Panko Chicken Tenders are made with the most tender cut of chicken, the tenderloins! Coated in a creamy mayonnaise-Dijon mustard mixture (Dijonnaise), pressed in seasoned panko breadcrumbs, then oven baked to juicy, crispy perfection!
Easy to make, fun to eat, and ready to devour in under an hour. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce!
Why You'll Love Them
Panko Chicken Tenders never disappoint! Serve them alone or with a side (like fries), on top of a garden salad with your favorite dressing (I love comeback sauce with these), or in a flour tortilla wrap with lettuce, tomato, and shredded cheese.
Oven-baked instead of fried means less mess and a bit healthier.
Simple ingredients, easy instructions! No flour or egg is needed. No pre-toasting of the Panko breadcrumbs is required.
Use your leftover Panko breadcrumbs to make my Crispy Chicken Parmesan.
Ingredients Needed
Chicken tenderloins - about 8 tenderloins. Or you can use chicken breasts that have been cut into strips.
Panko breadcrumbs - Panko are bigger, drier, and crispier than regular breadcrumbs. You could use regular breadcrumbs, but they won't be as crispy.
Mayonnaise and Dijon mustard - mix these two together for the coating which makes the seasoned Panko stick to the chicken.
Seasonings - add parsley, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper to the Panko. For an added kick, add cayenne pepper or Cajun seasoning.
How to Make Them
Here's a quick summary of how to make these chicken tenders.
(1) Combine the mayonnaise and Dijon mustard (also known as Dijonnaise) in a bowl.
(2) In another bowl, combine the Panko breadcrumbs with the seasonings.
(3) Spread the Dijonnaise on all the chicken tenderloins.
(4) Press each tenderloin into the breadcrumb mixture, then bake on a cooling rack over a sheet pan at 375F for about 20 minutes.
Dipping Sauces
Pick your favorite dipping sauce or condiment for these baked chicken tenders (delicious eaten as it!). Here are some suggestions:
- Honey mustard
- Ketchup
- Ranch
- BBQ sauce
Substitutions
You can use chicken breasts instead of tenderloins. Depending on their size, slice each breast into 2 or 3 strips.
You could use regular bread crumbs instead of Panko; however, they won't be as crispy but will still be just as flavorful.
Recipe Tips
Panko Chicken Tenders are a quick and easy meal. Here are just a few tips for the best results.
- Don't skip patting the chicken dry before you begin. It helps keep the coating and the Panko bread crumbs adhere to the chicken.
- Spread a good coating of the mayo-mustard coating (use a pastry brush or a spoon to help spread the coating). It helps the bread crumbs stick to the chicken better.
- For a little flavor kick, add some Cajun seasoning or cayenne pepper to the seasoning mix.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you do not need to toast the breadcrumbs first.
The short answer is, yes you can! Just add ¼ to ½ cups freshly shredded or grated parmesan cheese to the breadcrumb mixture before baking.
First, the chicken needs to be patted dry with a paper towel. Second, apply the thick mayo-mustard coating. Those breadcrumbs will stick nicely to the chicken.
These Roasted Parmesan Potatoes go great with these chicken tenders. Everybody loves Southern Mac and Cheese, and it's super easy to make, too!
More Easy Meals
If you tried this recipe, please rate it and leave me a comment. I'd love to hear from you!
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Panko Chicken Tenders
Equipment
- measuring spoons
- sheet pan
- cooling rack
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard also delicious with regular mustard (see notes below)
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs, plain
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins about 8
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Place a large rectangular-shaped cooling rack (approx. 16" x 10") on a large sheet pan (about the same size or larger than the cooling rack), and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Mix the mayonnaise and mustard in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a small deep dish, combine the Panko breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Taste test and add more seasoning if desired.
- Pat dry the chicken tenderloins with paper towels.
- Use a pastry brush to spread the mayonnaise-mustard mixture all over each chicken tenderloin.
- One at a time, gently press both sides of the chicken tenderloin into the Panko bread crumb mixture. Then place it onto the prepared cooling rack. Repeat for each tenderloin until done. If you have any crumb mixture left over, simply sprinkle it on top of the tenderloins. No need to waste this tasty crumb mixture!
- Spray the chicken tenderloins with non-stick cooking spray (this will make them extra crispy).
- Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Then eat with your favorite dipping sauce such as ranch dressing, BBQ sauce, or ketchup. Very tasty all by themselves!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy to my readers. I'm not a nutritionist and I don't guarantee the accuracy of this data. The data may differ according to the brands I used versus the brands you use. To calculate the data yourself using your brands, try using an online nutrition calculator or app.
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