tbsp hemp hearts, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp ground pepper, ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese and zest from one lemon. Set aside.

  b) In a second shallow dish or low bowl mix together ¾ cup all purpose flour, 2 tsp onion powder, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper.

  c) In a third shallow dish or low bowl whisk together the 2 eggs and 1 tsp anchovy paste until well blended.
• Bread the chicken tenders: Dip each piece of chicken into the flour and toss to coat. Next, dip into the egg wash, letting excess egg drip off. Finally place the piece of chicken in the panko mixture and press gently to adhere the breadcrumbs. Add each breaded chicken tender to the parchment lined sheet pan.
• Spray the tops of the chicken tenders with cooking spray.
• Bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through to 165F. Serve with caesar dressing for dipping!

Notes

• If you don’t have hemp hearts, substitute with the same amount of breadcrumbs.
• We love these chicken tenders as an fun appetizer! Or, make a whole appetizer spread by pairing with our Greek Meatball Recipe (Keftedes) and Spicy Greek Feta Dip (Tirokafteri)
• Serve alongside a delicious salad like Maroulosalata aka my Mama’s Salad for a full meal!
• If you love this recipe, try our Greek Style Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Nutrition

Calories: 978kcal | Carbohydrates: 45.6g | Protein: 55.3g | Fat: 63.2g | Saturated Fat: 11.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 30.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17.9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 247.8mg | Sodium: 1626.3mg | Fiber: 3.2g | Sugar: 3.1g

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