10+ Chicken Tenders Recipes Everyone Will Love

Chicken tenders—hard not to love, right? They’re easy, fast, and you can cook them in so many ways.

You’ll find plenty of tasty recipes below, all using ingredients you probably have in your kitchen already.

Baked, fried, smothered in butter and spices—there’s a way to make chicken tenders work for just about anyone. Let’s dig into some fun ways to prep them, so you can get your fix whenever the mood strikes.

Ingredients:

• Chicken tenders
• Olive oil or butter
• Salt and pepper
• Optional spices like paprika or garlic powder
• Breadcrumbs (for breaded recipes)
• Buttermilk (for marinade)

Cooking Instructions:

1. Season or marinate your chicken tenders as you like.
2. Heat oil or butter in a pan, or preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
3. Fry or bake the tenders until golden and cooked through—usually about 10-15 minutes.
4. Let them rest for a minute before serving.

1) Garlic Butter Chicken Tenders

Garlic butter chicken tenders—so quick and packed with flavor. You just cook the chicken in a buttery, garlicky sauce and, honestly, it’s hard not to eat them right out of the pan.

The garlic brings a punch, and the butter keeps everything juicy. If you want a little more oomph, toss in some Italian seasoning or paprika.

Serve with lemon wedges if you’re feeling fancy. The whole thing takes about 10 to 15 minutes, tops.

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken tenders
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Lemon wedges (optional)

Cooking Instructions

1. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Add garlic and cook for a minute until it smells amazing.
3. Toss in the chicken, sprinkle with Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper.
4. Cook for 6-8 minutes, flipping once, until golden and done.
5. Serve with lemon wedges if you want a bright finish.

Here’s a garlic butter chicken tenders stovetop recipe if you want more details.

2) Truly Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Tenders

You don’t need a deep fryer for crispy chicken tenders—just your oven. The trick is a crunchy coating and the right temp.

Coat your tenders in flour, breadcrumbs, and a few spices. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 15-20 minutes.

You get that golden crunch outside, juicy chicken inside. Serve them hot for the best texture.

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450g) chicken tenders
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 eggs

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Beat eggs in a shallow bowl.
3. Mix flour, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and paprika in another bowl.
4. Dip each tender in egg, then coat with the dry mix.
5. Lay tenders on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden and crispy.

3) Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders

Buttermilk fried chicken tenders—classic comfort food. The buttermilk makes them juicy and gives a little tang.

Coat the tenders in seasoned flour or breadcrumbs before frying. Get your oil hot—about 350°F (175°C)—and fry in batches for 5 to 6 minutes.

They should be golden brown and cooked through. Serve with your favorite dip or homemade ranch if you want to keep it classic.

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken tenders
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Oil for frying

Cooking Instructions

1. Marinate chicken in buttermilk for at least an hour.
2. Mix flour, panko, salt, pepper, and paprika in a bowl.
3. Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C).
4. Coat tenders in the flour mixture.
5. Fry in batches for 5-6 minutes until golden.
6. Make sure the inside hits 165°F (74°C).
7. Let them drain on a wire rack.

4) Tuscan Chicken Tenders

Tuscan chicken tenders are all about bold, herby flavor. Start by seasoning the chicken with Italian herbs and garlic.

Cook the tenders until golden brown. Then, whip up a creamy sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and let everything simmer for a couple of minutes. Serve with pasta or rice if you want something more filling.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken tenders
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes (chopped)
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions:

1. Season chicken with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium.
3. Cook the chicken until browned, 3-4 minutes per side.
4. Set chicken aside.
5. In the same pan, add cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach. Simmer 3 minutes.
6. Stir in Parmesan. Cook until sauce thickens a bit.
7. Put the chicken back in and coat with sauce. Heat through for 2 minutes.
8. Serve warm.

5) Chicken and Waffles Tenders

Chicken and waffles tenders—sweet, savory, and just a little over the top. Soak the chicken in buttermilk for juicy, flavorful bites.

Season well with garlic powder, paprika, and pepper. Fry until golden and crispy.

Serve the chicken on warm waffles, then drizzle with maple syrup. Breakfast? Dinner? Doesn’t matter. It’s just plain good.

Try a maple mustard dip if you want to mix things up.

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken tenders
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups waffle batter
• Maple syrup for serving

Cooking Instructions

1. Soak chicken in buttermilk for at least an hour.
2. Mix garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
3. Coat chicken with the spice mix.
4. Fry at 350°F (175°C) until golden and cooked, about 5-7 minutes.
5. Make waffles according to your waffle maker’s directions.
6. Serve chicken on waffles with maple syrup.

6) Mongolian Chicken Tenders

Mongolian chicken tenders are crispy on the outside, coated with a sweet and savory soy-ginger sauce. Coat the chicken in cornstarch and fry until golden.

Toss the tenders in a sauce made with soy, ginger, garlic, and brown sugar. There’s a little heat from red pepper flakes if you want it.

Serve over rice. It’s a fast way to get that takeout flavor at home.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken tenders
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Cooking Instructions:

1. Coat chicken in cornstarch.
2. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high.
3. Fry chicken until crispy and cooked, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Set chicken aside.
5. In the same pan, add garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes.
6. Cook sauce for 2-3 minutes until thickened.
7. Toss chicken back in and coat well.
8. Serve hot with rice.

7) Baked Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard

Baked chicken tenders with honey mustard—easy and honestly hard to mess up. The honey mustard brings out a sweet-tangy thing that goes perfectly with the crispy chicken.

Bake the tenders until golden. Panko crumbs help with the crunch.

Add some fresh rosemary if you’re feeling fancy. Great for dinner or as a snack for a crowd.

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken tenders
• ½ cup honey
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup stone ground mustard (optional)
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh rosemary sprigs (optional)

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Mix honey, Dijon, and stone ground mustard in a bowl.
3. Dip each tender in sauce, then coat with panko.
4. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
5. Bake 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway, until cooked and crispy.
6. Garnish with rosemary if you want.

8) Homemade Buttermilk Marinated Tenders

Start by soaking chicken tenders in buttermilk. Throw in some garlic, paprika, mustard, or even hot sauce if you like a kick.

Let them marinate in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight. When you’re ready, shake off extra buttermilk and coat the tenders in seasoned flour.

Pan-fry in oil until golden and cooked through. The inside stays juicy, the outside gets that perfect crunch.

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken tenders
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Oil for frying

Cooking Instructions

1. Mix buttermilk, garlic powder, paprika, mustard powder, and hot sauce in a bowl.

2. Add chicken tenders and marinate in the fridge for 4–12 hours.

3. Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl.

4. Remove tenders, shake off extra buttermilk, and coat them in the flour mixture.

5. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat (350°F / 175°C).

6. Fry tenders 3–4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through.

7. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm.

9) Sticky Honey Garlic Chicken Tenders

Sweet and savory—these chicken tenders really hit both notes. The honey and garlic glaze gets sticky and clings to every piece.

They cook up fast, which is honestly a lifesaver on busy nights. You can bake or air fry them, and either way, they’ll turn out juicy and crisp.

Serve with rice or maybe some veggies if you’re feeling healthy.

The sauce uses just honey, soy sauce, and garlic. It’s simple and sticks to the chicken so well. Sometimes I make extra for dipping because why not?

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken tenders
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).

2. In a bowl, mix honey, garlic, soy sauce, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

3. Toss chicken tenders in the sauce until fully coated.

4. Place chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment.

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, turning halfway through.

6. Serve hot with extra sauce if you like.

For more on sticky honey garlic tenders, check this recipe link.

10) Baked Chicken Tenderloin Parmesan

Baked chicken tenderloin Parmesan is about as easy as it gets. You skip the frying but still get that crispy, cheesy bite.

Chicken gets coated with Parmesan and breadcrumbs. It’s crunchy and full of flavor.

This one’s perfect for weeknights because it cooks quickly in the oven. I like it with pasta, but salad or steamed veggies work too.

The parmesan gives a salty kick that goes great with tomato sauce—or honestly, it’s good solo.

Ingredients

• 12 chicken tenderloins
• 1 ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
• ⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Cooking spray or olive oil

Cooking Instructions

1. Start by preheating your oven to 425°F (220°C).

2. In a bowl, mix together bread crumbs, Parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

3. Dip each piece of chicken in the beaten eggs.

4. Then, coat the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture.

5. Lay the chicken out on a greased baking sheet.

6. Give the chicken a quick spray or drizzle of oil.

7. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

8. Pull it out when the chicken looks cooked through and the outside turns crispy.