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Baked Chicken Strips
These crowd-pleasing, crispy Oven Baked Chicken Strips come together quickly, with just a few simple ingredients. The tenders get a quick dip in garlic butter, then get coated with seasoned panko, and baked to crunchy perfection.
Chicken Tenders were originally served fried and as a meal, and they still are today, but even more often you’ll see them listed on appetizer menus at almost every restaurant. Instead of frying, we bake the chicken tenders for a healthier snack that you can feel good about.
Table of Contents
Why We Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make – Just a quick dip in butter and coating in Panko, then bake. Super simple!
- Loved by Everyone – Kids beg for them, but grown-ups love them too!
- Crispy, Tender, Juicy – Three qualities that make for the tastiest chicken.
- Healthier Than Fried – We all know that frying chicken is super tasty but also super loaded with calories and fat. Plus they just get so greasy. Baking them instead keeps the calories down and they get nice and crispy without all the grease.
Ingredients For Baked Chicken Strips
- Chicken Tenderloins – If you can’t find chicken tenderloins, you can cut chicken breasts into thick strips. The tenderloin is much more forgiving than breasts, so be sure to not overcook breast meat if you use that instead!
- Melted Butter – For dipping; keeps the tenders nice and juicy.
- Fresh Garlic – For added flavor in the butter.
- White Vinegar – Vinegar can help tenderize the chicken, and it adds a bit of tang to round out all of the flavors. If you don’t have white vinegar, apple cider or white wine vinegar will work great.
- Panko Bread Crumbs and Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs – The regular breadcrumbs give more surface area coverage, while the panko gives the crispy crunch. You could certainly use one or the other, but using only regular breadcrumbs will produce a softer tender, more prone to becoming soggy.
- Seasonings (Parmesan Cheese, Ranch Seasoning, Garlic Powder, Salt and Pepper, Dried Parsley) – Mixed with the breadcrumbs to flavor the chicken.
How To Make Baked Chicken Strips
Be sure to check the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions.
- Prep the chicken. Use sharp kitchen shears to remove the white tendon from the chicken tenderloins, then pat dry with paper towels.
- Prep the oven and baking tools. Preheat oven to 425°F. Top a rimmed baking sheet with an oven safe cooling/baking rack, spray lightly with non stick cooking spray.
- Mix dipping ingredients. Combine butter and garlic and microwave to melt, then add the white vinegar. In a second shallow dish, mix together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, ranch mix, garlic powder, salt, pepper and parsley.
- Dip/coat the tenders. Dip the chicken tenders in the melted butter, then into the bread crumb mixture. Be sure to press bread crumbs firmly onto the chicken.
- Arrange and Bake. Arrange chicken onto the prepared baking rack and spray both sides lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 18-25 minutes, or until tenders are golden brown and an instant read thermometer reads 165°F, flipping tenders over for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
FAQs
What temperature should chicken strips be cooked at?
Bake the coated chicken tenders in a 425 degree oven. Chicken tenders cook pretty quickly, but they need a little extra time for the bread crumbs to get crispy. Not to worry – the butter and vinegar will keep your strips nice and juicy.
How long does it take to cook strips of chicken?
To get them nice and crispy, bake for 18-20 minutes. If you bake chicken strips without the breadcrumb coating, they’ll likely be ready in about 10-12 minutes at a slightly lower temperature.
Can you cook these in an air fryer?
Yes! Place in preheated air fryer at 400℉ and air fry for 10-14 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking. Each air fryer is different, watch them closely, and be sure to cook to 165℉.
Serving Suggestions
You can easily make these chicken strips part of your appetizer party spread, or make them part of a delicious meal.
Serve with a variety of dipping sauces, like:
- Ranch dressing
- Blue Cheese Dip
- Honey Mustard Sauce
- BBQ Sauce
Variations
Lemon Pepper: Swap out the vinegar for lemon juice. Swap out the ranch seasoning and black pepper for a couple teaspoons of lemon pepper seasoning.
Cajun: Use plain bread crumbs instead of Italian seasoned. Omit the Parmesan cheese and ranch seasoning. Replace with a tablespoon of cajun seasoning.
Spicy: Use plain bread crumbs instead of Italian seasoned. Omit the Parmesan cheese, use half the amount of ranch, and add a teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Dip in buffalo sauce.
Storage
- These are best served right away, but can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Reheat in a 425℉ oven on a cooling/baking rack until warmed through and crispy. Broil if needed. You can also reheat in a 400℉ air fryer.
- Freeze cooked tenders on a baking sheet until frozen solid, transfer to a freezer bag and store for up to 1 month.
- The leftovers are great for salads, wraps, tacos – even school lunches!
Expert Tips
- Why do you add vinegar? Vinegar can help tenderize the chicken, and it adds a bit of tang to round out all of the flavors. If you don’t have white vinegar, apple cider or white wine vinegar will work great.
- Why are my chicken tenders soggy? It’s important to pat the chicken dry before dredging. Also be sure to let all excess butter drip off, and wipe against the edge of the bowl before placing in the dry mix.
- The white tendon that is often still attached to chicken tenderloins will not break down during cooking, it’s important to remove as much of it as you can, don’t skip this step. Use kitchen shears or scissors to easily cut it out, pushing the tenderloin down firmly with your other hand.
- For easy cleanup, line the baking sheet with foil before placing the rack on top.
- Freshly grated parmesan is best, and it will help create a crispy texture! Use the green can kind if that’s what you have on hand.
- You can omit spraying the tenders with cooking spray, they just may not brown as well, but will still be yummy!
- If the tenders are not as brown and/or crispy as you’d like, place them under the broiler on low until your desired texture is reached, watch carefully so they don’t burn! You can also try turning your oven up to 450℉ for a few minutes.
More Chicken Appetizers
- Chicken Street Tacos
- Oven Baked Salt and Pepper Chicken Wing Recipe
- Baked Chicken Empanadas
- Slow Cooker Chicken Wings
- Popcorn Shrimp
If you’ve made this recipe, please come back and leave us a star rating or a comment below.
Baked Chicken Strips
Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Strips are dipped in garlic butter, then get coated with seasoned panko, and baked to crispy crunchy perfection.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 pounds chicken tenders
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup dry ranch seasoning mix
- 1 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoons dried parsley
Instructions
- Use sharp kitchen shears to remove the white tendon from the chicken tenderloins, pat dry with paper towel and set aside to come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 425℉. Top a rimmed baking sheet with an oven safe cooling/baking rack, spray lightly with non stick cooking spray.
- Place butter and fresh garlic in a shallow dish (such as a pie dish) and microwave until butter is melted, about 30 seconds, add vinegar. In a second shallow dish, mix all dry ingredients with a fork.
- Dip the chicken tenders in the melted butter briefly, wipe off excess butter. Immediately place in the bread crumb mixture and press bread crumbs on firmly. Place on prepared baking sheet. Spray both sides of each chicken tender lightly with the cooking spray.
- Bake for 18-25 minutes, or until tenders are golden brown and an instant read thermometer reads 165℉, flipping tenders over for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve immediately.
Notes
- One pound of chicken tenderloins will equal approximately 8-10 pieces. Plan on 1-2 pieces per person as an appetizer, 3-4 as a meal.
- These are best served right away, but can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Reheat in a 425℉ oven on a cooling/baking rack until warmed through and crispy. Broil if needed. You can also reheat in a 400℉ air fryer.
- Freeze cooked tenders on a baking sheet until frozen solid, transfer to a freezer bag and store for up to 1 month.
- The leftovers are great for salads, wraps, tacos – even school lunches!
Nutrition
Calories: 579kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 33gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 139mgSodium: 2334mgPotassium: 553mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 857IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 153mgIron: 3mg
