These baked chicken tenders are easy to make and turn out crispy in the oven!
Oven-Baked Chicken Tenders Recipe
🍴 MENU PLAN NOTE: This yummy Parmesan Crusted Chicken Tenders Recipe can also be found in the Freezer Menu Plans: Week 2
Easy is the name of the game around here. When you want to ditch the bagged chicken nuggets, these baked chicken tenders hit the spot!
This is one of my favorite recipes to make during my freezer cooking days as well! With the ranch and parmesan, it gives them a flavor boost that many recipes leave out.
And the best part??? They are freezer friendly!
YES! I mentioned that earlier, but just in case you didn't catch it 🙂 🙂 This is an easy freezer cooking recipe that your whole family will love!
How to make chicken tenders?
You will want to cut away the tender strip of meat that is loosely attached to the chicken breast. Or, you can also just buy a package of chicken tenders to save some time. It really doesn't take much time to cut the tender away from the chicken breast though.
This recipe also uses one of the easiest marinades ever – ranch dressing! You can use any pre-made ranch dressing as well. Then just dip into the breadcrumbs mixture.
Can you bread chicken and then freeze it?
Yes, that's the best part with this recipe! Once you've mixed in the ranch marinade and the breadcrumbs, flash freeze the tenders on a baking sheet. Once frozen, place them in a zip-top bag to enjoy when you're ready!
What is flash freezing?
Flash freezing is when you freeze individual pieces of food separately (on something like a baking sheet) before packing the food together into your freezer bag for longer storage!
How long to bake chicken tenders?
When you're ready to make the chicken tenders, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight. Place the thawed tenders on a baking sheet and drizzle with butter.
Bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes, or until cooked through. Broil the last 5 minutes to crisp up the breading (thanks to the butter).
Baked Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
Instructions
- Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, garlic powder and a sprinkle of salt and pepper on a plate. Cut chicken into tenders, if desired.
- Dip chicken in Ranch dressing making sure to coat both sides and then roll in bread crumb mixture.
- Flash freeze on baking sheet. Once frozen, move to a gallon size zip-top bag, label and return to freezer. When ready to cook, thaw in refrigerator overnight.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Place thawed chicken on a greased baking sheet; drizzle with melted butter.
- Bake 30-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Broil the last 5 minutes to crisp up the breading.
More Easy Recipes
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
Sherri says
These are absolutely DELISH!! I wanted to try a couple of the freezer dishes before purchasing the entire box – well this was the first one made and entire family is completely sold! Loved it!
Laurie says
Yayyy ~ so glad it was a hit Sherri! 🙂
Lee says
All of the breading slid off during baking. What did I do wrong?
Jessie Rowe says
How long do the tenders stay in the freezer?
Ronda says
What is flash freeze
Laurie says
Hi Ronda! Flash freezing is when you freeze individual pieces of food separately (on something like a baking sheet) before packing the food together into your freezer bag for longer storage! 🙂 Hope that helps!
Becky says
Love y’all