Oven Fried Chicken Tenders – crunchy, crispy and golden brown these oven fried chicken tenders are the best oven fried chicken because they taste just like fried chicken without all the extra fat!!
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Coming from a Southern family, learning how to fry chicken around the same time I learned how to ride a bike is not only considered normal but proper. There is simply nothing better than the perfectly seasoned golden exterior hiding the juicy tender inside and hearing the crunch in every single bite. Now I like to keep things lighter, and this oven fried chicken tenders recipe is incredible!
The Heart and Soul of the Best Oven Fried Chicken Tenders
Cuisine Inspiration: Southern Comfort
Primary Cooking Method: Oven-Frying
Dietary Info: Poultry-Based, Lower in Fat
Key Flavor: Savory & Spiced
Skill Level Required: Easy
Sweet Highlights:
- Crunchy Goodness: Oven-frying brings on the crispiness!
- Flavor Packed: A spice blend that ensures every bite is a flavor adventure.
- Versatile Vibes: From main dish to salad topper, these tenders can do it all.
Ingredients
Chicken Tenders: These little strips of joy are lean, mean, and ready for some oven-frying action. Packed with protein and ready to soak up all the flavor goodness we’re about to throw at them!
Eggs: They’re here to bring the stickiness, helping our fabulous flour mixture cling to each tender.
Hot Sauce & Worcestershire: A dynamic duo, bringing a tangy kick and a rich, savory depth to the party.
All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of our crispy coating, ready to transform our tenders into a crunchy heaven.
Seasoned Salt: It’s like regular salt, but it’s been to flavor boot camp. It’s here to season like a pro!
Cornstarch: This is our crispy secret weapon, making sure each tender is perfectly crunchy.
Paprika, Cayenne Pepper, Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder: Welcome to flavor town! These spices are ready to kick things up a notch and bring the heat and the sweet.
Non-Stick Cooking Spray: Here to ensure our tenders lift off the tray with ease, we’re avoiding the stick without the deep fryer.
How to Make Oven Fried Chicken
- Preheat and Prep: Crank up your oven to 425 degrees and get your egg, hot sauce, and Worcestershire mix ready.
- Flour Mix Fun: In a paper bag, shake together flour, seasoned salt, spices, and a milk drizzle to create a crumbly coating.
- Dip and Set: Coat each chicken tender in the flour mix, dip in egg wash, coat again, and let set for 10-15 minutes.
- Bake to Perfection: Place on a parchment-lined, sprayed baking tray, bake for 20-25 minutes, and serve with a squeeze of lemon. Enjoy your crispy delight!
Tip
I also create some cool crumb action by doing something I learned from the Pioneer Woman. I add a drizzle of milk to my seasoned flour and then use a fork to create crumbs in the mixture. It is such a fantastic trick, and I LOVE the results.
How to Store
Store the chicken tenders in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. For reheating, pop them in the oven at 375 degrees until they’re crispy and heated through, about 10 minutes.
How to Serve
Like fried chicken, I love serving with some of the following:
- Keep it hearty with a delicious mashed potatoes recipe and chicken gravy.
- Get into that soul food with collard greens or mustard greens as a veggie side.
- Serve it up with hot water cornbread or Jiffy corn muffins and get ready for a delicious Southern feast.
More Fried Chicken Recipes
- Buttermilk Fried Chicken
- Sweet Tea Fried Chicken
- Fried Chicken Gizzards
- Air Fryer Fried Chicken
- Hot Honey Chicken
Find more Fried Chicken recipes HERE
Oven Fried Chicken Tenders (Oven Fried Chicken)
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Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken tenders
- 3 large eggs beaten
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2- 3 tablespoons seasoned salt
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Non-stick cooking spray
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Optional: Lemon wedges for garnish and serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together eggs, hot sauce and worcestershire and set aside.
- Next add flour, seasoned salt, cornstarch, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to a paper bag and shake to mix well.
- Drizzle milk into the flour and use a fork to mix it into the flour and create crumbs.
- Dip each chicken tender into flour mixture and then egg wash coating both sides then dip back into seasoned flour thoroughly coating each piece. Then add piece to baking sheet to rest.
- Finish coating all chicken and let sit for 10-15 minutes until coating has set.
- While coating sets, add parchment paper sheets to cast iron skillet or baking sheet and liberally spray with non stick cooking spray.
- Add floured chicken to parchment paper and liberally spray the tops of chicken tenders with non stick spray and drizzle the tops of chicken with tablespoons of vegetable oil.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked throughout. Serve with lemon wedges and sprinkle lemon on chicken if you wish.
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This was excellent! I had the urge for chicken and waffles, but used this recipe as a guide given the ingredients I have on hand. I could really taste the Cholula (my preferred hot sauce) coming through! Never made fried chicken before and this was a perfect start.
I can’t believe how good these turned out! They legit looked and tasted fried! My husband and I were shocked! I marinated them in pickle juice prior to prep for some extra flavor. AMAZING! Thank you so much, Jocelyn! Will keep this recipe forever! You’re a genius!
I made a double batch of tenders today and they turned out fantastic! Me son came in from college for the day and he thought they were his favorite tenders from Aldis! He’s taking a bag of them back to school with him!
Thorough presentation and great recipe.
Delish. I am trying to get away from flour, so I put unsweetened toasted coconut flakes and pecans in a food processor and used that as my base for the dredge instead of flour. Everything else was the same, and these are so, so good. I did add a little kosher salt. And I sprayed them with coconut oil. I will totally make these again.
Loved this recipe! so easy to follow and a great recipe. I used Onion Salt from Trader Joe’s and decreased the overall salt. It was so tasty! Will be making them again!
Wow! This is fabulous!! I decreased the seasoned salt just a bit and doubled the cayenne (we like things HOT 😀 ), and this turned out exactly like I wanted it to! I’ve been looking for the perfect oven fried chicken recipe forEVER…thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you for this recipe. This is as good as any fried chicken I’ve ever eaten. My family who are fried food aficionados love it.
Thank you for this amazing recipe!! Made it for National Fried Chicken Day, and it will be a staple for sure. I used almond flour instead of cornstarch and it still came out great. Yum!!
I’m excited to try this! The recipe I currently use has panko and parmesan in the coating, but as my four-year-old is protein shy except for these I am all in for trying something new!