Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Tenders
These Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Tenders will quickly become a favorite of both the adults and kids in your home. They are baked, freezer-friendly, and delicious with my Greek yogurt honey mustard dipping sauce!
Before we had kids, Brad and I used to go out to eat at a certain neighborhood restaurant once a week. It was a causal place, and they served foods like burgers, sandwiches, and salads. For my order, I would alternate between the cheeseburger and the chicken tenders. Their chicken tenders are the best I’ve had at any restaurant, and I’d ask for both bbq and honey mustard dipping sauces. I’m getting hungry just thinking about them now!
My eating habits have changed considerably since then, and while I do enjoy the occasional meal (and burger) at a restaurant, we mainly eat in these days. If I’ve got a craving for chicken tenders, I make a batch of my own. (Plus, I love that I hear squeals of happiness when I announce to my kids that it’s chicken tender night, as chicken nuggets are one of their favorites, too.)
My homemade Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Tenders are baked, so they are considerably healthier than most restaurant versions. It’s just as easy to make a double batch, and I highly recommend that you do so. Save the extras in a zip-top freezer bag in your freezer (after baking), and you’ll have a meal ready when you find yourself in the middle of an extra busy day. I’ve included directions for baking from the freezer in the recipe below.
These days, I most enjoy honey mustard sauce for dipping. You’ll find my easy Greek yogurt honey mustard recipe below. For the kids, ketchup is always a favorite dip of choice. Enjoy!
Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
For Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons honey
For Chicken Tenders:
- 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
- ½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoons black pepper
- ¼ teaspoons paprika
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoons water
- 1 ½ cups Panko crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ pounds chicken tenders
Instructions
- To make the honey mustard sauce, whisk together all ingredients until smooth. Taste and adjust to your preferences. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place an oven-safe wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. (Alternatively, the chicken tenders may be baked directly on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.)
- To prepare the chicken tenders, you will need three shallow dishes, such as round glass pie dishes.
- In the first dish, whisk together the whole-wheat flour, salt, pepper, and paprika.
- In the second dish, use a fork to combine the eggs with the 1 tablespoon of water.
- In the third dish, use a spoon or your fingers to mix the Panko and grated Parmesan together.
- Set up an assembly line with the three dishes, so that you can dip each chicken tender first in the flour mixture, then in the egg, and then in the Panko-Parmesan mixture. Be sure to fully coat each piece of chicken with each of the three mixtures; then place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake chicken tenders in the preheated oven for 16-18 minutes, until cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees F. (Baking times may vary depending on your oven and the size of your chicken pieces. If you are doubling the recipe and baking more than one pan at a time, be sure to rotate the pans halfway through baking.)
- Serve immediately, with honey mustard sauce or your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
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Honey mustard plus panko is always a win! Chicken tenders never fail to bring out the smiles and the empty plates – love this healthier and let’s be honest, absolutely delicious sounding, twist! I would take care of half that pan! 🙂
It’s so easy to eat way too many of these! They are just sooo good, especially with honey mustard!
These chicken tenders look SO delicious and savory! I love the panko/parmesan coating and that honey mustard sauce looks awesome! Pinned 🙂
Thank you, Christina! We love the crispy Parmesan and panko crust on these!
Wow, we love chicken tenders, and this version sounds so flavorful! I love honey mustard with mine, too!
Thank you, Kelly! Sometimes it’s all about the dipping sauces! 🙂
I’m like you. Chicken tenders are my fave thing. I seriously order them all the time. I need to try your delicious looking version.
It’s hard to beat a good chicken tender! Especially with dipping sauce. 🙂
These chicken tenders sound delicious, Kristine! I’ve always wanted to make my own, so I’m loving this baked version. And that greek yogurt dipping sauce sounds fantastic! Such a perfect weeknight meal. Pinned!
Thank you, Gayle! You need to try making homemade chicken tenders! They’re so easy, especially if you buy the package of already cut tenders at the grocery store so you don’t have to cut up the chicken.
I could eat my weight in chicken tenders and this Parmesan spin looks ahhhh-mazing! You’re making my mouth water too!
Thanks, Jessica! I’m getting hungry just thinking about these!
I am so making these of Briana. She will love them. I love that they’re baked not fried.
If you try them, I hope you like them! I love that they’re baked, too, so I can feel good about feeding them to my kids.
I love baking chicken tenders for my kids too! Mine dip theirs in ranch dressing and ketchup . . . so I’ll have to make the Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce for myself!! love these!
Yes! You really should try the honey mustard sauce. It’s so good!
Kristine! It’s been ages since I last made parmesan crusted chicken tenders but never tried with mustard sauce before. I think it is a beautiful dish to have on week night family dinners with a salad on the side. I have to put this one back onto my menu ideas!
This one is perfect for family dinners. I like to make a green salad for my husband and I and some roasted broccoli for the kids. 🙂
these would fly off the table at my house, I loove chicken tenders and so do the kids {of course!} love the dipping sauce too!
I’m sure you and your kids would love these, Katie!
I feel like I haven’t had chicken tenders in forever! I used to have them all the time when I was a kid. These parmesan crusted ones sound delicious! Loving your greek yogurt honey mustard sauce too. Yum!
Thank you, Natalie! I think you’d love these!
We love chicken tenders in our house too! I love the greek yogurt honey mustard sauce too, such a great idea. The next time we have some, I will have to give these a try!
The honey mustard sauce is so good, and I love that it’s made without mayo. I think you would love these chicken tenders, Danielle!
I can see why your kids squeal in delight when it’s chicken tenders night! These look so delicious!
Thank you, Denise!
We’d be all about these Kristine, even sans kids. 🙂 Love the parmesan here – perfect!
I think I like these as much as my kids do. I’m sure you’d love them too! 🙂
I love the Greek yogurt honey mustard sauce! Sounds awesome! And the chicken tenders look perfect!
Thank you, Jess!
I made these and had a lot of extra bread crumb/parmesan, so I just made extra! Good thing I had extra chicken!