These cornflake chicken tenders are my go-to for a quick, family-friendly dinner that’s both crispy and juicy. With just a handful of ingredients and only 30 minutes from start to finish, these cornflake crusted chicken tenders bake up perfectly golden without any frying. The cornflake crust gives them a light crunch, while the inside stays tender and flavorful. My kids love them, and so do I!
Baked Cornflake Crusted Chicken Strips
Say goodbye to breadcrumbs! Crushed cornflakes are my secret for a crunchy, flavorful coating on these cornflake chicken strips. I toss them in a simple mix of smoked paprika, fresh parsley, salt, and pepper, then coat the chicken tenders before baking. For extra crispiness, I spray the tops with a little cooking spray or place them on a wire rack over the baking sheet.
This method works beautifully for larger chicken pieces, too. The texture and flavor are unbeatable, and the best part is that it’s baked, not fried. You can even double the batch and freeze the extras to enjoy quick meals later. My kids love these cornflake baked chicken tenders with my creamy homemade special sauce for a touch of tangy sweetness. The combo is irresistible!
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Crush the Cornflakes for Better Coverage
I have found that a food processor works best for turning the cornflakes into a fine breadcrumb texture. But if you don’t have one, place cereal in a resealable bag, close it, and use a rolling pin to crush the cereal. This will give you a less even result, but it will work all the same!
Baked Cornflake Chicken Tenders Recipe
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Food Processor
Ingredients
For the Chicken Tenders:
- 1½ pounds chicken tenders
- ½ cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 4 cups Corn Flakes cereal
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- cooking spray
For the Special Sauce:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon minced onion
- 1 tablespoon sweet relish
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Add milk and eggs to a shallow dish, whisk to combine.½ cup milk, 2 large eggs
- Add cornflakes, parsley, paprika, salt and pepper to a food processor, process until the cornflakes are the texture of breadcrumbs. Add to a second shallow dish.4 cups Corn Flakes cereal, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Working with one chicken tender at a time, 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.1½ pounds chicken tenders
- Repeat with the remaining chicken tenders.
- Spray the tops of the chicken with cooking spray to encourage a golden-brown crust. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.cooking spray
- While the chicken is baking, stir together the special sauce ingredients.½ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1 tablespoon minced onion, 1 tablespoon sweet relish, 1 pinch kosher salt
- Serve baked chicken tenders with special sauce and an extra garnish of parsley.
Notes
- Make this cornflake chicken a little spicier by mixing some cayenne pepper into the cereal mixture. Or add ranch seasoning–my kids really love when I do that!
- I placed my chicken tenders on a wire rack set in the lined baking sheet to encourage crisping on all sides. This is optional, but I recommend it if you have a wire rack.
- Flip the chicken tenders halfway through the baking time to make sure both sides get crispy.
- Nutritional information is for one chicken strip, plus 1/10 of the sauce mixture.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
How to Make Cornflake Chicken Tenders Step by Step
Prep: Gather up all of the ingredients you need to make these cornflake crusted chicken strips. Preheat your oven to 350℉ and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Chop the parsley and mince the onion.
Whisk the Wet Ingredients: Whisk together ½ cup of milk and 2 large eggs in a shallow bowl.
Make the Cornflake Breading: Add 4 cups of Corn Flakes cereal, 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper to a food processor, and process until the cornflakes are the texture of breadcrumbs. Then transfer the cornflake mixture to a second shallow dish. If you don’t have a food processor, you can place the Corn Flakes in a ziplock bag and smash them with a rolling pin instead.
Coat in Egg: Place 1½ pounds of chicken tenders in the wet batter, and flip until well-coated. You may need to work with just a few pieces at a time through the entire dredging process.
Bread the Chicken: Place an egg-dredged chicken tender (one at a time) in the cornflake mixture and coat on all sides, then place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with all the chicken.
Bake: Place the cornflake crusted chicken tenders on the prepared baking sheet. Spray the tops of the chicken fingers with cooking spray (this will help the crust brown). Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through to 165°F.
(Optional) Make the Special Sauce: If you’d like to make my special sauce for dipping, stir together ½ cup of mayo, 2 tablespoons of ketchup, 1 tablespoon of minced onion, 1 tablespoon of sweet relish, and a pinch of salt.
Serve: Serve your cornflake crusted chicken tenders on a large platter with a bowl of the special dipping sauce. Dip and enjoy!
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Store leftover cornflake chicken tenders in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. To keep that coating nice and crispy, I recommend reheating in the Air Fryer or oven.
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