You don’t need a fryer or air fryer for these crispy, fried chicken tenders. They bake in minutes in your oven. The secret is to place them on a roasting rack over a baking tray so air circulates around all sides.
Chicken tenders or tenderloin are part of the chicken breast and are attached to the underside of each chicken breast. They’re small and moist and are sold in most markets.
To give the chicken extra flavor and to keep them moist, I stuffed the chicken tenders with boursin garlic and fine herbs cheese. You can use any type of creamy, soft cheese. Choose one that is flavored with onion or herbs.
A quick coleslaw recipe is perfect with the crunchy chicken tenders. Adding some mayonnaise and vinegar to bought coleslaw mix means you can have homemade coleslaw in less than 5 minutes. If you’re pressed for time, just use a bought deli coleslaw.
Helpful Hints:
- You can use cracker crumbs instead of panko breadcrumbs.
- You can use boneless skinless chicken breast instead of tenders. Cut them into smaller pieces, about 6 inches long and 3 inches wide.
Oven-fried Chicken Tenders
Yield 2 servings. Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil spray
3/4 pound chicken tenders
4 tablespoons boursin garlic and fine herbs cheese
1/4 cup flour
2 egg whites, lightly broken up with a fork
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking tray with foil and add panko bread crumbs. Place in the oven while it preheats for about 2 to 3 minutes. Watch to see that the breadcrumbs don’t burn. They should be a golden color. Remove from oven and spoon breadcrumbs onto a plate. Sprinkle crumbs with salt and pepper to taste. Add a roasting rack to the baking tray. Spray with olive oil spray. Set aside.
Make a slit in the long side of the chicken tenders about 3 inches long and to 1/4-inch of the other side to form a pocket. Spoon the boursin cheese into the pockets and squeeze the tenders closed. Roll the closed chicken in the flour and dip in the egg whites. Then roll in the breadcrumbs to coat. Place on the roasting rack. Spray with olive oil spray. Bake 15 minutes or until meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees.
