These baked chicken tenders are coated in a deliciously savory crust, yet have zero breading, which makes for an awesomely low carb meal!
Eating healthy has never tasted so good! You won’t even miss the breading on these baked chicken tenders… and the flavor is crazy addictive. Who says you can’t have it all?
So for those of you with little munchkins… do they get stuck in food ruts? My kids sure do…. if it isn’t a fish stick, hot dog, or chicken nugget… they don’t want it. Sound familiar? Doesn’t it make you want to pull your hair out? Cooking a great meal for your family, working hard, and they take one look and promptly say “that looks gross, I want a hot dog”. *insert flip out moment here*
To be fair, I shouldn’t say my “kids”… because my son is the human disposal… he will eat just about anything, and in large amounts! There are some nights I swear he eats more than I do… which honestly, is hard to do… Mama likes to EAT! He is, however, picky about what he wants on certain nights. And my daughter used to be a fantastic eater, and still is, just ohhhhhh my lord is she stubborn!! I shouldn’t even complain because let’s face it, she got it from me… but I’m constantly wracking my brain to get her to eat something that doesn’t come out of a frozen bag.
Chicken is generally a safe bet, especially when I can cut it up into “nuggets” and voila… she’ll eat, especially with some dipping sauce. We eat a good deal of chicken around here 🙂
This chicken… it is beyond addictive and you’ll want it alllllll the time!
Does that look yummy or what?! But wait, it gets even better! These chicken tenders aren’t breaded… that’s right… no breadcrumbs, no panko… zero bread (bring on the low-carb!). A mix of Parmesan cheese and a variety of spices combine to make the “crust” on these baked chicken tenders. And what a delicious crust it is!!
These chicken tenders are also baked, so no babysitting them in a skillet… just pop them in the oven and relax. Okay, maybe not relax, because odds are you’re fixing something else to have alongside the chicken… but at least you don’t have to fuss with the chicken while you’re working on the side dish 🙂
Okay, here’s the breakdown… just mix up your cheese and spices in a large dish and set aside, and melt some butter in a microwave-safe dish.
Dip each chicken tender in the melted butter (seriously, how can you go wrong dipping chicken in butter first!), then roll it in the spice mixture and place in a foil-lined pan. Repeat with remaining chicken tenders and bake for 20-30 minutes. That’s it! So simple right? Plus it’s a fun one that your kids could help you with… they’ll love it! 🙂
These got gobbled up pretty quickly! It was lucky I was able to save a couple of tenders for the pictures the next day 😛
Recipe adapted from Food.com
I want to share that the original name of the recipe on Food.com was Heroin Chicken Tenders, and out of respect for that recipe creator, I originally kept the same name when I shared them. I have since re-named this recipe, but unfortunately the URL still reflects the original name. Any nasty comments pertaining to the name of the recipe will be deleted. I’m sure the original recipe creator named them before heroin was as prevalent a problem as it is today. No one is in poor taste here, just trying to share recipes 🙂
I love serving these with some 3 ingredient slow cooker ranch mushrooms, super crispy parmesan and garlic potato wedges, or a great Caesar salad with homemade dressing!
Helpful Tools for This Recipe:
- NORDICWARE HALF SHEET PANS – I’m a huge fan of these baking sheets, and own them in quite a few sizes!
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Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken tenders
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons parsley minced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside.
- Line rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Melt butter in a shallow dish.
- Dip each chicken tender in butter then roll in seasoning mixture and place on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
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Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Valerie says
Any ideas on something to substitute for dairy free? Thx
The Chunky Chef says
You could try olive oil and some sort of non-dairy cheese? We’re not dairy-free, so these are just rough ideas, not tested 🙂
Krista says
I couldn’t see the carb. Count. How many carbs are in this?
The Chunky Chef says
As I’m not a nutritionist, I don’t provide full nutritional information for my recipes (don’t want to inadvertently pass along incorrect information). Your best bet would be to copy the ingredients into your favorite online nutritional calculator.
sherry harris says
krista – why so rude? ever heard of saying please and thank you?
Lance Gough says
It didn’t sound rude at all to me. I noticed that you didn’t leave the same comment for all the others who didn’t say ‘please’ or ‘thank you’.
Tamy Ellis says
I truly didn’t think it was rude at all. A simple question that received a great response. After all she wasn’t the only one that didn’t say thank you or please. Sometimes it’s better to keep thoughts to your self 😊
Lance Gough says
I calculate 2 net carbs per serving (3 total – 1 fiber) using FitDay food log.
Jennifer Espinola says
For each tender?
Tamy Ellis says
Thank you for posting that information !!! 😊
Carter says
Does anyone know the calorie info per tender? I’m confused how many the 500 calorie mark is for. Thank you!
Sandra says
My family loves this…. instead of just using it for tenders I also use it for chicken breast…. thank you for sharing this…
Skye says
These look so so good! I only have whole boneless skinless chicken breast. Do you think I can cut them up to be like chicken tenders? Maybe they’d come out too dry?
The Chunky Chef says
You can absolutely do that… I do it all the time 🙂
Jen says
Love love love these… Did I say I love these… ☺️
Nicole says
By far the best chicken tender recipe!!! So flavorful and moist, and easy! The leftovers are just as delicious too! This is definitely going into the rotation. Thank you!
Connie says
Has anyone tried this in an air fryer? We just got one and I would love to make some low carb meals in there! Thank you!
Nicole Welsh says
These are amazing! And so easy! I made them exactly as the recipe stated and baked for 25 minutes. They turned out so flavorful and moist – a definite in the rotation from now on! Thank you so much!
Suzanne says
These look AMAZING! I’m on the hunt for new low carb recipes. I can’t wait to give this a try!
Lori says
These look great and can’t wait to try them! Do you use the already grated cheese in the shaker or do you grate the cheese yourself?
The Chunky Chef says
I usually grate it myself, since we prefer fresh flavor over the packaged variety.
Alisha Green says
This was absolutely amazing! Juicy, tender and flavorful!
Misty says
Made these tonight and they were a hit!! Instead of dipping the tenders in melted butter, I dipped them in Italian dressing. 😋
Michele Dixon Edwards says
This recipe was so easy and absolutely delicious! I put extra spice so it had a kick, which I love. I used olive oil instead of butter and it was perfect. I’ll try it with butter next time to see if it makes a difference. I do NOT cook so really impressed myself; thanks for the recipe! I’ll try more on your site:)
Giselle says
Absolutely delicious! I coated the chicken rather generously, so I only had enough cheese and herb mixture for 1 1/2 lbs. of chicken. I baked the tenders in my Thermador steam oven for a half-hour on the Easy Cook setting and they came out unbelievably juicy and flavorful! We didn’t care that they weren’t crispy. I wanted a quick and easy way to prepare chicken tonight and this one is spectacular in every way. I’m glad I found you, Amanda! I am looking forward to making this dish again soon.
Elaine says
I like this recipe but not sure of the nutritional values. In on a bariatric diet and need more info in the low carb tenders. Any way I can get them ?
The Chunky Chef says
As I’m not a nutritionist, I don’t provide full nutritional information for my recipes (don’t want to inadvertently pass along incorrect information). Your best bet would be to copy the ingredients into your favorite online nutritional calculator.
Deborah De Rossett says
This was easy, quick and Deeeeelissshhh!!!!!
RACHAEL JOHNSON says
It deffinatly wasnt crispy even with broiling it but it was still delicious <3
Liza says
These are INCREDIBLE! Thank you!
Kathy B says
I substituted olive oil for half the butter. I think you could go 100% olive oil if you wanted. So delicious. Can’t wait to make again.
Jill says
I only have shredded Parmesan cheese, not grated. Would that make this recipe a no-go?
The Chunky Chef says
The cheese may not stick as well, but it won’t alter the taste.