These OVEN FRIED CHICKEN TENDERS are nice and crispy due to the Panko bread crumbs and the fact that they are fried right in the oven in a bit of melted butter. These are kid friendly and ready in about 30 minutes.
I’m the type of person that goes in spurts with foods.
For example, I never order chicken strips at a restaurant…until I do. And then that’s all I order for months at a time until suddenly, nope. I never order chicken strips at a restaurant.
Anyone else do that?
I’m actually currently on a big dipping sauce spurt. I don’t care what the sauce is or what the food to dip it in is, but if I spot an array of condiments, I’ve gotta have it.
Current favorites include my honey mustard recipe, this keto ranch dressing (it is seriously the best ranch ever!), and fry sauce. Oh, and hello bourbon BBQ sauce, tartar sauce, Alabama white sauce, Carolina BBQ sauce.
I don’t want to give the impression that these oven fried chicken tenders aren’t good on their own, because oh man, they really are. The coating gets SO crispy right in the oven with minimal work from you and the chicken is perfectly cooked and juicy, and these are just begging you to make them for your family.
It’s just a bonus that chicken strips are made to be dunked in any and all sauces you can get your hands on. 😉
These air fryer chicken tenders are looking pretty good too!
Oven Fried Chicken Tenders Ingredients:
Chicken – You can either use a couple of chicken breasts that you’ve cut into strips or you can purchase chicken tenderloins. Both work great!
Panko Bread Crumbs – Panko is a perfect crispy fried chicken breading!
Butter – This is pretty important for getting that delicious crispy fried texture and flavor. Don’t skimp.
Seasoning – We keep it simple here, but you can get as creative as you like with these baked chicken strips!
How To:
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Coating: I call these oven fried, because they taste like deep fried goodness thanks to my secret ingredient, but you honestly just toss them in the oven and walk away. The best!!
First, you’ll want to bread your chicken by dipping it first in the flour, then the egg, and finally the Panko.
What is Panko?
Panko is a Japanese bread crumb that is light, airy, and crispy. It can be found in most any grocery store. We highly recommend using Panko over traditional bread crumbs in any breading recipe where you want a crispy finished product.
The Secret Ingredient: You ready for the key to making these baked chicken strips taste like they were fried?
Butter. <— You knew I had to add butter, right? 😉
Just melt a stick of butter and coat the bottom of a rimmed sheet pan with it. The chicken strips are going to cook up really nicely in all that butter. It’s how you make chicken strips in the oven taste like they came from your favorite restaurant.
Bake: Pop your chicken right in that liquid gold and pop it all in the oven.
I bake these for 10 minutes, flip, and then bake for another 10 minutes until they appear crispy fried and golden!
Tip: I know this is a baked fried chicken recipe, but you could easily turn this into an actual fried chicken recipe! Or even better, an air fried recipe! Just follow all the steps to coat the chicken in the Panko mix and then cook in a deep fryer or air fryer with your choice of oil.
What To Serve With Baked Chicken Strips:
Obviously, you’ll want one (or two…or thirty) of the dipping sauces I mentioned up above, but beyond that there are so many options!
My kiddos love when I make chicken strips and this crockpot hashbrown casserole. It’s hard to go wrong with cheesy potatoes and I love how easy they are in the crockpot.
Loaded mashed potatoes, ranch roasted potatoes, and baked potato salad are more tater favorites around here.
It’s impossible to go wrong with this crock pot macaroni and cheese and broccoli cheese casserole is a nice way to get some veggies in the fam.
Oven Baked Chicken Strips
Ingredients
- 1.75 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- 1 teaspoon pepper divided
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs
- 8 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt the butter and pour it on to a large rimmed baking sheet, such as a sheet pan.
- If using chicken breasts, slice into strips, each about 1 inch wide.
- Add the flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and half of the salt and pepper to a shallow dish. Add the eggs to a second shallow dish and beat well. Add the panko and remaining salt and pepper to a third shallow dish.
- Dip the chicken strips in the flour, then egg, then Panko. Press the strips into the Panko to ensure the chicken is evenly coated.
- Add the chicken strips to the pan with the melted butter.
- Bake for 10 minutes and then flip each piece of chicken over. Continue baking for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This post was originally published in November of 2013. It was updated with new photos in February of 2020.
Annette Rainesalo says
Hi Karly,
This recipe was a hit! I loved your tip on using that thin layer of butter. It absolutely made the chicken tenders crispy and flavorful. All the ingredients and seasonings you mentioned made this dish delicious.
I did make a few yummy additions: Added freshly grated parmesan cheese to the Panko breadcrumbs. Seasoned the raw chicken and added a nice shot of Frank’s RedHot Wings Sauce to marinate for a few hours beforehand in the ‘fridge. For the eggs, I added 2 tablespoons of half n’ half to get a nice thick, creamy, well-blended egg mixture. Lastly, once I laid out all the coated tenders on parchment paper, I let them sit for about 10 minutes before putting them on the buttered sheet tray and popping them into the oven. The taste was phenomenal! Light, crispy, evenly cooked, tender and juicy with just the right amount of heat and seasoning in every bite. Thanks for helping me “crack the code” to bake perfect oven-fried chicken tenders.
Karly says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for sharing how you made it! Sounds delicious!
LINDA BARTELS says
Best oven fried chicken I ever made!
Karly says
Oh wow, love to hear that! 🙂
Sam says
So delicious!! I’ve been using the recipe for a few years now and never disappoints! Her honey mustard sauce is delish as well!!!
Karly says
Thanks so much, Sam!
Kathi says
Great recipe – will try it tonight in my Air Fryer. Thanks for posting.
Karly says
Hope you love it!
Noemi says
Absolutely amazing! This was a big hit. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Karly says
Yay! Love to hear that!
Andrea Charles says
I never imagined that Chicken strips can be made so crisp and delicious by baking. I always thought it can only be fried and thus not very kid friendly. Thank you dear Karly for sharing with us this wonderful recipe along with your experience baking them through that well-detailed video. A big thank you from me as a mother and my children who are head over heals for it.
Andrea Charles says
They look so delicious and perfectly cooked with extra crisp. You are the best to bring out something so delicious with the right proportion. I am going to try your recipe soon and I guarantee my family will be all praise for it. Can you please give the recipe for your dip as well? And what dip is it exactly?
Karly says
Hi Andrea! Hope you love the chicken strips! The dip is honey mustard.
Shelly says
Has anyone tried this in an air fryer? If so, what temperature and for how long?
Dena Tucker says
Hi Karly, I just had to tell you, After browsing for a good recipe I came across these n made these chicken tenders later night for dinner. My husband who is picking in his compliments but eats most everything actually loved them, especially the dip n told me that he loved them! He saved the leftovers for lunch today n kept the remainder of the dip. The only difference was I didn’t have any Panko bread crumbs so I crushed up Keebler Club Crackers in it n it worked just fine! I added another tbsp of honey to the dip, what a hit it all was! So I wanted to let you know to thank you so much for the recipe!
Karly says
Yay! So glad to hear this! 🙂
Melodie says
So freaking good! Thank you for that hilarious post and the delicious recipe! My kids and I thank you, Karly!
Karly says
Thanks, Melodie! 🙂
Marguerite says
Thank you for your quick reply
Marguerite says
I’m Gluten free could I use something else for the flour and Panko? These look delicious and would like to make them.
Karly says
I would think you could use whatever you normally use as breading – some sort of GF baking mix, perhaps?
sly bandit says
Waking up before 8 am is only done because corporations want their workers to do more at the workers expense so they get more profit =/ No way any CEO’s have to get up before 12.
Liz says
Yum to all your nice recipes. Thank you Karly.