How to Video
Southwest Chicken Tenders
These southwest chicken tenders are sure to please all the eaters in your house. They are full of flavor but not spicy.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup avocado oil or olive oil
- 1/3 cup apple cider or white vinegar (Gluten-Free: Make sure your vinegar is gluten-free.)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (ground)
- 12 raw chicken breast tenders (approximately 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 pounds)
- Optional: a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to add a little heat
Instructions
- Prep: Combine all ingredients except the chicken in a large zip top bag, seal, and shake/massage the bag to combine the marinade. Then, add in the chicken tenders, seal, and shake/massage again.
- Marinate: Place bag in a dish and set in the refrigerator. Let chicken marinate for 2 to 24 hours, occasionally turning the bag to evenly distribute the marinade. Do not marinate longer than this.
- Cook: Cook the chicken tenders using one of the following two methods. Chicken is done when you cut into it and there is no more pink or it registers 165°F internally.- Grill: Grill chicken tenders over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes per side.- Bake: Preheat oven to 425°F. Bake on a sheet pan for about 15 minutes, flipping half way through.
- Enjoy these warm on their own or serve on a wrap, burritos bowl, salad, nachos, or with Southwest Ranch Sauce.
Freezer Instructions
Freeze For Later: Follow Step 1. Seal and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw. Cook the chicken according to Step 3.
Notes/Tips
How to Know If Chicken Is Done: Chicken is done when it reaches 165°F internal temperature. A digital meat thermometer is a must to help cook chicken perfectly! Another way to tell is if it has no more pink inside when you slice into the middle.
How to Safely Turn the Marinade Into Sauce: To kill all the raw chicken germs, be sure to bring the marinade to a rolling boil in a pot on the stove for at least 1 minute, according to the CDC. We’d suggest straining it after boiling to remove any chicken pieces.
Ideas for Serving Southwest Chicken Tenders: Make Chicken Burrito Bowls, serve on our Mexican Chopped Salad, make Shredded Chicken Nachos (or tacos), or serve it over our Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice.
Where We Get Our Chicken: We get our meat from ButcherBox. The chicken is organic and curated from small, trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, wild salmon, and grass-fed beef–and have used it for years ourselves.
More Chicken Marinades to Try: Try some of our other favorite healthy chicken marinades to mix things up:
Nutrition
Serving: 3 tenders | Calories: 370 kcal (19%) | Carbohydrates: 3 g (1%) | Protein: 37 g (74%) | Fat: 23 g (35%) | Cholesterol: 109 mg (36%) | Sodium: 798 mg (35%) | Fiber: 1 g (4%) | Sugar: 0.2 g
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