This Parmesan Baked Chicken Strips recipe is a sure-fire crowd pleaser!! Golden on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside... coated in a cheesy crust with a marinara dipping sauce, these baked chicken tenders are an easy and delicious meal the whole family will love! ❤️
This post has been updated since its original publish date of October 2016.
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Taste And See is one year old!🎉🎂 Yayyy!! It’s been a busy year of developing new recipes, cooking, taste-testing, and documenting all of it right here for you to enjoy. Thanks so much for all your support!🙏 We’re honored that you continually choose to follow along on our journey and prepare our recipes!
We’re celebrating this special occasion with a new variation of one of our most popular recipes to date: Parmesan Crusted Chicken! It has been one of our favorite recipes so far, and if you’ve tasted this chicken, then I know you’re not surprised.
My Homemade Chicken Tenders
It is what so many of us want: easy, moist, flavorful, crowd-pleasing delicious baked chicken breasts.💯
A go-to meal for an easy weeknight dinner or something you can serve for a special night with company. Quite simply it has it all. And now it has even more.😳 How is that even possible?🤔 I’m so glad you asked.
Now it’s just as tasty, just as moist, just as tender but it’s in the form of a finger food! Say whaaa!?? I know, Christmas came early this year!🎁
It’s the perfect appetizer to serve for your next game-day watch party, or for a fun family meal even the kiddos will love. Put it over some angel hair pasta, top it off with my semi-homemade marinara and you’ll have one yummy Italian feast.🍴
Did I mention this chicken strips recipe was easy!?? You literally mix, dip, and bake. (Not to be confused with the "bend and snap" - although another very effective method for swooning your significant other, it has nothing to do with these baked chicken tenders.😝 Sorry - I couldn't help myself!😂 )
Ingredients for Baked Chicken Tenders:
The combination of ingredients used in this chicken tender recipe makes them golden on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. Every time.👇
- 3 boneless chicken breasts, fat and skin removed and cut into 12 strips (or 12 chicken tenders)
- 1 ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
- ⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons minced parsley
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
The process is really simple and only requires a few ingredients.
How To Make Parmesan Crusted Chicken Strips:
You can use chicken tenders or chicken breasts for this recipe. If you use chicken breasts slice them up to look like chicken tenders.
Sometimes you can save a buck by using one or the other depending on the specials your grocery store is offering. I've used both for this baked chicken tender recipe.
Note: There is sometimes a tendon in the chicken tenders and if the store or manufacturer doesn't remove it you may want to. It can sometimes be chewy and tough when cooked.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Prep your chicken tenders... remove any unwanted tendon pieces and pat dry.
Mix your breadcrumbs, Parmesan, fresh parsley, salt, and pepper in a shallow pie dish (or plate).
Then in another dish mix the melted butter, fresh lemon juice, and minced garlic.
Dip both sides of your chicken strips in the dish with butter, lemon, and garlic…
Toss your chicken strips in the breadcrumb mixture. Pressing them firmly so the coating sticks to the chicken.
Place the chicken on a baking sheet.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. (Bake longer or broil them for 1-2 minutes for a crispier coating on the outside.
Tada... delicious Parmesan Baked Chicken Strips!💫
But wait, there’s more!👍
My Homemade Marinara recipe!🍅 It’s so tasty and a breeze to whip up.
While your chicken is getting all golden and delicious in the oven, you add grated onion, minced garlic, salt, and pepper to a pot over medium-high heat.
Mix in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, parsley, more salt and pepper, and simmer for 20 minutes or longer.♨️
Now plate up all this goodness and dig in!🍴 Parmesan Baked Chicken Strips - an easy and delicious meal the whole family will love!💛
And don't forget to try the original Parmesan Crusted Chicken recipe, too!
What to Serve with this Chicken Strips Recipe:
- Roasted Parmesan Broccoli
- Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts
- Creamy Parmesan Risotto
- Broccoli Salad with Grapes and Bacon
- Easy Garlic Green Beans
- Sour Cream And Onion Smashed Potatoes
I would love to connect with you! Leave a comment and follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, & Pinterest!
Parmesan Baked Chicken Strips Recipe
Parmesan Baked Chicken Strips Recipe - golden, tender & juicy. Coated in a cheesy crust w/ a marinara dipping sauce, the whole family will love these!
Ingredients
- 3 boneless chicken breasts, fat and skin removed and cut into 12 strips (or 12 chicken tenders)
- 1 ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
- ⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons minced parsley
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper together in a shallow pie dish or a deep plate.
- Mix the butter, lemon juice and garlic together in a second shallow pie dish or deep plate.
- Dip both sides of the chicken in the butter mixture, coating it well.
- Quickly place the chicken on the bread crumb mixture and toss the crumbs up over the edges and top of chicken breast, using either your hands or a spoon. Gently press the chicken so the crumbs on the bottom side stick to the chicken. Now turn the chicken over and again press that side into the crumbs.
- Arrange breaded chicken strips on the baking sheet and repeat steps 3 and 4 with the rest of the chicken.
- When all chicken is prepped, bake uncovered (on the middle rack of the oven) for 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted in the thickest part of the chicken breast.
- If strips aren't as golden as desired, reduce the bake time by one minute and broil on the middle rack of the oven for one minute. Be sure to watch them closely to make sure they don't burn.
Notes
- If the butter and lemon juice mixture starts to congeal, microwave for 20 seconds.
- Be sure to use grated parmesan cheese, shredded cheese won't stick to the chicken as nicely.
- Bake longer or broil them for 1-2 minutes for a crispier coating on the outside.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
3 Chicken StripsAmount Per Serving Calories 353Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 10gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 99mgSodium 1029mgCarbohydrates 14gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 27g
Looking for more easy & amazing dinner ideas? Try these!
Tina
Can you use egg instead of butter? Will it change anything, cooking time, etc?
holly
Hi Tina, I have a Baked Chicken Parmesan recipe and I use egg for that. I slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make them thinner. Then cook them at 425 degrees, on the 2nd from the top rack on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. They take about 15-20 minutes to cook and should be 165 degrees in the center when temped with a digital meat thermometer. I hope that helps!
Judi
Love this recipe and the "not to be confused with Bend & Snap" Some people won't get it but I loved it.
holly
Thank you so much, Judi! I'm so glad you got my silly humor in this post!😁
Aurora
Hi. Just wondering if you can make ahead of time? I like to prep dinner a few days ahead lol.
holly
Hi Aurora, You can make it ahead of time but the coating on the chicken will get a little more moist when stored in the fridge. It just depends how much texture matters to you.
Emily Edwards
Yumm. Made this for dinner and want to eat all of it. It needed a little salt when cooked but otherwise great! I didn't see the recommendation to use shredded cheese instead of preshredded but it reshredded worked fine. What was the extra butter for?
holly
Thanks so much, Emily! I'm so glad you enjoy the recipe! I normally use grated not shredded Parmesan cheese for the recipe but if shredded worked for you that's great. All of the butter was for melting and dredging the chicken in. When I made the recipe I felt like I need a little more than 1/4 cup butter so I added the extra tablespoon. Thanks again!
Rebecca C
My family loves these! Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!
holly
Yayyy! You're so welcome1 I love hearing that, Rebecca! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback!
Gretchen
Had these in our rotation last week....nothing like homemade dinner in less than 30 to make me feel like a super star!!!
Barbara
We really loved this recipe, will make it again. Thank you
holly
Yayyyy! SO glad to hear that, Barbara!