Chicken Tenders Recipe
Oven-baked chicken tenders coated in whole wheat Panko with a honey-mustard dip.
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoonkosher saltplus 1/2 teaspoon divided
- 2 teaspoonssmoked paprikadivided
- 1 teaspoononion powderdivided
- 1 teaspoongarlic powderdivided
- 1 tablespoonhoney
- 1 cuplow fat buttermilk*
- 1 1/2 poundschicken tenderloinsor boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 3/4-inch strips about 12 strips total
- 2 cupswhole wheat Panko bread crumbsif you can’t find whole wheat swap regular Panko*
- 2 tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
- 2 egg whites lightly beatenor 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoonDijon mustard
- 1/2 cupnon-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoonsDijon mustard
- 1 tablespoonhoneyplus 1 teaspoon plus additional to taste
- Pinchsalt
Instructions
Instructions
- In a large bowl whisk together 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon honey, and 1 cup low-fat buttermilk until smooth. Add the 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins (or chicken breasts cut into 3/4-inch strips), toss to coat, and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Do not let the chicken sit longer than 30 minutes or it will become too salty.
- While the chicken marinates, in a large shallow dish combine 2 cups whole wheat Panko bread crumbs, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. Drizzle 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over the crumbs and toss until the crumbs are evenly moistened.
- In a second shallow dish whisk together 2 egg whites (lightly beaten) or 1 large egg and 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard until blended.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, place an ovenproof wire rack on top of the sheet, and coat the rack with cooking spray.
- Arrange your station left to right: egg-white mixture, breadcrumb mixture, then the prepared baking sheet and rack. Working in small batches, use one hand as the “wet” hand and one hand as the “dry” hand to avoid cross-contamination.
- Using your wet hand, remove a few pieces of chicken from the marinade and shake off excess. Dip each piece into the egg-white mixture, turning to coat all sides. Transfer to the Panko mixture and, using your dry hand, press crumbs onto all sides so the chicken is well coated. Place coated pieces on the wire rack, leaving a little space between each. Repeat until all chicken is coated.
- Bake the chicken on the rack until golden brown and the juices run clear, 15–20 minutes.
- While the chicken bakes, stir together the dip: 1/2 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon honey plus 1 teaspoon honey, and a pinch of salt. Taste and add additional honey to your preference.
- Serve the chicken tenders hot or at room temperature with the honey-mustard dip.
Equipment
- Large Bowl
- large shallow dish
- second shallow dish
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Foil
- ovenproof wire rack
- Cooking spray
Notes
No buttermilk? Stir 1 cup regular milk (1% or 2% is preferable) together with 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice and let sit 5 minutes. Stir once more then use in the recipe as directed.
You can also use regular, unseasoned breadcrumbs in place of Panko, but the chicken tenders will not be as crispy.
Nutritional information for this recipe is a rough estimate, because much of the marinade is discarded. Use this information as a guide only. You can also calculate it yourself and tweak ingredient amounts at myfitnesspal.com
TO STORE: Refrigerate baked chicken tenders in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
TO REHEAT: Reheat leftovers in the oven at 350 degrees F or in the air fryer. In a pinch, you can use the microwave, but the exterior won’t be as crispy.
TO FREEZE: Arrange the chicken tenders in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze just until solid, then transfer the frozen tenders to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat directly from frozen.
You can also use regular, unseasoned breadcrumbs in place of Panko, but the chicken tenders will not be as crispy.
Nutritional information for this recipe is a rough estimate, because much of the marinade is discarded. Use this information as a guide only. You can also calculate it yourself and tweak ingredient amounts at myfitnesspal.com
TO STORE: Refrigerate baked chicken tenders in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
TO REHEAT: Reheat leftovers in the oven at 350 degrees F or in the air fryer. In a pinch, you can use the microwave, but the exterior won’t be as crispy.
TO FREEZE: Arrange the chicken tenders in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze just until solid, then transfer the frozen tenders to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat directly from frozen.