Crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside, these crispy Homemade Chicken Tenders will get the whole family to the dinner table.
Serve these crispy chicken strips as a family-friendly meal with a side of mac and cheese, as an appetizer with various dipping sauces or even atop salads.
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First things first, sometimes I call these fried chicken tenders and other times I refer to them as chicken strips. Either is fine. Sometimes my kids even call them "those big homemade chicken nuggets". So, let's not get hung up on the actual name, deal?
If you would prefer to make chicken tenders in the air fryer, head on over to my recipe for Air Fryer Chicken Tenders.
The key to the crispiest chicken tenders is the coating. I find that the combination of both panko crumbs and traditional breadcrumbs result in the crispiest chicken!
🥘Ingredients
- Flour - all purpose
- Eggs
- Panko crumbs
- Italian breadcrumbs
- Seasonings - garlic powder, salt and pepper
- Parsley
- Chicken - boneless skinless tenderloins or boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips
- Oil - high smoke point oil such as avocado, vegetable or canola
🔪Instructions
Start off by creating a breading station. This is similar to the breading station I use in my eggplant parmigiana recipe, so you should be familiar.
As a reminder you can use shallow bowls, re-sealable bags or dredging station dishes for this step.
One bowl for eggs, one for seasoned crumb mixture and one for seasoned flour.
If needed, pound chicken with a mallet to make even thickness.
Coat the chicken in the flour, then in the egg and finally in the crumbs.
Heat oil in a large pan and cook in batches for 3-4 minutes per side.
Once chicken reaches 165 degrees F. Place it on a plate lined with a paper towel or towel to blot out the excess oil.
Serve immediately.
FOOD SAFETY TIP: Use clean tongs or utensils to remove the cooked chicken. Take care not to use the same tongs / utensils you handled raw chicken with.
🥗Serving suggestions
I find it difficult to not just eat it straight out of the pan, but if you decide to eat like a civilized human, you can try pairing chicken tenders with these side dishes and dipping sauces.
- Mac and Cheese
- Garlicky Green Beans
- Salad
- Lemon Herb Rice
- Air Fryer Fries
- Zucchini Fries
- Cottage Cheese Ranch Dressing
- Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
🍴Leftovers
It is rare to have leftovers of these family favorite chicken tenders but if I do, I reheat and re-purpose.
- Chop up and serve on top of any salad
- Serve over a simple pasta dish
- Cube and serve on top of mac and cheese
- Incorporate into a casserole
- Wrap in a tortilla with buffalo sauce, BBQ sauce or preferred sauce or dressing with veggies
❓FAQ
Reheat chicken tenders in the air fryer at 400 F for 4 minutes or in the oven set to 375 F for 12 minutes.
Be sure to coat in flour and then egg, allowing the excess to run off before coating in breadcrumbs. If you are still having an issue, once breaded, place tenders in refrigerator for 20 minutes prior to cooking and that should help the breading stick.
Printable Recipe Card
Homemade Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins
- ½ cup high heat oil such as vegetable, avocado, canola
Instructions
- Create a breading station by placing flour in one shallow bowl, eggs in a second shallow bowl and lightly beat and the panko & breadcrumbs in a third. Season the flour with salt and pepper. To the crumb mixture add parsley, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- If the tenders are not even in sizing, use a meat mallet or rolling pin to even out thickness by giving a few whacks. Coat the chicken in the flour, then dip in the eggs and finally coat with the crumb mixture. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium/high heat. Once oil is hot, add coated tenders to the pan in batches. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook approximately 3-4 minutes per side until internal temperature reaches 165 °FUsing clean tongs, remove cooked chicken from pan and place on a paper towel lined plate to help with excess oil.Serve while hot.
Christine @ One TIPsy Chick says
YUM! I could eat these right now!
Tara says
These look so good, I have to try this recipe!! YUM!!
foodyschmoody says
Thanks Tara!
Dee says
These look so good! My family loves them, but since we gave up fast food, we almost never have these--I never think to make my own. Thanks for the inspiration! 🙂
Erlene says
Wow this must be one of the easiest chicken tender recipes ever. I always have panko in the pantry too. Thanks for sharing it on The Yuck Stops Here!
foodyschmoody says
Yes super easy and turns out great every time!
Sandra - The Foodie Affair says
I love to put chicken tenders on a salad! This flavorful tender will be tasty!!
foodyschmoody says
Great idea Sandra!
angela says
Oh yum!!!! I love a good homemade chicken tender! They look perfectly crisp and delicious!
Alecia says
Thank you for linking up to Tasty Tuesdays last week. As one of the co-hosts, I will be featuring your recipe on Tasty Tuesdays this week on my site, Detours in Life. Congrats! Please stop by and grab a feature button when you get a chance.
foodyschmoody says
Woo Hoo! That's awesome Alecia! Thanks so much! I will def. be over!
Laura@Baking in Pyjamas says
These look delicious, I love things like his. Thanks for linking up to Sweet and Savoury Sunday, stop by and link up again. Have a great day!!
Easy Life Meal & Party Planning says
I love homemade chicken tenders. This is something we fix frequently but I have never herbed them up and the addition of parsley sounds really good. Will give this a try!
Thank you for sharing on the Four Seasons party!