Mommy homemade Chicken tenders are so easy to make and the crispy outer crust is 100 times better than any restaurant frozen chicken with preservatives and full of fat.
These can be baked, fried or air fried and perfect every time.
I have made these into nuggets and strips for the kids and they love this recipe.
Whenever I am stuck for what to make for dinner these are always welcome on our table.
Great using any leftovers for a buffalo chicken sandwich, or addition to toss the chicken in any pasta you like.
I love basic recipes, nothing goes to waster there is always another dish to create with these chicken strips.
Serve them with your favorite dipping sauces or plain, both ways are scrumptious!
Scroll down and see how easy it is to make homemade Mommy McNuggets or tenders, they're not a copycat recipe but the kids will love them!
A Family and Especially Kids Favorite!
My family gives this recipe a two-thumbs-up favorite.
These chicken fingers get a major upgrade from the standard variety with just a few quick improvements.
They are really easy to make and even great in a sandwich for school and work lunches.
Most of the time they just dip these in barbecue sauce or hot sauce.
With the addition of potatoes for a side dish, your meal is complete in no time.
Baked Fried or Air Fry
This recipe is so versatile for cooking methods.
You can easily bake them on a cookies sheet drizzled with oil or cooking spray.
Another method is frying, which is the family favorite although not the healthiest.
Then air-fried which I love making and see no difference in taste!
Not everyone has an air fryer, but I certainly love how they brown and are so crispy in flavors.
If you have one, I have a few suggestions, try all three methods using one tender then see which one you like the best for cooking them!
Tenders or Nuggets
If you have a picky child like we have, they will need to be in a nugget shape.
Funny how they know at an early age the difference in what kinds of foods they like by shape.
I always made nuggets until they got older, then they didn't care what shape they were!
Just sliced the boneless chicken breasts any way you like.
The main thing is to not do them too thin or they will cook too fast and be tough.
I like thicker 1/2 slices for the tenders and the cubes are easy, the chickens height and cubed.
Ingredients You Will Need for Homemade Chicken Tenders
- chicken breasts boneless
- eggs
- Italian flavored bread crumbs
- flour
- buttermilk or water
- garlic powder, oregano, basil, parsley, salt and pepper
- sweet paprika
- grated cheese
Tool You May Need
- parchment paper
- cooking spray
- knife
- cutting board
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- plastic bag
- Optional dipping sauces click here
- Canola Oil or Vegetable Oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan for frying around 1 inch.)
- Frying Pan, Cookie Baking Sheets or Air Fryer
Healthy Ingredient Alternatives
- For Diabetic friendly used crushed pork rind instead of bread crumbs and omit the flour and use almond flour
- For Low-fat use egg white with skim milk
- Organic chicken is another option when buying the chicken breasts
- Use only cooking spray and bake or air fry not fried
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More Recipes We Love
Copycat Recipes
Chicken with Lemon
Chicken Legs and Thighs Cooked in Beer
Chicken with Lemon Pasta
Easy Wholesome Chicken Tenders
Chick-fil-A Nuggets made with chicken breast meat come with a hefty price tag and I am not a big fan of their seasoning.
It seems that chicken fried tenders are on every menu anywhere we go these days.
If I had to choose to eat them out somewhere (and I don't) then KFC popcorn chicken would win in taste a pinch.
You never know what your eating and fillers scare me to death, so better made with love and know what's in them is my saying!
I seriously rather not think about what's really in fast food places these days.
That's why it's better to make these homemade Chicken tenders and nuggets at home, at least that's how I feel.
Homemade Chicken Tenders
Yield: 4
Prep time: 10 MCook time: 14 MTotal time: 24 M
Baked or Fried. this version of Mommy chicken recipe is the best homemade Chicken Tenders,. They're a boneless chicken breast great baked, fried or air fried and great plain or with your favorite dipping sauces. They're lightly seasoned with Italian spices.
Ingredients:
- 2 or 3 chicken breasts boneless slice in 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick long tenders or make the chicken into cubed nuggets pieces or sliced the breasts into round medallions
- 1 egg beaten
- 2 cups Italian flavored bread crumbs
- 1 cup flour
- plastic freezer bag or use a pie plate and just dip them
- 1 teaspoon each garlic powder, oregano, basil, parsley, salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/4 cup grated cheese
- parchment paper
- cooking spray
- large deep baking pan
- 1 cup buttermilk or water
- Optional dipping sauces click here
- Canola Oil or Vegetable Oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan for frying around 1 inch.)
- Frying Pan, baking sheet, or air fryer
Instructions:
- First sliced the chicken into any style you want them to be.
- Dip the chicken into buttermilk or water (buttermilk can be made with 1 cup milk to 1 tablespoon lemon juice or red wine vinegar) and beat in the egg.
- Place all the seasonings, bread crumbs and flour into a plastic bag and add the chicken pieces into the mixture one by one shake coat evenly, then choose a cooking method below.
- Shake each piece of the chicken until all is coated.
- For Frying:
- Heat the 1-inch oil in a frying pan or line a cookie sheet with parchment paper depending on if you want to fry them or bake them.
- Fry the chicken in oil flipping once for 3 minutes on both sides or until the juices run clear.
- For baking:
- Place the chicken on the cookie sheet, drizzle lightly with oil, then bake at 375 degrees hot oven, for 35 minutes.
- For Air Frying:
- These can also be air fried for 10 minutes at 400 degrees or cook until browned.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauces click here
Calories
279
279
Fat (grams)
18
18
Sat. Fat (grams)
7
7
Carbs (grams)
22
22
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Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2012. It was edited and re-published in 2019.