My recipe for chicken tenders in oven are sure to be a new family favorite. My homemade mix tastes just like Shake-and-Bake but with out all the additives. The chicken strips are baked in the oven and done from start to finish in just 30 minutes time.
My baked chicken strip with breading recipe is one of my favorite go-to dinners. These plump and juicy chicken strips only take 30 minutes from start to finish to make.
I rarely ever make breaded chicken that is baked. It’s either baked naked with seasoning on it, grilled, air fried, or sauteed in a pan. I originally found this recipe in a magazine years ago. It looked homey and comforting and best of all low-calorie.
The super-crunchy chicken reminded me of the Shake-n-Bake chicken my mom would make when I was a kid. Nothing wrong with Shake-n-Bake. Let’s just put that out there. The calories in such crispy chicken mixture isn’t so great for us. Why not recreate an old favorite and be able to control what is going into it? I can attest that this chicken is 100 times better the new and improved homemade way.
PRO TIP: If you are wondering how we achieve the crunchiness to the chicken I’m here to share my secret. Cornflakes! Which I wrote a whole other post on how my mom use to make what we called cornflake chicken when I was a kid. Those are chicken breast and have a few similiar ingredients, but not exactly the same as this recipe.
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Why this Recipe Works
Crispy Coating Without the Grease – Baking chicken tenders in the oven with a well-seasoned crunchy crumb coating gives you the same satisfying crunch as frying, but without the excess oil. By using a wire rack or flipping halfway through, you ensure even browning and crispiness on all sides.
Healthier Cooking Method – Oven baking allows you to enjoy the deliciousness of chicken tenders without the extra calories and fat from deep frying. This makes them a better option for those watching their diet or wanting a kid-friendly meal that’s also nutritious.
Convenience and Consistency – Cooking chicken tenders in the oven is hands-off and easy to control. Set the oven to the right temperature, and you don’t have to babysit the stove. It’s also a more consistent cooking method, ensuring the chicken is tender and juicy on the inside while perfectly cooked through.
Ingredients
- Fat-free buttermilk – Any buttermilk will work, but fat-free is how we keep this lower calorie.
- Egg white – This will help cut calories by eliminating the yoke.
- Hot pepper sauce – A little spice that will flavor without the heat.
- Boneless skinless chicken strips – I use the chicken tenderloins so I don’t have to spend time cutting chicken breast.
- Cornflakes – Yes, you read that correctly. This is how you will achieve the ultimate crunch.
- Seasonings: Here are all the seasoning I use to season the cornflakes; paprika, thyme, garlic powder, salt
- Nonstick cooking spray – You’ll want this for the sheet pan so the chicken doesn’t stick. You can even spray a little on top of the chicken before baking for a “fried” taste.
How to Cook Chicken Tenderloins in Oven
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
While oven is preheating, mix buttermilk egg white and hot pepper sauce in a deep bowl: mix well until incorporated.
Rinse off chicken strips and add them to the buttermilk mixture. Let them sit while you prepare the crunchy mixture.
In a large food processor add cornflake cereal, paprika, fresh thyme, garlic powder, and salt. Pulse until you have crumbs and all the seasonings have been incorporated together. Carefully pour the bread crumb mixture into a shallow plate.
Line a baking sheet with a Silpat (or aluminum foil) then place a metal cookie cooling wire rack on top of the lined baking sheet. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Then, begin assembling the chicken. One-by-one place the buttermilk chicken into the shallow plate and coat with crumb mixture. Then place on to the wire rack. Repeat until all the chicken strips have been covered and are on the wire rack.
Bake for 20 minutes or until crumb coating is crusty and browned and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees.
FAQs
This all depends on how many chicken tenderloins come in the one pound package. I typically get 8-10 tenderloins in my packages.
Chicken should always be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. You can check the internal temperature by using a meat thermometer.
Yes, you can cook chicken at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Just know your recipe will take a little longer. For this chicken strip recipe you will want to cook it at 400 degrees to achieve the crispiness.
Do not cover this chicken recipe. It will make the chicken strips soggy. Keep them uncovered so they can crisp up.
My baked chicken strips have roughly 238 calories per chicken strip. Calories will vary depending on ingredients used and method of cooking (i.e., baking, air fried, fried, etc.).
Expert Tips
Here are a few of my tips and tricks I’ve learned when making baked chicken tenderloins.
- Gluten Free – You can make this gluten free by using a gluten free corn check cereal.
- Buttermilk – I like to soak the chicken in buttermilk as it tends to tenderize the chicken prior to cooking.
- Wire Rack – To ensure for an extra crispy coating of the chicken you will want to bake the chicken strips on a wire rack that is placed on top of a baking sheet. Make sure to spray the wire rack with non-stick cooking spray so the chicken doesn’t stick to the rack.
- Serving Suggestions – I served the Crunchy-Baked Chicken Strips with Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes and Cauliflower, Smoked Paprika and Shallot Brussels sprouts, and green beans. You can go low key with Air Fryer french fries, too. You can also check out my round-up of 17 sides for chicken strips!
- Yield: This recipe makes 8 chicken strips but
Chicken Tender Dipping Sauce
These recipes are great options for dipping sauces:
If you make this healthy baked chicken strips recipe, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a ⭐ star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!
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Chicken Tenders in Oven
Equipment
- Measuring Spoons
- Liquid Measuring Cup
- Shallow Dish
- Cookie Sheet
- Wire Rack
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1-½ cups fat-free buttermilk
- 1 egg white
- 3 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken strips
- 3 cups Cornflakes Cereal
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- While oven is preheating, mix buttermilk egg white and hot pepper sauce in a deep bowl: mix well until incorporated. Rinse off chicken strips and add them to the buttermilk mixture. Let them sit while you prepare the crunchy mixture.
- In a large food processor add Cornflake cereal, paprika, fresh thyme, garlic powder, and salt. Pulse until you have crumbs and all the seasonings have been incorporated together. Carefully pour the bread crumb mixture into a shallow plate.
- Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat (or aluminum foil) then place a metal cookie cooling wire rack on top of the lined baking sheet. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Then, begin assembling the chicken. One-by-one place the buttermilk chicken into the shallow plate and coat with crumb mixture. Then place on to the wire rack. Repeat until all the chicken strips have been covered and are on the wire rack.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until crumb coating is crusty and browned and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees.
Notes
- Yield: This recipe makes 8 chicken strips.
- Gluten Free – You can make this gluten free by using a gluten free corn check cereal.
- Buttermilk – I like to soak the chicken in buttermilk as it tends to tenderize the chicken prior to cooking.
Maggie
I was just wondering if the hot sauce made these too hot for the kids to eat?
Katie
Maggie–I didn’t find it spicy at all but if you are afraid of it being too spicy just omit it.
John
That was delicious. Thanks!
Katie
Thanks John! Glad you enjoyed them! They are a house-favorite in my home as well!
Dianna
Oooh… those look good! I recently used cereal {Rice Krispies} mixed with unsweetened coconut flakes to coat fish and it turned out SO well! {Plus, it is a great alterative to buying expensive gluten free bread crumbs.} Will definitely have to try this recipe out. 🙂
Katie
Dianna, for the picky meat-eater to go for seconds you know its good! I love that idea about the rice krispies cereal! I’ll have to give it a try and of course share it with my aunt who has a gluten allergy!
Rachael {SimplyFreshCooking}
Ooooh, my niece and nephew would love these!!
Katie
Rachael, don’t just discount these for kids… they are amazing no matter what age you are!
Aggie
Oh Katie thanks for the tip on the free mag from the library! I’m going to see if I can do that too. Your chicken looks so crisp and perfect!
Katie
Thanks Aggie. Get ready to be addicted to downloading free magazines. I think I’ve read at least 20! lol. Your kids and husband will love this chicken.
Jennifer @ Mother Thyme
Definitely going to run and make these soon! These look incredible!
Katie
Jennifer, everyone in your home will be hooked! This is being added into my recipe rotation!
addie | culicurious
Yum, these look great Katie! Is that potato salad or mashed potatoes in the background?
Katie
Thanks Addie. Yes, I served this with olive oil mashed potatoes and cauliflower (recipe to come tomorrow)!
Ashley Bee (Quarter Life Crisis Cuisine)
My new obsession is baked chicken tenders breaded in crushed chex cereal, and instead of using buttermilk to bread them you use dijon mustard. It is INCREDIBLE. With a little honey dijon to dip in, awesome. I’ll have to try cornflake kind too!
Katie
Oh I never thought to use chex cereal. Must try soon!
Christine (Cook the Story)
I was reading and asking myself over and over, “Tell me already! What makes them so crispy???” It’s the corn flakes, right? I’ve never used them as a breading before but have heard so many good things about them. Will definitely try now due to your rave reviews. Hey, have you ever tried crushed potato chips? I know, definitely not “ass-friendly” as our friend The Novice Chef would say but I’ve heard similarly good crunchy things about them.
Katie
Yes! The cornflakes help it with the crunch. When I was a kid my mom use to make a weight-watchers recipe that was basically a cornflake topping. I’ll admit this recipe is wayyyy better! 🙂 Yes, I’ve done potato chip crusted fish–awesome!
Kayle (The Cooking Actress)
Mmmm I’m a big fan of oven baked chicken tenders and these look SUPER crunchy!!
Katie
Kayle these give the perfect crunch without the fat!
Wanda
Katie, you just read my mind, I was thinking about what meal to make for my family that is not only healthy but easy to make too. Great recipe, can’t wait to make it & feed my family! Thanks!
Katie
Thanks Wanda–I think these will be a hit and no one will ever know they are eating healthy!