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Home » Chicken » Crunchy Italian-Style Parmesan Chicken Tenders

Crunchy Italian-Style Parmesan Chicken Tenders

May 11, 2020 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

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These parmesan chicken tenders require a minimal amount of ingredients, including Italian bread crumbs and fresh grated parmesan, to create crunchy and flavorful chicken the whole family will love.

Up until recently, chicken tenders were the only meat I could find at the grocery store. Now, I could have cut up the chicken tenders and used them in just about anything, but I'm not that smart. Instead, my mind thought, "Oooh, how many different ways can I make chicken tenders my kids will eat?!"

The answer is actually a whole lot. (These Buttermilk Baked Chicken Tenders are one of my other favorites!)

side shot of a parmesan chicken tender cut in half with inside exposed and a bowl of parmesan and knife in the background

These Italian-style parmesan chicken tenders are a good ole staple recipe to always keep in your back pocket. There's absolutely nothing fancy about these guys, but there's a lot to love. You don't need any fancy ingredients to make a crunchy, flavorful chicken dinner that's yours in just over 20 minutes. And my favorite method - sticking something in the oven so you don't have to tend to it on the stovetop. Oh, yeah -- there's also that whole healthy part, too, since they're baked and not fried!

And who doesn't like that, quarantine or no quarantine?

Ingredients You'll Need

  • chicken tenders (or chicken breasts sliced into 3-4 strips per breast)
  • eggs
  • all-purpose flour
  • Italian breadcrumbs (hence, the Italian-style...I didn't say these were authentic!)
  • freshly grated parmesan cheese (definitely go with freshly grated parmesan instead of the stuff that's pre-grated. It makes a huge difference. I use my microplane for quickly grating cheese...and it's one of my favorite kitchen utensils ever)
  • salt + pepper
aerial view of four plates, one with chicken tenders, one with flour, one with eggs, and one with parmesan and breadcrumbs

How to Make Crunchy Parmesan Chicken Tenders

Even though these parmesan chicken tenders are baked, they still can be nice and crunchy. Here are some tips:

  • Press the breadcrumbs into your chicken. Make sure the entire chicken tender is coated and then press even more onto the chicken. This’ll help keep the moisture in as the chicken bakes and have an outer layer to make crunchy.
  • Place your breaded chicken up on a baking rack before putting in the oven so the bottom doesn’t get soggy (secret confession: I rarely actually do this because I’m too lazy to clean a rack and instead I put the chicken down on parchment paper but you do you).
  • Put your chicken under the broiler for the last 1-2 minutes of baking so the breadcrumbs have a blast of super high heat to finish crisping up and browning.

Make These Parmesan Chicken Tenders Gluten Free

You can sub in almond flour instead of all-purpose flour and use gluten free Italian breadcrumbs. While I don't use almond flour for these chicken tenders, I always use my Aleia's gluten free breadcrumbs because these are truly the best breadcrumbs around (and this is in no way sponsored) regardless of whether you're gluten free or not.

aerial shot of chicken tenders before going in the oven

Can you make these in an air fryer?

The answer is yes -- but since I don't have one, I'm relying on what friends have told me. They suggest putting the chicken tenders in the air fryer at 400˚ for about 12 minutes.

aerial view of cooked chicken tenders after coming out of the oven

What to eat with your chicken tenders

How about a little side pasta? Or perhaps a caesar salad? Or maybe you're trying to go a bit healthier with a garden salad with balsamic vinaigrette. There are so many options!

side view of chicken tenders on baking sheet lined with parchment paper

xox

kathryn

As always, if you make anything from the blog, be sure to let me know! I love hearing from you in the comments on this post below or find Worn Slap Out on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Crunchy Italian-style Parmesan Chicken Tenders

These parmesan chicken tenders require a minimal amount of ingredients, including Italian bread crumbs and fresh grated parmesan, to create crunchy and flavorful chicken the whole family will love.
4.84 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: chicken tenders, weeknight dinner
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs chicken tenders (or chicken breasts sliced 3-4 times)
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups Italian breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • salt + pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375˚ F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper (or use baking rack). Set aside.
  • In 3 different bowls, place your flour, salt and pepper on first plate, beaten egg on second, and breadcrumbs and parmesan on third. Dip chicken fingers in flour first, then egg, then coat with breadcrumb mixture. Press breadcrumbs into chicken to make sure the chicken tenders are well coated. Place on parchment paper.
  • Bake for 18-20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and tops are brown and crispy. If tops haven't gotten crispy, place under broiler for 1 minute.

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Hey, y'all!

I'm Kathryn! Welcome to Worn Slap Out, a Southern-inspired recipe corner for busy people on the go. As a mom of two littles who also loves food, I need meals on the table ASAP but I also want to eat well. Here, you'll find quick, easy, and reasonably healthy meals you can make in a flash. Other loves include Georgia football, cake of all kinds, and elastic waistbands.

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