A couple weeks ago, I was watching a football game with The Pilot (my nickname for my boyfriend) at a bar/restaurant in the area. I was craving some chicken tenders. I love chicken tenders but rarely eat them because they are usually a bit too greasy for me.
What is it about watching football games that makes me crave and over indulge in fattening food? For me, watching football is like a free pass to eat food that is not good for me. I usually wake up the next morning looking for my I-ate-too-much-greasy-food pants with an elastic waist band and thinking “what have I done”? I feel icky, guilty and determined not to do it again…. until the next football game when I give in to all the deliciousness.
I was strong that day and did not give into the craving to eat fried chicken tenders but for the next week, I think I had many dreams about them.
Yes, I dream about food! Don’t you?
Anyway, I became obsessed with making a less greasy but still very satisfying version of crispy chicken tenders. That’s how I created my Oven Baked Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Sauce.
I’m not going to claim that this is a low calorie recipe but because these chicken tenders are oven baked and not fried, they aren’t greasy. I feel better about eating this version of crispy chicken tenders and the Honey Mustard Sauce is so perfect with them! Maybe I can toss my I-ate-too-much-greasy-food pants now!
How to Make Easy Oven Baked Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Sauce
First, mix up the batter using buttermilk, an egg and some salt and pepper. The, add the chicken tenders to the batter and let sit for 20 minutes or so. If you aren’t going to make these right away, you can keep the chicken tenders in the batter in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Next, make the coating by adding cereal crumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper together.
Working with one chicken tender at a time, remove it from the batter and lay it on top of the coating pressing down gently.
Flip over the tender and press gently into the coating. Both sides should be coated now with the cereal crumb mixture.
Place the chicken tender on foil lined baking sheet.
Continue doing this until all the chicken tenders are coated and lying about ½ inch apart on the baking sheet. Pop in a preheated 390°F oven for 15 minutes. While the chicken tenders are baking, make the Honey Mustard Sauce by mixing mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Once the Oven Baked Chicken Tenders are done, serve with the Honey Mustard Sauce. Enjoy! If you make this dish, please let me know by taking a picture and tagging me on Instagram at #acupoffrosting.
Easy Oven Baked Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Sauce
Equipment
- 1 Sheet Pan
- Foil
- Tongs
- Medium Bowl For Cereal Crumb Mixture
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken tenderloins
For the Batter:
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Coating:
- 1 cup cereal crumbs I used Corn Flake Crumbs
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
For the Honey Mustard Sauce:
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 390°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.
- Mix buttermilk, egg, salt and pepper in a dish or plastic Ziplock bag. Add chicken tenders and marinate for 20 minutes.
- While the chicken tenders are marinating, make the coating by combining the cereal crumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and cayenne pepper in a large dish or plate big enough to add a chicken tender to coat.
- When ready, one at a time, remove a chicken tender from the batter and place on top of the coating mixture. Press down a bit then flip to coat the other side, pressing down again. Place each chicken tender on the foiled lined baking sheet leaving about ½ inch between each piece. This will allow for more even cooking.
- When done coating each chicken tender, bake for 15 minutes.
- While the tenders are baking whisk up the Honey Mustard Sauce by adding the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, honey, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- When chicken is done baking remove from oven and let rest until you can grab with your fingers. Serve with the Honey Mustard Sauce. Enjoy!