Lemon Pepper Chicken Tenders

Lemon pepper chicken fingers baked in a dish and garnished with lemon.

5 from 1 vote

Flavorful Lemon Pepper Chicken Tenders baked in the oven are a versatile and simple main dish entree that can be casual or elegant when paired with your favorite sides.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: Servings

Author: Mariam Ezzeddine

Ingredients

¼ cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon garlic minced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 lb chicken tenders
¼ cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon paprika
¾ teaspoon cornstarch
Fresh cilantro to garnish
Lemon wedges to serve

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a baking dish with oil and set it aside.
In a large bowl, combine the marinade ingredients: lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, garlic, lemon zest, dried cilantro, onion powder, and salt. Mix well.
Add the chicken tenders to the marinade and coat them thoroughly. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Transfer the marinated chicken to the prepared baking dish.
In the remaining marinade, add chicken stock, paprika, and cornstarch. Mix well.
Pour the mixture over the chicken tenders in the baking dish and bake for 10 minutes.
Baste the chicken with the liquid in the baking dish and continue baking for an additional 10-12 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Once done, garnish the chicken with fresh cilantro and serve alongside lemon wedges.

Notes

Prep the chicken: Remove the tendon from chicken fingers before cooking. If cutting chicken fingers from a larger chicken breast, cut into similar sized pieces. Piercing the chicken before marinating allows the flavors to seep deeper into the chicken, yielding more tender chicken.

Use fresh ingredients: Use fresh lemons for the best flavor.

Marinate: Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes for the best flavor.

Nutrition