BAKED CHICKEN FINGERS

Baked Chicken Tenders

Hello again! It’s Alicia from The Baker Upstairs and I am back to share one of my absolute favorite recipes with you. These baked chicken fingers are super easy to make, incredibly delicious, and good for you too! My family loves chicken pretty much any way I make it, but these chicken fingers are a special favorite. They’re crisp on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside, and always come out delicious!

They’re also very simple too which is the main reason why I love them. And I think we can all agree that easy and delicious recipes the whole family loves are the best!

Chicken Fingers vs. Chicken Tenders?

Chicken Fingers, Chicken Tenders, even Chicken Strips! We’ve heard several names for this kind of chicken dish. Is there a difference between the three, or are they all referring to the same thing? The only real difference is that Chicken Tenders usually use a different part of the chicken, the tenderloin. Aside from that, fingers, tenders, and strips all refer to pieces of chicken that are breaded and fried (or in this case, baked). But let’s be honest, who actually cares what the technical name is when they taste SO good? 

This recipe calls for chicken breast, however, you can easily substitute it for 1 1/2 pounds of chicken tenderloin. The tenderloin is just a different muscle right next to the breast, and is supposedly much more tender (hence the name) when it’s cooked. When you purchase them at the store, they already come in smaller pieces, so that would take out a step in this recipe if you decide to substitute it for the breast! Either way, these chicken fingers will taste amazing after being breaded and baked!!

How to Make Chicken Tenders:

It does take a little time to individually dip each piece of chicken, but once you’ve got your dipping station set up, it’s very simple and straightforward. I love using kid plates from Ikea for dipping because they have a nice lip around them but are still pretty shallow. Flour plus salt and pepper goes in the first plate, egg in the second, and a mixture of panko and regular bread crumbs in the third plate. I like to bake them on a parchment-lined baking sheet for easy clean up, but they also work well on a greased baking sheet. Usually, I find myself making extras to have on hand for lunches and snacks. Once you get dipping, it’s easy to just make a bunch!

BAKED CHICKEN FINGERS RECIPE

 

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

A healthy way to eat chicken that kids absolutely love - Baked Chicken Fingers! Chicken dipped in flour, egg, and panko, then baked to a crispy perfection! Not to mention they're SO easy to make!

Author: Alicia from The Baker Upstairs for Lil' Luna

Recipe type: Main

Serves: 10-12

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ pounds chicken breast, trimmed and cut into strips (approximately 3 large breasts)
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup bread crumbs (I used Italian but regular work great too)
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
2. In a shallow dish or pie pan, whisk together the flour, salt and pepper. In another shallow dish, beat the eggs lightly. In a third dish, whisk together the regular and panko bread crumbs.
3. Dip each piece of chicken in the flour, then in the egg, then in the bread crumbs, and place on the prepared baking sheet. (I find that it helps to use one hand for dipping in the dry ingredients and one hand for dipping in the eggs, to prevent making a big mess.)
4. Spray each of the chicken strips lightly with cooking spray. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Enjoy!