Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Tenders

Recipe video above. Beautifully golden, truly crunchy baked chicken tenders! The trick is to toast the breadcrumbs before coating the chicken. See recipe notes for pictured Honey Mustard Dipping sauce.

Recipe by Nagi | RecipeTin Eats on January 16, 2020

Prep time: PT15M

Cook time: PT15M

Total time: PT30M

Rating

4.96 stars (653 reviews)

Keywords

Baked Chicken Tenders

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs ((Note 1))
Oil spray
1 egg
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard ((or other mustard))
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
Black pepper
500 g/1 lb chicken tenderloins ((or breast cut into 2/3" / 1.5cm thick slices, lengthwise))
Oil spray

Steps

Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180° fan-forced).
Toast panko - Spread panko on a baking tray, spray with oil (spray vertically to avoid blowing the panko off the tray), then bake for 3 to 5 minutes until light golden. Transfer to bowl.
Place a rack on a baking tray (not critical but bakes more evenly).
Dredge batter - Place the Batter ingredients in a bowl and whisk with a fork until combined. Add the chicken into the Batter and toss to coat.
Crumbing (see video & photo in post)
- Pick up chicken with tongs and place it into the panko bowl.
- Crumb - Sprinkle surface with breadcrumbs, then press down to adhere. Transfer onto baking tray. Marvel at clean fingers, repeat with remaining chicken.
- Spray & bake - Spray lightly with oil, sprinkle with a touch of salt (optional). Bake 15 minutes (medium) or up to 20 minutes if gigantic. Any longer = dried out chicken.
- Serve - Remove from oven and serve immediately, with Sauce of choice (Honey Mustard pictured, see Note 2) and sprinkled with fresh parsley, if desired.

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 248 g
Calories: 416 kcal
Carbohydrates: 29 g
Protein: 42 g
Fat: 12 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 163 mg
Sodium: 973 mg
Sugar: 2 g

Reviews

Liz on 2026-06-19 (5 stars):
Crunchy. Juicy. Delicious. Perfect. You have never let me down. :-)
Liz on 2026-06-19 (5 stars):
Very crunchy. Juicy. Delicious. Perfect. Nailed it, per usual. :-) The toasted panko makes such a difference.
Veronica on 2026-06-15 (5 stars):
Recipe quick and easy. Chicken crispy and as promised, not dry or over-cooked. Love the healthy part of it. Nagi's recipes always deliver.
Mary on 2026-06-12 (5 stars):
I love this recipe because it is quick and no fuss and delicious!
Laura Davis on 2026-04-09 (5 stars):
Just wow!!! These have to be the most amazing chicken tenders I have ever cooked. Crispy, fully coated. I cooked on parchment paper no soggy bottom. My son and husband just loved them! Thankyou x
Judy Carter on 2026-04-01 (5 stars):
Thank you Nagi. This recipe was easy to execute and very delicious.
Ke’Anna on 2026-03-25 (5 stars):
I made this for dinner tonight and it came out amazing! I added Italian seasoning but the method was quick and easy, and loaded with flavor. My 8 year old loves it and I plan on making this again soon.
Laura G on 2026-03-23 (5 stars):
These were delicious! They were crispy and flavorful and the chicken stayed moist. I did add a little shake of Six Pepper Blend seasoning (from Sam's Club) and it added a little spice to the panko crumb coating. Otherwise, I followed the recipe as written. I chose this recipe because of the 5 star reviews and was glad I did. 5+ stars from me and my family!
Beverly on 2026-03-22 (5 stars):
This recipe is AMAZING!!!! I do tweak the breading. I add, Italian seasoning, pepper and grated parmesan (from a container, not fresh) to the breadcrumbs before baking them. It adds a nice flavour. I highly, highly recommend this recipe!!!
Terry on 2026-03-20 (5 stars):
I ma.de this recipe tonight along with the honey mustard sauce. The fam was very pleased.
Jacqui on 2026-03-17 (3 stars):
I tried to like this recipe. Toasted the panko, made the batter, used a rack in the oven but just did not turn out as tasty as I had hoped. I did like how quickly it all came together. Will try again with tweaks.
Cindy on 2026-03-13 (5 stars):
I followed the recipe exactly as you wrote it and they came out so delicious -- really crispy and moist. I like the way you incorporated the flour, eggs, etc. to make a batter and toasting the Panko enhanced the flavor plus it's much easier to prepare this way. Thanks for the recipe--I'll be making them again. Now I'm going to make the honey-mustard sauce ;)
Oriana Shepard on 2026-03-05 (5 stars):
So good! Meal prepped these for lunch. They were absolutely delicious and reheat in the air fryer really well.
Linlee Pontifex on 2026-03-04 (5 stars):
These were really easy, kids loved them and I will make again. Had them with mashed potatoes and broccoli
April Roeseler on 2026-02-25 (5 stars):
This recipe was a huge hit with my six-year old grandson. I think your tips about pre-toasting the panko crumbs and using tongs to coat the chicken were spot-on. Thank-you!
Sarah on 2026-02-24 (5 stars):
so delicious and crunchy! Best tenders I've ever made. I made these for my hubbys work lunches and they have been a hit!
Cathy on 2026-02-14 (5 stars):
I have never liked chicken tenders, ever…not even as a kid. Now I’m in my 60’s and I’m loving these. Only because it said Dijon mustard and I thought “well I’ll give it a try”, and boy am I glad I did. Best ever.
Lisa M Burtick on 2026-02-12 (5 stars):
I have made this several times now and it always comes out delish! It's moist, flavorful and crispy.