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This Baked Parmesan Crusted Chicken recipe is everything you can ask for when it comes to making healthy and delicious chicken tenders. They are juicy, healthy, and very kid friendly. Goes well with any side or dressing dip.
Baked Parmesan Crusted Chicken has a deliciously crispy panko Parmesan coating with perfectly cooked chicken tenders inside. It’s hard to believe this is baked and not fried! These are great with my honey mustard sriracha mayo dip. These crunchy chicken tenders also make an awesome sandwich filling!
If you’re after other great chicken recipes, why not also try my Easy Sticky Chicken Recipe or my Creamy Mushroom Chicken Thighs!
Why you’ll love this Baked Parmesan Crusted Chicken
- A delicious coating. Crispy panko breadcrumbs, with Italian seasoning, Parmesan and parsley – so flavorful!
- Juicy chicken. This chicken is so tender and moist, the coating keeps in all that juiciness.
- Baked not fried. These crunchy chicken tenders are a healthier take on fried chicken and you wouldn’t know!
Ingredients you’ll need
- Chicken Tenders
- Eggs
- Mayo
- Mustard
- Onion Powder
- Black Pepper and Salt
- Garlic Cloves
- Coating: Panko crumbs, Italian seasoning, Parmesan cheese, parsley flakes, flour, salt.
- Honey Mustard Sriracha Mayo: Mayo, honey, mustard, ketchup, vinegar, sriracha, black pepper, garlic clove.
How to make Baked Parmesan Crusted Chicken
- Make the egg wash. In a bowl, mix together the eggs, mayo, mustard, salt, spices and fresh crushed garlic. Whisk together very well.
- Make the dry mix. In another bowl, add together the dry breading ingredients and mix well.
- Dip the chicken tenders. Once both of these are ready to go, you will start dipping the chicken tenders into the egg wash and generously coat them with the dry crust ingredients.
- Bake. Line a sheet pan with a metal cookie rack. Spray the rack with non-stick spray and place the pieces of chicken tenders on it. Leave a little space between them to avoid getting them stuck together. Spray generously with olive or avocado oil. Bake in a preheated oven for 15-20 mins
- Make the dip. To prepare the dip, place all the ingredients together in a little bowl and whisk well. You can also serve with regular sauce dips like ranch or ketchup.
Recipe notes and tips
- First thing I do when making this Baked Parmesan Crusted Chicken Tenders is the remove the white muscle piece usually attached on the piece of tender. Why? Because I hate the chewy feeling when I eat it.
- If the a chicken tender piece happens to have a little filmy skin on it, I remove it. This keeps the texture nice and tender after cooking.
- Overcooked chicken breasts can go from juicy to dry very quickly. You want them to reach 165°F in the thickest bit. Use a meat thermometer for best results.
- Add these parmesan baked chicken tenders to a hamburger bun, with a big dollop of coleslaw for an awesome chicken sandwich.
FAQ’S
What are chicken tenders?
Does the term Chicken Tenders seem unfamiliar to you? Chicken tenders are usually smaller strips of chicken that are tenuously attached to the underside of a chicken breast. Every chicken should have two tenders (one on each side of the breast). In most countries the chicken tenders are not sold separately in grocery stores as we have here in the United States.
What do chicken tenders taste like?
Chicken tenders taste exactly as chicken breast meat but are more tender and moist if cooked the right way. They do not need to be cooked too long because they are thinner and softer than an actual chicken breast.
How do I know when chicken tenders are done?
Since chicken tenders are a lot smaller and softer than a normal chicken breasts, they will need 15-20 minutes at the most to fully cook. If you insert a thermometer, you should have a cooked temperature of 165 degrees . If you are broiling them in the oven, usually something that is not breaded, It would be about 7 minutes on each side.
What goes well with chicken tenders?
Literally everything! You can serve with veggies, fries, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, salads, Mac N’ Cheese, pastas, you name it. I loveee making a side of coleslaw when I prepare this recipe for my family especially if we are eating them as wraps.
We love having some sort of dipping sauce with them, and most of the time it’s ranch or ketchup for the kids and something fancier for us.
What is Parmesan Cheese?
I love using Parmesan Cheese is a lot of my recipes. It’s a hard cheese made from cows milk, and has a little nutty flavor.
It is also known as Parmigiano Reggiano, which originated from Italy. It is popular for grating over pastas, soups, salads and risottos. I love grating it fresh instead of buying it grated from supermarkets. They are just not the same.
What is panko?
Panko is a variety of flaky bread crumb. It’s used a lot in Japanese cuisine as a crispy coating for fried foods. Panko is made from bread baked by electrical current, which creates bread without a crust, and then grinding the bread to create fine crumb.
Other recipes you’ll love
I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you including this delicious and simple Baked Parmesan Crusted Chicken. I hope you try it, enjoy it, rate it and share it with your friends and family!
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Baked Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Ingredients
- 12 chicken tenders
EGG WASH:
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 2 tbsps. mustard
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 large garlic cloves, mashed or minced
BREADING MIX
- 1 cup toasted panko crumbs
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1 tbsp. parsley flakes
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp. salt
HONEY MUSTARD SRIRACHA MAYO
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 2 tbsps. honey
- 2 tbsps. Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp. ketchup
- 1 tsp. white vinegar
- 3 tbsps. sriracha sauce
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1 garlic clove, mashed (optional)
Instructions
- Clean up the chicken tenders from any excess fats.
- Set the tenders aside while you make the egg wash. In a bowl, mix together the eggs, mayo, mustard, salt, spices and fresh crushed garlic. Whisk together very well.
- In another bowl, add together the dry breading ingredients and mix well.
- Once both of these are ready to go, you will start dipping the chicken tenders into the egg wash and generously coat them with the dry mix ingredients.
- Line a sheet pan with a metal cookie rack. Spray the rack with non-stick spray and place the pieces of chicken tenders on it. Leave a little space between them to avoid getting them stuck together. Spray generously with olive or avocado oil. Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until they are fully cooked. Remove and serve while warm.
- To prepare the sauce, mix all the ingredients together and serve aside with the tenders.
Notes
- First thing I do when making this Baked Parmesan Crusted Chicken Tenders is the remove the white muscle piece usually attached on the piece of tender. Why? Because I hate the chewy feeling when I eat it.
- If the a chicken tender piece happens to have a little filmy skin on it, I remove it. This keeps the texture nice and tender after cooking.
- Overcooked chicken breasts can go from juicy to dry very quickly. You want them to reach 165°F in the thickest bit. Use a meat thermometer for best results.
- Add these parmesan baked chicken tenders to a hamburger bun, with a big dollop of coleslaw for an awesome chicken sandwich.
Love Love Love!!! I also added a little coconut to the dry ingredients. The sauce is top notch!!!!!
Hi Bev,
Glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for leaving a review.
Is it possible to make a batch and freeze it and if yes… Then how it should be cooked frozen or should defrost?
Hello i am super excited to try this recipe it sounds absolutely delicious. But i do have one question, if i wanted to cook them in a air fryer how long would i have to cook them for to get them just right?
Hi Lorena!
Glad you like the recipe. So typically you would cook them at 390 F for 5 minutes on each side. Some tenders are larger than others and some are pretty small. I know the packages sometimes have a mix of sizes. So start with that and it you feel like it needs more time, feel free to add a couple more minutes. You can also use a cooking thermometer to check if the internal temperature is 165 degree, then you would be good to go.
They look so crispy and yummy
Thank You!
Hi! I’m excited to try this recipe for my picky eater. Just one question, do I have to toast the panko crumbs before I add it to the chicken to help it get golden when I bake them?
Hi! Glad you liked the recipe! Yes I do bake or toast them in a skillet to make them golden before I coat it on the chicken. It gives it a better color. Just keep an eye on them because they get brown super fast.