Before I had kids, the amount of days per week that I ate chicken tenders was slim to none. Now, they eat them all the time. Except the good, quality chicken tenders from the store cost basically an arm and a leg. But also, making them from scratch and messing with a dredging station kind of annoys me. Turns out, using 100% Whole Wheat Panko, a bit of parmesan (you can't even taste it if your kiddos are picky) and a few basic seasonings and dunking them in egg first, then the Panko, suffices.
I've been making these on repeat since I figured this out. I was sick of spending $8+ for 6 chicken tenders that barely feeds these kids. For being so young they really eat a ton!!! These taste so much better anyway, plus a little reheat in the oven at 400° for 5 ish minutes heats them right through and they are delectable on sandwiches and salads!
I don't care to edit my photos much. If I can take a photo in the daylight, I feel like it creates better expectations for my readers who try my recipes. For this reason it bothers me a bit, because you cannot tell how crazy crunchy the outside of these truly are. But they really are so good!
So let's talk how. How does one create crunchy chicken tenders without a proper dredging station? Easy, Panko. I used 100% Whole Wheat Panko. It's the Kinkkoman brand and I found it at Target and Caputo's, although I'm sure there is a variety of brands with the same idea. Can't find 100% Whole Wheat? I'm confident the regular type would work just fine!
I mix up my Panko, parmesan cheese, salt and a touch of parsley into a bowl. In a second bowl, I mix 4 eggs until well beaten. Next, I add the chicken tenders to the beaten eggs. Yay for skipping the flour stage! Swirl them around and then next, add them to the panko mixture until well-coated.
I put them onto a wire-rimmed rack under parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet to ensure extra crispiness. Sure, they don't look very appetizing now, but after they bake for about 30 minutes, they are the crunchiest little tenders you'll have ever had from the oven. I think they're even more crunchy than fried ones to be honest!
Bake an enjoy!!
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