Oven Fried Chicken Tenders

I have been trying to figure out how to make a quick and delicious meal that is not too fattening. Yeah, I know. The man that brought you 19 types of pizza, poutine, chicken fried bacon and chocolate covered bacon is trying to cut back a bit. So I decided to tackle my favorite fast food meal, chicken. I love the Colonel and even Ronald, but they were starting to take advantage of my mid-section. Granted my take on chicken is not fat free, but it sure is a ton better for you. The name says fried, but really it is a way of describing that crunchy fried texture. No frying involved.

I served these up with some barbecue sauce. They were delicious.

Oven Fried Chicken Tenders

• 1 lb chicken tenders
• Flour Mixture
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • pinch cayenne pepper
• Egg Wash
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 tbs water
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
• Bread Crumb Topping
  • 2 cups panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
• Useful Hardware
  • 3 pie plates or wide bowls
  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cooling rack
  • non-stick spray

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Arrange three pie plates or wide bowls on a flat surface.

In the first plate mix the ingredients for the flour mixture.  In the second plate mix the ingredients for the egg wash.  In the third plate mix the ingredients for the bread crumb topping.  Notice that each individual component is seasoned.  In order to get a perfectly seasoned chicken tender, you need to season each layer of flavor.

Place a cooling rack on a sheet pan and then spray the rack with  non-stick spray.  The rack will keep the chicken up allowing them to cook on all sides without having to be flipped over.

Next dip the chicken tenders in the flour, then the egg wash and finally in the bread crumb mixture.  Make sure that the chicken tender gets fully coated in each step.

Place the chicken tenders onto the cooling rack.  Arrange the tenders so that they are not touching each other.

Once all of the tenders are coated, place the sheet pan in the preheated 450 degree oven for 12-14 minutes.  This time may vary depending on your oven and the thickness of each of the tenders.  To make sure always check the temperature with a thermometer.  Cooked chicken tenders should have a temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once removed from the oven, plate and serve.