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.
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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.
Amber Harvey says
I used olive oil instead of butter so, understandably, mine did get quite as golden brown. This recipe, however, is absolutely delicious no matter your choice of oil to cook in! Thank you for sharing it is really appreciated. Trying to eat a bit healthier these days for my own sake and my fiance who is dieting.
Chris says
I only have grated Pecorino Romano cheese. Will that work?
The Chunky Chef says
That should work just fine 🙂
Jennifer Coons says
So good!!! My whole family ate these no complaints! Added some veggies and really great dinner. Have leftovers for Tmrw.
Susan says
I made this tonight. It’s totally awesome. Will be making again. Only just found your site. Can’t wait to decide what to make next!
Stephanie Adams says
These were amazing!! Followed the exact recipe and couldn’t have had it turn out any better. I’ll be making these more often.
Pamela Emmett says
Is the parsley fresh or dried???
I confess I am a horrible cook!
The Chunky Chef says
I usually use fresh, because I have it on hand, but if you have dried, that will work too! I’d use 2 1/2 tsp of dried though 🙂
Tasha says
So good! Made these yesterday and they are all gone. Making another batch today. Thank you!
Andrea says
This way beyond delicious ❤️
Thank you so much for sharing it!!
Valerie Shaver says
I have these in the oven now! Can’t wait to try!
Heidi Lotter says
Please tell me if I have to defrost the chicken tenders that I got at Costco. I am making this today. Hopefully you read the comments all the time. 🙂
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, you’ll want them to not be frozen.
Sanny says
These were absolutely delicious! Thank you for an amazing recipe the whole family loved!
Randy says
This may be “heroin” chicken since it’s so addictive! I did add ground marjoram to the spice mixture combining another recipe I had that was based on dredging the chicken in butter and then rolling it in a marjoram and paprika mixture. These were great for dinner and then for lunches the next day!
Becki says
A plus. I could have only used half a stick of butter because I threw a lot out. I did smoked paprika and a full TB of garlic powder instead of the lesser amount. I served it with a no knead rosemary garlic bread, roasted air fryer potatoes and steamed broccoli.
Karen Trawick says
Very good!
How many carbs please?
I realize I didn’t get that before I enjoyed them.
Thank you,
Karen
Tamy says
I’d love to know as well dues to my diabetes and high cholesterol
The Chunky Chef says
Unfortunately, as I’m not a nutritionist, I don’t provide full nutritional information for my recipes (wouldn’t want to potentially, and unknowingly, pass along incorrect information). Your best bet would be to copy the ingredients into your favorite online nutritional calculator.
lisa says
these are delicious. I tried them last night, thank you for such a great recipe!
Urisonya Flunder says
These chicken strips were amazing! I just pulled them out of the oven and tried them! Yum, yum, yum!
Kat M. says
I substituted the butter for olive oil and they turned out delicious! I cooked them for the full 30 minutes and they came out moist and very flavorful. It’s an easy recipe to follow and easy clean up. Will definitely make again!
(Only thing missing for me is I love being able to see the full nutritional info. But there’s no doubt this recipe is packed full of protein).
Lance Gough says
I already ate dinner tonight, otherwise I would try this. Sounds delicious. Oh well, only about 22 more hours before the next dinner.
Zabba says
This is a Fantastic Recipie that went over 100% with everyone during dinner 😀💕
Rita Garcia says
Could these be made in an air fryer?
The Chunky Chef says
I’m sure they could, although I haven’t tested this recipe in an air fryer so I couldn’t say the exact temperature and time.
Cynthia Cardiello says
I made the recipe exactly as it was listed and they turned out absolutely fantastic! Please do not change a thing. Even if you don’t like hot pepper (I can’t even handle mild picante sauce and yet, I went back for a 2nd helping) the quantity is so small you barely taste it but if you don’t add it they will not taste the same. This recipe is a staple in my family and I make it twice a month. They are so easy to make, I even served them to a party of 18 people and everyone truly loved them 💕. After the party I did have a little left over so I sliced them up and added him to my husband’s lunch salad the next day.