Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken tenders
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon parsley, dried
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup panko
- 2/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Pat the chicken tenders dry with a paper towel.
- Prepare an assembly line to keep everything organized and quick. Set out three bowls. Fill the first bowl with white flour, pepper, mustard powder, and salt. Stir to combine.
- In the second bowl, place the melted butter, and minced garlic. Stir to combine.
- In the third bowl, combine lemon zest, parsley, paprika, panko, and Parmesan cheese.
- Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Dredge the chicken tenders in the flour, butter, and then finally the panko mixture. Make sure to coat each tender thoroughly in each mixture carefully. Place the chicken tenders on the foil-lined baking sheet, and place in the preheated oven.
- Cook the chicken tenders in the oven for about 16 minutes. Flip the tenders after they've cooked for 8 minutes, and continue cooking for an additional 8 minutes. Cook until chicken tenders reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Enjoy!
Supplies
- paper towels
- three shallow bowls (for coating)
- baking sheet
- aluminum foil
- instant-read thermometer
Recipe Notes
Don't forget to pat your chicken tenders dry prior to breading. Excess moisture will result in soggy tenders, instead of crispy tenders. It's also essential to spray your baking sheet, to avoid your chicken tenders from sticking.
Chicken tenders are a staple in many comfort food restaurants across the country. It's hard to resist juicy chicken, flavorful breading, and the variety of dipping options. The garlic Parmesan chicken tenders can be enhanced to create unique flavors. Chicken is juicy and tender when prepared correctly. Chicken tenders can be baked, fried, or cooked in a skillet. If all the possibilities give you a headache and you don't know where to begin, here are a few ideas to get you started.
Breading
The breading on chicken tenders doesn't have to be simple or bland. In fact, playing around with what type of breading you use in your recipe can bring out a lot of unique flavors. Here are just a few incredible possibilities:
- standard breadcrumb
- Italian seasoned breadcrumb
- seasoned flour
- cornflakes
- crushed sour cream and onion potato chips
- bbq potato chips
- Doritos
- almonds
- pistachios
- honey roasted peanuts
- walnuts
- pecan
Batters (Frying)
If you plan on deep frying your chicken tenders, you're going to need some batter. Don't feel the need to limit yourself to just one type of batter. There are plenty of ways to get your chicken ready for the fryer. In addition to your traditional batter, here are a few more ideas to get your imagination cooking:
- An egg-buttermilk batter is your traditional batter. It's the base for most fried chicken recipes available today. With this batter, the chicken is marinated in buttermilk first, then dipped in an egg mixture, and finally dredged through flour before being placed in the fryer.
- Tempura batter is lighter in flavor, which allows for the flavors of spices and the chicken to shine through.
- Beer batter is a thick mixture of seasoned flour and beer, which the chicken is dipped in before frying.
Spices
Adding spices to your fry batter or breading can be a great way to make a more unique or memorable chicken tender dish. There are boundless options and combinations to choose from when it comes to spices, so don't be nervous to experiment with any of these options:
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- dried basil
- cayenne pepper
- thyme
- oregano
- celery salt
- garlic salt
- white pepper
- ginger
- cumin
- nutmeg
Dipping Sauces
Lastly, it's time to think about the dipping sauces. If you need something a bit more adventurous than ketchup or mustard, you don't have to worry. There are plenty of dip options for every flavor preference imaginable. Whether you're looking for something spicy, or something creamy and savory, there's a sauce for you. Just look at all these finger-licking sauce options:
- honey mustard
- ranch
- hot honey
- sweet chili sauce
- 50/50 blend of ranch and bbq sauce
- pesto
- spicy mayonnaise and ketchup sauce
- garlic sauce
- buffalo sauce
- Frank's Redhot
- dill sour cream sauce
- sweet and sour sauce
- blue cheese
- garlic cheese sauce
What To Eat Chicken Tenders With
Enjoy your garlic parmesan chicken tenders with a simple to prepare side. Here are a few side dish ideas that bring it all together:
- cheesy cauliflower mash
- Place the tenders on a bed of greens lightly tossed with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, and topped with sliced almonds and tomatoes.
- roasted potatoes and red onions
- sweet potato fries
- garlic mashed potatoes
Garlic parmesan chicken tenders are quick and easy to prepare. If you find yourself wanting to jazz things up a bit, there are plenty of possibilities thanks to different spice, batter, breading, and sauce options. Garlic parmesan chicken tenders are sure to become a part of your weekly dinner rotation.