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Simple and crispy Cornmeal Chicken Tenders are made with cornmeal and panko, and can be made gluten free and in under 30 minutes!
This recipe was originally published August 2017. Photos and copy were updated May 2020.
Who doesn’t love simple and crispy baked chicken tenders?
Please don’t get me wrong, I am alllllll for a deep fried chicken tender. I mean ALL ABOUT. But when it comes to making good old tenders at home, baked seems to be the way to go.
They really are super easy to make so don’t think breaded chicken tenders are out of your skill level. Promise they aren’t.
We do a bit of a chicken finger and salad kind of night fairly regularly in our house. These baked breaded chicken tenders are the ones the husband requests 99% of the time. And he is a big fan of the chicken strips from the freezer aisle in the grocery.
Crispy, simple and perfectly pairs with any occasion–what more do I need to say?
What you need to make this recipe:
- Cornmeal is already gluten free so all you need is gluten free panko or breadcrumbs to make these baked breaded chicken tenders fully gluten free.
- You can use flour instead of cornmeal if you don’t have any available.
How to make this recipe:
- Whisk together the breadcrumbs, cornmeal, garlic, sea salt and pepper. (steps 1 and 2)
- Whisk together egg, mayonnaise, and dijon mustard until smooth. It may look a bit lumpy at first, just keep whisking until smooth. (steps 3 and 4)
- Place each chicken tender into the egg mixture and allow to fully coat. Transfer it to the cornmeal/breadcrumb mixture and roll to coat completely. I even sprinkle some extra over the chicken to make sure every inch is covered. (steps 5 and 6)
- Line on a baking sheet with parchment and bake about 15 minutes until crispy golden and 165°F internal temperature. For extra browned and crispy, you can broil for the last 2-4 minutes. (steps 7 and 8)
Notes:
- These will be crisp, but not necessarily extra brown and crispy. For extra crispy and brown baked chicken tenders, toast the breadcrumbs prior to coating the chicken tenders. Place in the oven and toast for 3-5 minutes. Chicken tenders cook up quickly so this is key if you want them really golden brown.
- To reheat, bake in oven preheated to 375°F for about 10-12 minutes.
Try these other simple chicken recipes:
- Honey Lime Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken Dinner
- Baked Chicken with Mango Salsa
- Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
DID YOU MAKE ONE OF MY RECIPES? LEAVE A COMMENT AND LET ME KNOW! I ALSO LOVE TO SEE YOUR LEMONS + ZEST RECIPES ON SOCIAL MEDIA–TAG ME @LEMONSANDZEST ON INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK!
Baked Breaded Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken tenderloins
- 1 c panko, gluten free will work as well
- ½ c cornmeal
- 2 T mayonnaise
- 1 T dijon mustard
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a small bowl, combine panko, cornmeal, garlic powder, pepper and a sea salt. Stir to combine well.
- In another bowl, whisk together egg, mustard and mayo.
- Dip each chicken tender into the egg bowl to coat and then roll in panko cornmeal combination to cover completely.
- Line on a parchment lined baking sheet or lightly oiled sheet and repeat with the rest of the tenders.
- Bake for about 15-17 minutes or until cooked through and to desired crispiness.
- Freeze leftovers or refrigerate.
Notes
- These will be crisp, but not necessarily extra brown and crispy. For extra crispy and brown baked chicken tenders, toast the breadcrumbs prior to coating the chicken tenders. Place in the oven and toast for 3-5 minutes. Chicken tenders cook up quickly so this is key if you want them really golden brown.
- To reheat, bake in oven preheated to 375°F for about 10-12 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you cook these in an air fryer? Temp and how long?
I am certain you can! I literally JUST received my air fryer in the mail and am so excited! From what I’ve read,400 degrees for about 12 minutes, flipping halfway through if desired. Hope that helps!!