Oven Baked Chicken Tenders
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Skip the messy dredging and breading process of most chicken tender recipes with this easy shake-and-bake one. These Oven Baked Chicken Tenders produce a crispy, yet healthy version that rivals any deep-fried nugget. A great chicken tender recipe that cooks straight from frozen!
Your family is gonna love these Oven Baked Chicken Tenders! Try them with some homemade Oven Fries and Roasted Broccoli for the kid-friendly meal of the century. The Old Bay seasoning lends a peppery New England hint, but even the pickiest eaters will enjoy this recipe.
What’s in the Recipe?
The ingredients are so simple! Here is what you will need to have on hand:
- Whole wheat flour
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Old Bay seasoning (omit this ingredient if you don’t want a little spicy-ness)
- Garlic powder
- Chicken tenders
- Salt and pepper
- Avocado oil (or olive oil)
Note: Find our full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and directions at the bottom of this post.
How to Freeze Chicken Tenders
One of the best things about this recipe is you can cook them straight from frozen!
It has been one of my go-to freezer meals for a long time. It’s so easy to scale up and make multiple batches at once. In fact, we love it so much that we included it in one of our 1 Hour Freezer Prep Sessions! You can check out how to make 6 meals (including two batches of these chicken tenders) below!
HOW TO FREEZE:
Add the dry ingredients to a gallon-sized freezer bag. Seal and shake to combine.
In a medium-sized bowl, season all the chicken tenders well with salt and pepper on all sides. Then toss with avocado oil or olive oil until coated.
Add several chicken tenders at a time to the bag of dry ingredients. Close and shake well to coat each piece. Place them side by side in single layers inside the bags. Use parchment paper to divide layers, if needed.
Seal, squeezing out any extra air, and freeze flat.
HOW TO PREPARE:
Cook from Frozen:
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place a sheet pan in the oven while it preheats, so it gets hot. Spray the hot sheet pan with cooking spray and place the frozen tenders on the pan, making sure they don’t touch. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time. Chicken is done when there is no longer any pink inside or it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Cooking Thawed Chicken Tenders:
Place the frozen chicken in the fridge and let thaw for about 24 hours. If you need your chicken defrosted sooner, use one of these safe thawing methods. Follow cooking steps as directed in recipe.
What to Serve with Oven Baked Chicken Tenders:
Here are some side dish ideas that would go well with this recipe!
- A dipping sauce like our Killer BBQ Sauce or Honey Dijon Dressing
- Veggie sticks with hummus or Ranch dip, cut-up fruit, peas, or microwaved sweet potatoes
- Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Ways to Mix It Up:
We love providing different ways to use staple recipes like this. Here are some ways to use your chicken tenders!
- Turn these into Chicken Parmesan! After baking, top each tender with a spoonful of marinara sauce, sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese, and bake 5 minutes more.
- Chop up to use in My Favorite Cobb Salad.
- Chop up and serve on a bed of Romaine lettuce. Top with cherry tomatoes, diced red onion, shredded cheddar cheese, croutons, and Honey Dijon Dressing or Balsamic Parmesan Dressing.
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Oven Baked Chicken Tenders
This yummy version of chicken fingers is a sure winner! Your family will love the moist chicken packed with loads of flavor. You will love the healthy twist on classic chicken fingers.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (omit this ingredient if you don’t want a little spicy-ness)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/3 lbs chicken tenders
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or olive oil)
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Cover a metal sheet pan with with foil for easy clean up, if desired. Place the pan in the preheated oven, so it gets hot.
- Meanwhile, place the flour, Parmesan cheese, Old Bay, and garlic powder in a large zip top plastic bag; shake well to combine. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, lightly season chicken tenders with salt and pepper. Then toss with the oil until coated.
- Add several chicken tenders at a time to the bag of dry ingredients. Close and shake well to coat each piece.
- Carefully remove hot sheet pan and generously grease with cooking spray. Arrange seasoned chicken tenders on the pan, leaving room between each one.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until done, turning once halfway through cooking time. Chicken is done when there is no longer any pink inside or it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Serve immediately.
Freeze For Later: Bread the chicken tenders according to Steps 2-4. Flash freeze the uncooked, coated chicken tenders by placing on a baking sheet in the freezer for 1-2 hours. Once frozen, place tenders in a gallon-sized freezer bag, squeeze out all the air, and place in the back of the freezer until ready to prepare.
Prepare From Frozen: Follow Step 1. Bake the tenders directly from frozen on the hot greased sheet pan at for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time. Chicken is done when there is no longer any pink inside or it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: about 2-3 chicken tenders per person
Could you cook all the chicken tenders and then freeze them? Then possibly just reheat in microwave? Thanks
You probably could but the texture may not be great. I haven’t tested this way, so I can’t recommend it.
For those, like me, who aren’t in the US, what is in Bay seasoning?
Hi Bec. Old Bay Seasoning is a blend of herbs and spices that is marketed in the United States by McCormick & Company, and produced in Maryland. A lot of times I just substitute something like 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs (like Italian Seasoning/basil/parsley/oregano). If you want a little more heat, throw in some cayenne pepper too.
can you thaw frozen chicken, make this and refreeze?
Yes, you absolutely can.
Can I use all purpose flour ?
Absolutely! I just try to sneak in extra nutrition where I can, so that’s why I usually use whole wheat when I dredge meats.
How long can these stay in the freezer? Thank you for putting together these recipes!
I would say up to three months as long as you have them in a very cold place in your freezer or deep freeze and they are well-packaged (i.e. not exposed to a lot of air).
hello again from Kingwood,Texas..
After only being a member with Thriving Home for a couple of months, You Rock , Rachel and Polly!!!
Just yesterday my ever supportive and loving husband and I decided for lunch to make these wonderful tenders and were praying that our beautiful and independent 7 1/2 year old princess who is autistic and epileptic (which neither one stops her) would go after these and guess what? Yep she did,, Mind you she’s not picky like I described when I first subscribed and introduced myself and told about our family.. The only thing we did not put in them was the Parmesan cheese( we both thought we were out,, guess what I found a couple of hours later in the back top shelf in the refrigerator?)..
These tenders were still really great and Cassie loved them.. We are hoping since she is on a new medication for her neurology issue that this will help with her appetite which has a little decreased but seems to be only at school .. So maybe we need to make some homemade lunches for her which she can have and maybe choose more then just having some delicious lunch for the cafeteria which are pretty healthy too..
Cannot wait to check maybe some breakfasts for her to take to school too.. Any suggestions?
We trust you both so very much..
God Bless
★★★★★
Sweet Lydia, thank you so much for your encouraging story. We exist to help families like yours. I’m so glad to hear that your daughter liked the Chicken Tenders, even minus the Parmesan cheese. 😉 Some breakfast ideas: Mini Breakfast Muffins, Breakfast Sandwiches, Banana Pumpkin Muffins, or the Pumpkin Muffins with Crumble Topping might be some good starters for grab-and-go breakfasts. Would love to hear what works for you! Have a great day.
Do i need to flash freeze or can i just put them directly into the gallon bag after i coat the chicken?
Flash freeze ensures they don’t stick, but I cheat most of the time and just lay them in a single layer and separate layers with parchment paper.
What is Old Bay Seasoning? Is there a good substitute for it?
It’s actually a dried seasoning used in a lot of seafood and cajun food dishes. You can find it in the seasoning aisle. But, a lot of times I just substitute something like 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs (like Italian Seasoning/basil/parsley/oregano). If you want a little more heat, throw in some cayenne pepper too.