I formerly thought of chicken tenders as the deep-fried type found only in bars and on children’s menus that come with a side of ranch or bbq sauce. I was so so wrong. After this latest experiment insprired by the National Championship BCS game, I now think of chicken tenders as an awesome dinner with a light, flaky crust and a juicy chicken tender underneath. See, it was a blizzard out and there was no way I was going to a bar to watch two teams I can’t even claim as one of my own.

I recommend baking these tenders to keep the crust intact, but you can most definitely fry or even fry first quickly then bake to add some oil to the crunchy outside. When I first made a batch, I was literally throwing in whatever seasonings sounded good. You can do the same or use Italian breadcrumbs that have a lot of the seasonings listed below. If you prefer to use measurements to the tee and follow the below instructions, you’ll have an amazing batch of chicken tenders. Which is why I named them so.

Dip these in your bar bbq sauce and see if you like them more. You’ll definitely feel better after eating a plate-full, unless its a hangover situation, in which case grease could possibly win. But the chances aren’t good. These are after all, amazing.

Amazing Chicken Tenders

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken  breasts, cut into strips to create tenders
• 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (can use whole wheat)
• 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried minced onion
• pinch dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon lawry salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• sauces for dipping such as honey, ranch, honey mustard, sweet and sour, bbq sauce, hot wing sauce…the list is virtually endless… 

How To:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs and all dry seasonings. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs. Add milk and dijon, mix well.

Line a large baking sheet with parchement paper. Dump crumbs onto a large plate. Create an assembly line – first chicken tenders, followed by egg bowl, crumb plate, and baking sheet. Dunk several chicken tenders in egg mixture. One tender at a time, roll in crumb mixture. Set on baking sheet and proceed with the rest of the tenders. Once all tenders are breaded, bake in oven for 15 minutes or until opaque througout. While tenders are baking, pour sauces into separate ramekins or small bowls.

Serve immediately with sauces. *

*Chicken tenders are best made and immmediately eaten, but you can save them (place in refrigerator in a sealed containter) and reheat in 350 degree oven until warm/hot.