Crispy Baked Panko Chicken Tenders
Mains · Serves 4 · Prep 15 min · Cook 20 min · Total 35 min
Toasting the panko in butter before breading is the trick: the tenders come out of the oven golden and crunchy, with no pot of oil on the stove. The honey mustard takes one minute to stir together.
Ingredients
The Tenders
- 1 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 1/2 lb chicken tenderloins
- cooking spray
Honey Mustard
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp yellow mustard
- 2 tbsp honey
Steps
The Tenders
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Set a wire rack on a rimmed sheet pan and coat the rack with cooking spray.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the panko and stir constantly until evenly golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Tip it into a shallow dish to cool.
- In a second shallow dish, mix the flour, salt, garlic powder and paprika. In a third, beat the eggs with the water.
- Pat the chicken dry. Dredge each tender in the flour, dip it in the egg and let the excess drip off, then press it into the toasted panko on both sides. Lay the tenders on the rack without touching.
- Bake until the chicken reaches 165°F in the thickest part, 15 to 18 minutes. No flipping needed.
Honey Mustard
- While the tenders bake, stir the mayonnaise, mustard and honey together until smooth. Serve with the hot tenders.