Crispy Baked Chicken Tenders (Printable)
Juicy baked chicken tenders coated with crunchy crumbs and served with honey mustard sauce.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken Tenders
01 - 1 pound chicken tenders or boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
02 - 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
03 - 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
04 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
05 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
06 - 1 teaspoon paprika
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
08 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
09 - 2 large eggs
10 - 2 tablespoons milk
11 - 2 tablespoons olive oil, for drizzling or spraying
→ Honey Mustard Sauce
12 - 1/4 cup mayonnaise
13 - 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
14 - 2 tablespoons honey
15 - 1 teaspoon lemon juice
16 - Pinch of salt
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper; lightly grease the surface with oil or nonstick cooking spray.
02 - Combine panko, plain breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper in a shallow bowl; mix thoroughly.
03 - Whisk together eggs and milk in a separate bowl until fully combined.
04 - Pat chicken strips dry and dip each first into the egg mixture, then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently to ensure an even coating.
05 - Place coated chicken on the prepared sheet and drizzle or spray evenly with olive oil for enhanced crispness.
06 - Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through; chicken is done when golden and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
07 - While chicken bakes, whisk together mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, honey, lemon juice, and salt until smooth and creamy.
08 - Serve the hot chicken tenders alongside the honey mustard dipping sauce.
# Helpful Tips:
01 -
- They're genuinely crispy without the grease splatter that comes with frying, which means less cleanup and more time enjoying the meal.
- The honey mustard sauce tastes like you spent an hour perfecting it when it honestly takes two minutes to whisk together.
02 -
- The oil spray or drizzle isn't optional—without it, you'll get a dry, pale coating instead of the crispy golden exterior that makes this recipe worth making.
- Pat the chicken dry before dredging, or you'll end up with a gummy, sad coating that steams instead of crisps.
03 -
- Make the honey mustard sauce ahead and store it in a jar in the fridge for up to a week—it actually tastes better after a day when the flavors have had time to marry.
- If you have leftover tenders, let them cool completely before refrigerating, and reheat them in a 350°F oven for five minutes to restore their crispiness instead of microwaving, which turns them rubbery.