Why I Love This Recipe
These Eggless Oven Fried Chicken Tenders look amazing, tastes just like deep-fried fried chicken, and always cure my cravings. Plus, this recipe is straightforward to make. Looking at these photos, you’ll swear this oven-fried chicken, lower in calories and fat but still crunchy and delicious, was made in the frying pan. Nope! They’re completely baked from start to finish. There’s absolutely no searing or frying here. The chicken has the same crispy, golden texture as the real deal. The chicken is soaked in buttermilk, which keeps it moist and juicy, and then rolled into a crunchy and tasty coating. Even though they are made with chicken breast, they are incredibly juicy and tender.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Amounts are included in the printable recipe below (scroll down). You’ll need:
Chicken breast: I use boneless and skinless chicken breasts.Buttermilk: don’t have any? Here’s how to make your own buttermilk.CornflakesSeasoned breadcrumbs: you can buy seasoned breadcrumbs or add your own seasoning of choice to plain breadcrumbs.Seasoning: I use garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, and ground cayenne pepper.
Step By Step Recipe Photo Tutorial
Detailed instructions are included in the printable recipe below (scroll down).
1 – Prepare The Chicken
Use a sharp knife to trim the fat from the chicken breasts and cut it into tenders. Dip the chicken into buttermilk and let soak for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
2 – Make the Breading
Place corn flakes, seasoned breadcrumbs, garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper into a small food processor. Pulse until well combined.
3 – Bread the Chicken
Place breadcrumbs mixture in a shallow pan. Then dip each chicken piece into the breading mixture. Press down firmly so the breading sticks to the chicken.
4 – Bake the Chicken
Preheat oven to 450º F. Place the chicken on a lightly oiled pan; spray the top of the chicken well with cooking spray. Bake the chicken until done, about 30 minutes.
Storing & Freezing Instructions
If you have extra healthier oven-fried chicken, here’s how to store it.
Leftovers
These crispy chicken tenderloins can be refrigerated for 3 days. Be sure to wrap it up tightly or store it in an airtight container.
Freeze
This eggless oven-fried chicken tender can also be frozen.
Baked Chicken Tenders: Let the chicken cool completely and then place them in a freezer plastic bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Unbaked Chicken Tenders: Arrange the breaded chicken tenders on a baking sheet and freeze until hard, 1 to 2 hours. Then, transfer to resealable freezer bags and freeze for up to 1 month. When ready to eat the frozen tender, generously spray the frozen chicken tenders all over with cooking spray. Arrange on the baking rack and bake, flipping halfway through, until golden and crispy and cooked through.
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You’ve asked, and I’ve answered! Read on for a handful of answers to the most frequently asked questions about eggless baking. Originally posted in April 2016, photos were replaced in December 2019, and post content was edited to add more helpful information, no change to the recipe. The post was updated again in September 2021.
