Baked Chicken Tenders (packed with flavor)
If you've checked out any of my other recipes, you've probably noticed that I LOVE finding ways to make my favorite Southern dishes a little lighter. Which means we get to enjoy them more often (yay!). Of course, nothing beats some good fried chicken...extra crispy for me. Back during my cross country days, I used to love Mrs. Winner's fried chicken nights before meets. For some reason, that was my pre-race fuel - which makes me yearn for the days I could eat whatever I wanted and not worry about it later. With Cliff and I both trying to stay fit, we've enjoyed a few baked chicken tender recipes, including one from Trisha Yearwood. What's fun about breading is the seasoning - there are so many variations that make one very delicious product. We put our own citrus-y, tangy twist on ours and I hope your family will enjoy, too.
Recipe
Lemon Pepper Baked Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken tenders
- ¾ cup soy milk or other plant-based milk
- 1 lemon juiced, half reserved for buttermilk and half for breading
- ¾ cup Panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoon salt (we prefer pink Himalayan)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º Fahrenheit.
- Whisk together milk and lemon juice from half a lemon and set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients (bread crumbs, thyme, salt, pepper, shredded cheese) in a shallow, medium-sized bowl. Add lemon juice and zest and stir to combine.
- Add "buttermilk" to a bowl large enough to dredge chicken tenders. One at a time, dip tenders in buttermilk before dredging through breading mixture. As the breading mixture clumps, use your fingers to press the breading more firmly onto each tender.
- Place tenders on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown on the exterior and no longer pink in the middle.
- Serve warm with your choice of sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Pro Tip:
Dried herbs are more potent than fresh. In fact, dried offer up to 3 times the concentrated flavor compared to fresh! If substituting in a recipe, use a third as much dried than its fresh counterpart.
A few points about this healthy baked chicken tenders recipe...
- If you need to omit dairy or milk-based products, you can remove the Parmesan cheese.
- You are welcome to substitute the fresh thyme leaves for dried, or substitute a different herb that better suits your palette.
- Garlic fans - feel free to add just a bit of garlic powder. I wanted the dish to be more "lemon forward," so omitted from this dish. That is completely up to you.
- We drink plant-based milk, so use the buttermilk alternative: plant-based mix whisked with fresh lemon juice. Don't forget to allow it to sit for a few minutes before incorporating into the recipe.
- Did you know that ordering regular chicken tenders in a restaurant can yield more than 600 calories and 36 grams of fat? You can feel better oven "frying" with the best of them.
Looking for another classic Southern dish with a healthier twist? Try my baked fried green tomatoes with a roasted red pepper garlic aioli. What favorite dishes have you found can be baked instead of fried, or just as delicious using an air fryer? We have yet to venture into the world of air frying, but hope to give it a try when we have a larger kitchen and more storage. Let me know what recipes you're enjoying!
Until next time, cheers to your #hearthhealthhappiness!
Katie says
This looks so good! My kids love chicken tenders but I’m always looking for ways to make them a little healthier and with fewer funky ingredients.
hearthhealthhappiness says
Thanks so much! We've really enjoyed these...I have a weakness for chicken tenders, so appreciate having more baked options vs. fried. If you end up giving these a try, I hope your family finds them tasty! Have a great weekend! 🙂