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These baked chicken tenders are juicy inside and breaded with a crispy, flavorful parmesan panko coating outside. I love dipping them in zingy chili yogurt sauce!
Crispy baked chicken is such a tasty, easy appetizer. Check out my crispy garlic Parmesan chicken wings and hot honey chicken, next.
Football season is upon us and, naturally, so are the snacks. I’ve made these oven baked chicken tenders for countless game day parties, and they’re so incredibly easy and delicious, right up there with corn ribs as a favorite appetizer. These crispy chicken tenders are juicy inside and crunchy outside, with loads of flavor. And no eggs!
Coating the chicken with yogurt makes the tenders extra… well, tender. Then, I use additional yogurt to make a cool and creamy sweet chili dipping sauce for serving. It’s seriously next level!
What Makes These Baked Chicken Tenders So Good?
- Parmesan panko coating. The only thing better than big, crunchy panko crumbs is panko seasoned with salty parmesan, garlic, and herbs. The coating is so flavorful!
- Extra tender. This recipe is inspired by my yogurt-marinated baked chicken, which makes the most delicious breaded chicken that’s super juicy inside. Yogurt is the secret ingredient that tenderizes the meat while locking in the flavor.
- No eggs. I love my parmesan-crusted chicken tenders but I think I unlocked a genius-level hack when I dipped these chicken tenders in yogurt instead! It’s super simple and you don’t have to crack a single egg. They turned out light and fluffy, and perfectly coated.
Recipe Ingredients
These are some notes on the ingredients you’ll need for this baked chicken tenders recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for a full list along with the detailed recipe.
- Chicken Tenderloins – You can buy chicken tenderloins pre-cut from the grocery store or trim them yourself.
- Yogurt – Any plain yogurt you’d like. I use nonfat, but you can use full-fat or Greek yogurt, too.
- Panko Breadcrumbs – Regular breadcrumbs also work but I love the extra crunch of Panko. You can use seasoned or unseasoned. Another option is to use pork rind crumbs, which have lots of flavor and texture.
- Parmesan – Freshly grated.
- Garlic Salt – Or onion salt.
- Fresh Parsley – Finely chopped. You can also use dried parsley, oregano, or Italian seasoning. Mixing a little chicken seasoning onto the panko is another easy way to add flavor.
- Cooking Spray – I like to use olive oil cooking spray, but any cooking spray does the trick.
How to Make Oven Baked Chicken Tenders
Baking chicken tenders in the oven is quick and easy. The key is to get the outside of the chicken evenly coated in panko and bake them in a preheated oven, this way they’ll crisp up nice and golden. Here are the steps:
- Prepare a breading station. First, add yogurt to one bowl, and your panko crumbs, parmesan, garlic salt, and parsley to another. Mix the panko crumbs until that’s well combined.
- Dip the chicken. One at a time, dip the chicken tenders in yogurt and then into the breadcrumbs to coat. Place the coated tenders onto a baking sheet.
- Bake. Give the chicken tenders a spritz with cooking spray and bake at 400ºF for 15-18 minutes until they’re crispy and golden.
Easy Yogurt Dipping Sauce
While the chicken tenders are baking in the oven, I like to whip up a quick and creamy sweet chili dipping sauce. Here’s what to do:
- Combine. Add plain yogurt to a bowl with sweet chili sauce, freshly minced garlic cloves (or ½ teaspoon of garlic powder), and chopped parsley. Mix well.
- Serve. Plate up your crispy baked chicken tenders with a bowl of dipping sauce on the side. See below for more serving ideas!
If chili isn’t your thing, try this easy honey mustard sauce, homemade ranch dressing, or my family’s favorite Macedonian taratur, that’s similar to tzatziki.
Tips and Variations
- Don’t overbake the chicken tenders. You can check the chicken for doneness using an instant-read thermometer. It’s cooked when the internal temperature registers 165ºF at the thickest part of the chicken tender.
- Marinate the chicken. If you have time, leave the chicken to marinate in the yogurt for 15 minutes before you dip the tenders into your panko mixture. Marinating tenderizes the chicken even more and keeps it extra juicy.
- Use the air fryer. You can easily adapt this recipe to make air fryer chicken tenders. Prepare the chicken as directed and cook according to the air fryer directions in that recipe.
What to Serve With Chicken Tenders
I love the sweet chili heat of my yogurt dipping sauce with these crunchy, savory baked chicken tenders. I’ll serve them with a side of oven-baked French fries or roasted sweet potato wedges (which also taste delicious dipped in the sauce!). For another vegetable side dish, try these mixed roasted vegetables or these easy maple roasted carrots.
Oven-baked chicken tenders also taste great served next to or on top of a Mediterranean salad or walnut chicken salad, or I’ll dish them up over a bed of fluffy golden couscous.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Store leftover chicken tenders in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat. Pop the chicken back into the oven at 400ºF for about 10 minutes, until it’s warmed through. You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave, though the outside won’t be as crispy.
- Freeze. Seal the cooled chicken tenders inside an airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw the chicken in the fridge before reheating.
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Baked Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
For the Chicken Tenders
- 1 pound chicken breast tenderloins, (about 10 to 12 pieces)
- ⅔ cup plain nonfat yogurt
- 1½ cups panko bread crumbs, or pork rind crumbs
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- olive oil cooking spray
For the Chili Yogurt Dip
- ½ cup plain nonfat yogurt
- 2 to 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.
- Set up a breading station. Put 2/3 cup yogurt in a bowl, and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine panko bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic salt, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix until thoroughly incorporated.
- Coat the chicken. Dip chicken tenders in yogurt, then toss in bread crumbs mixture, pressing to coat. Place chicken tenders on the previously prepared baking sheet. Spray chicken tenders with cooking spray.
- Bake. Bake the chicken for 15 to 18 minutes, until it's cooked through and golden on top.
For the Dipping Sauce
- Make the sauce. In the meantime, prepare the yogurt sauce by combining the yogurt, sweet chili sauce, garlic, and parsley in a bowl; whisk until well combined.
- Serve! Serve baked chicken tenders with chili yogurt sauce on the side.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Baked chicken tenders are the BEST! That Chili Yogurt Sauce looks pretty amazing too. I’m adding this to my meal plan.
I love the tenders but that chili yogurt dipping sauce really leave me hungry for more!
That sauce is calling my name!
I bet these are so flavorful and moist! YUM!
I love that you baked this! That sauce is calling my name! I love all of the flavors in the chili yogurt sauce!
I love that you baked these!
These look AMAZING!! So light and crispy. Definitely making these!
Great dipping sauce! Never would have put the yogurt and chili sauce together, but it oh so worked!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- never will I ever outgrow chicken tenders. 🙂 These look SO good, and that sauce is perfect! Must try!
Love the look of those tenders and the dip you used.