The secret to this adult-friendly chicken tender recipe is a few hours in a simple low-cal marinade made of sherry and Dijon mustard, which tenderizes the chicken and then serves as the glue for panko bread crumbs. Using panko means lots of texture and crunch without an overly heavy coating. (Another option: Pulse up some fresh bread in a processor to create jagged, fluffy bread crumbs, and you’ll only need a slice or two of bread for a full recipe of tenders.)
Spraying the tenders with an oil mister combined with high oven heat work together to create a crispy crust — not quite fried, but pretty darned close. With boneless skinless chicken breast meat boasting 31 grams of protein per serving (and fewer than 4 grams of fat), this easy chicken tender recipe may take a permanent spot in your weeknight dinner menu rotation. Both the adults and the kiddos will be thrilled.
Dijon and sherry oven chicken tenders
Recipe serves 4.
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup dry sherry (or other fortified wine, such as Marsala or Madeira or Port)
1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs, or dried herbes de provence, or dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast tenders, or boneless skinless chicken breast cut into strips about 1-inch wide and three inches long
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Olive oil in a spray mister (or nonstick spray)
Place mustard, sherry, herbs, salt and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag and mix contents by squishing the bag a little. Add chicken to the bag, coating well with the mustard mixture. Let marinate in refrigerator for 1-8 hours.
Once ready to bake, heat oven to 400 degrees. Fit a baking rack on a large baking sheet. (Cover baking sheet with foil to catch drips and make clean up easier.) Lightly spray the baking rack with olive oil to keep chicken from sticking. Place bread crumbs on a plate and use a fork to remove chicken tenders from marinade and toss in crumbs to coat on all sides. Place the breaded chicken tenders on the baking rack on the baking sheet and spray the top of the chicken lightly with the olive oil mister. Bake chicken until cooked through, about 20-25 minutes. Serve.
Cooks note: Add 1 tablespoon of honey to the marinade for honey-mustard tenders.
Nutrition information per serving: 289 calories; 20 calories from fat; 2 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 97 mg cholesterol; 840 mg sodium; 19 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 41 g protein.