Oven Baked Chicken Tenders Recipe (2024)

Published: Mar 23, 2019 · Modified: Apr 26, 2019 by Shadi HasanzadeNemati · This post may contain affiliate links .

This baked chicken tenders recipe will be your go-to dinner option! They're delicious and juicy, requiringminimum effort but delivering maximum flavor thanks to the ranch seasoning!

If you like baked chicken recipes, you're going to love today's recipe. We have different recipes on the blog such asBaked Cajun Chicken NuggetsandBaked Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tendersthat are packed with so much flavor and are super easy to make.

Oven baked chicken tenders recipe for a light dinner

Some days, I just want that healthy-ish food that tastes so good - like these baked ranch chicken tenders. They are easy, simple and are ready in no time. They are juicy and go so well with some ranch dipping sauce.

What I love the most about this ranch chicken tenders recipe is that they're baked and not fried which means quicker prep and way less clean up. These tenders are made with almost no oil and are perfect for an easy dinner.

Oven baked chicken tenders ingredients

To make these delicious ranch chicken tenders you need the following ingredients:

• Chicken tenders
• All purpose flour
• Ranch seasoning (store-bought or homemade)
• Eggs
• Panko bread crumbs

And to make the ranch dipping sauce you need:

• Sour cream
• Mayonnaise
• Ranch seasoning
• White vinegar
• Lemon juice

How to make crispy baked chicken tenders

To make this baked chicken tenders recipe I coat them in flour and ranch dressing mix. Then, dip them in whisked eggs. After that, I coat them with panko breadcrumbs and finally baked them for 20-25 minutes at 400° F until the crust is golden. These crunchy baked chicken tenders are to die for and you'll want to make them over and over again!

Don't over bake these chicken tenders, nothing is worse than over baked chicken. You don't want you chicken to be dry and tough. We want the tenders to have a nice crust but also juicy inside.

And, here comes the best part, the dipping sauce! So simple, just mix all the ingredients and definitely add the vinegar. You may think it's too much vinegar, but it isn't. Trust me.

What to serve with baked chicken tenderloins

These baked chicken tenders are perfect for a family dinner or a light lunch. You can serve them with garlic butter mashed potatoes, walnut raisin coleslaw or cucumber tomato avocado salad.

Can I freeze homemade baked chicken tenders?

To freeze these chicken tenders, place leftover cooked chicken tenders on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for one hour. Then place them in a ziploc bag and freeze for up to 2 months. To bake them, take the chicken tenders out of the ziploc bag and place them on a baking sheet coated with non stick spray. Preheat the oven to 400F and once the oven is heated, bake the chicken tenders for 20 minutes until they're heated through.

Can I use chicken breast for this recipe?

Absolutely. It's much cheaper to simply cut the chicken breast into bite size pieces instead of buying a pack of chicken tenders. You can make this baked chicken tenders recipe by cutting the chicken breast into strips.

Want to jazz things up in this baked chicken tenders recipe?

Here are some of my favorite twists on this chicken tenders recipe:

• To make this recipe a bit spicy, add ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper to the flour.
• Add grated parmesan to panko bread crumbs for more flavor.
• Add spices such as onion and garlic powder to the flour to add different flavors to the chicken tenders.

Notes and tips for this oven baked chicken tenders recipe

• Use regular breadcrumbs instead of panko breadcrumbs.
• Not a fan of mayo? Use Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise to make the ranch dipping sauce.
• Don't want to use eggs? You can dip the chicken tenders in the flour mixture, then mustard and then coat them with panko.
• If you are gluten-free, use gluten free flour and bread crumbs for this chicken tenders recipe.
• It's important to have flavor in all the layers, therefore add a little bit of salt and pepper to the eggs and to the panko bread crumbs as well.

Step-by-Step Recipe