Crispy Baked Chicken Tenders with an addictive special sauce, irresistibly good! Healthier than fried with a perfectly crunchy coating and the creamy, tangy sauce is divine – get dipping!
These Baked Chicken Tenders serve up succulent chicken in a crispy cornflake coating, kids and adults will love these! Because these chicken strips are baked you sidestep the fuss and mess of frying too. Serve them up as a snack, app or main!
Why you’ll love these Baked Chicken Tenders
- Perfectly crunchy chicken. The secret to the crispiest baked chicken? Cornflakes! These tenders are coated in seasoned crushed cornflakes, forget breadcrumbs, these flakes provide the perfect crunchy coating.
- An addictive special sauce. This sauce is easy to whip up and really hits the spot. Mayo, ketchup and relish marry up for a sauce that’s perfect for these chicken strips.
- Baked not fried. Lose the mess of frying and less oil needed, just pop these tenders in the oven!
How to make these Baked Chicken Tenders
Be sure to scroll to the bottom for the full recipe
- Prep the coating. Add the cornflakes, parsley, paprika, salt and pepper to a food processor and process until the cornflakes are the texture of breadcrumbs.
- Dredge the chicken. Dip the chicken in your milk and egg mixture, then in another bowl, dredge your tenders in the cornflake mixture.
- Bake. In a tray with a spritz of cooking spray, bake the chicken for 15 mins.
- Make the sauce. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Serve and enjoy!
What exactly are chicken tenders?
The chicken tenderloin or the ‘tender’ is the juicy strip of white meat located just under the breast bone. It’s easy enough to remove from a bone-in breast to make chicken tenders. But it’s much simpler to buy tenderloins separately.
What to serve with these Baked Chicken Tenders
These chicken strips are great as an appetizer, snack or main. As an app or snack, serve up with special sauce and other favorite dips. If you want to serve these crispy chicken tenders as a main then a nice, peppery arugula salad works great. Or you can serve up with some steamed veggies and potatoes.
Another great option for a main would be to add mac and cheese – delicious!
Do I have to use chicken tenders?
Chicken tenders work great for this recipe but you can totally use the coating for chicken breasts and thighs.
Make sure you adjust the cook time accordingly. A meat thermometer is great to check the internal temp of chicken, it should be 165 degrees.
The Crispiest Baked Chicken
Make sure to spritz the tenders with cooking spray or olive oil before baking. This helps them stay crispy while baking!
Top Tips
- Ensure your chicken is patted dry before dredging. This will help the mixture to properly stick.
- For less mess, use tongs to transfer the batter slathered chicken into the breadcrumbs.
- For an extra spicy kick to the coating with some cayenne pepper.
Check out these other crispy chicken recipes
- Crispy Oven Fried Chicken
- Pretzel Chicken
- Buffalo Chicken Tenders
- Chicken Nugget Pizza
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken
- Baked Chicken Fingers
Have you tried these Baked Chicken Tenders? Feel free to leave a star rating and I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Baked Chicken Tenders with Special Sauce
Ingredients
For the chicken tenders:
- 1 ½ lbs chicken tenders
- ½ cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 4 cups cornflakes
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Cooking Spray
For the Special Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon minced onion
- 1 tablespoon sweet relish
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Add the milk and eggs to a shallow dish and whisk to combine.
- Add the cornflakes, parsley, paprika, salt and pepper to a food processor and process until the cornflakes are the texture of breadcrumbs. Add to a second shallow dish.
- Place a chicken tender in the wet batter, flipping from side to side to coat. Then place it into the cornflake mixture, coating both sides. Place on a baking tray, lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Spray the tops of the chicken with cooking spray to encourage a golden-brown crust. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Serve with special sauce and an extra garnish of parsley.
- While the chicken is baking, stir together the special sauce ingredients. Serve with the chicken and enjoy!
Notes
- Ensure your chicken is patted dry before dredging.
- Make sure to spritz the tenders with cooking spray or olive oil before baking.
- For less mess, use tongs to transfer the batter slathered chicken into the breadcrumbs.
- For an extra spicy kick to the coating with some cayenne pepper.
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