These delicious chicken tenders are made from chicken tenderloins, coated in panko bread crumbs and grated parmesan cheese, then baked until golden and crispy – a firm favorite in our house.
Chicken tenders, chicken nuggets, chicken fingers, chicken sticks, chicken goujons, or whatever you choose to call them, these chicken tenderloins feature on our dinner menu at least once a week.
In fact my boys would eat them every night of the week if I let them. They beg me for fast food chicken nuggets, but I’m afraid their Irish mom believes in home cooked meals, free from ingredients I cannot pronounce. To meet the demands of my fussy eaters I created my own, homemade, baked chicken nuggets.
I tried many different coatings over the years, from crushed corn flakes to toasted whole wheat breadcrumbs, but I find panko mixed with grated parmesan cheese gets two thumbs up from my kids (or should I say eight thumbs up).
TIME FOR A LITTLE RANT:
Before I share my recipe it’s time for a little Irish American Mom “chicken goujon” rant.
For all Americans visiting Ireland, whose kids, like mine, cannot survive without their weekly chicken nugget feast, be warned. Nuggets cannot be found on Irish menus, except in McDonald’s. The preferred term is “chicken goujon”.
Why Ireland couldn’t stick with one of the simple terms like nuggets or tenders or fingers, beats me.
I always crack up when I hear my fellow Irish men ordering their “goujons”. Correct French pronunciation does not flow from most Irish tongues, so I’m afraid the term usually sounds more like a “goooooo….jjohn”, especially in Dublin.
I think during the Celtic Tiger boom years, we got carried away and tried to get all fancy by serving “goujons” in restaurants.
RANT OVER & OUT 🙂
What are chicken nuggets made of? I think that’s a six million dollar question, and the answer depends upon where you buy them. I once watched a TV documentary about how commercial chicken nuggets are made, and when I saw discarded pieces of chicken meat being compressed into beautifully uniform patties, I just knew I had to start making my own. As you can see from my ingredient photo there aren’t any complicated or unpronounceable ingredients required.
My homemade chicken nuggets recipe can be baked in the oven or fried, but I prefer oven cooking. Baked chicken nuggets have less fat than the fried variety.
If you like crispy chicken tenders or crunchy chicken nuggets I find panko bread crumbs, mixed with finely grated parmesan cheese, are the perfect solution to this tender coating dilemma.
What is panko? I can hear my Irish mother saying – “‘Tis far from panko you were reared.”
But I’ve come a long way from Ireland to find these dry, crunchy Japanese bread crumbs, just perfect for my chicken coating needs.
Ingredients For Chicken Tenders:
Here’s a quick list of what you’ll need. Take a look at the printable recipe at the end of this post for exact quantities. You can switch between US and Metric measurements there.
- chicken tenderloins
- all-purpose flour
- salt and pepper (to season flour)
- eggs
- panko breadcrumbs (Japanese style breadcrumbs)
- finely grated parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano in Ireland)
- olive oil cooking spray
Directions For Chicken Tenders:
Before getting started, pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F. To ensure crispy tenders a very hot oven is required.
Next you need 3 bowls to prepare the dunking ingredients for coating the chicken.
In the first bowl, add the flour and season it with salt and pepper.
Break the eggs into a separate bowl, and whisk them together well.
The last bowl is for the panko bread crumbs mixed with the grated parmesan.
And now you’re ready to start coating the chicken pieces.
First layer is a coating of flour. Toss each individual chicken tenderloin in the flour, then shake off the excess.
Dip the floured tenderloin in the beaten egg, letting any extra egg drip off.
Next, roll the chicken tenderloin in the breadcrumb mixture. Gently shake off any excess crumbs.
Discard any left over coating ingredients once the chicken pieces are ready for the oven.
Place a wire baking rack in a baking tray. Spray the rack with oil. Place each chicken tender on the wire rack, allowing a one inch space between each piece. If the tenders are placed too closely together, they won’t get crispy. As each one cooks steam is released, so if they’re touching they just go soggy.
Many cooks bake their nuggets directly on the baking pan. I like to use a wire rack. I find hot oven air beneath the nuggets keeps them crispy as they bake.
Prepare and coat each tender individually. I find if I try to throw them all into the coating mixtures together the panko ends up being clumpy and less crispy when baked.
To ensure a perfect texture when cooked, spray the prepared nuggets with a little olive oil.
Place the tray in the pre-heated oven.
After about 12 minutes remove the tray and turn the nuggets. You can spray a little more olive oil on this new upper surface of the nuggets.
How long to bake chicken tenders? Until they’re cooked is the cheeky answer.
I usually bake mine for 20 to 25 minutes. The exact time required depends on the thickness of each tenderloin. When both sides are golden brown and crispy, I usually slice the thickest one, to make sure the chicken meat is no longer pink, and is a succulent white shade.
Now in case you think our meals are always ultra-healthy, please know I have been known to toss these tenders into my frying pan when I am in a rush to get dinner on the table.
They cook beautifully when shallow fried in about 3 tablespoons of oil with a knob of butter melted into the oil. It takes about 7 minutes per side to fry them, but once again, how long to fry chicken nuggets depends on the thickness of the chicken tenderloin. My motto is always to test to make sure.
While my kids are busy dipping their nuggets in honey mustard sauce, my husband and I usually dice them up and toss them over a quick and easy salad. They’re also perfect for serving over spaghetti with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese for a take on chicken parmigiana.
So there you have it – my panko crusted chicken nuggets or tenders or fingers or goujons.
Whatever you call them, I hope you enjoy them as much as my kids do. With honey mustard sauce, they’re finger licking good.
If you have fussy eaters you might be interested in exploring a few more of my recipes which your kids might like, such as:
- lemon and sugar pancakes
- drop scones
- beans on toast
- boiled egg and soldiers
- fruit rainbow platter
- chocolate biscuit cake (not so healthy)
- oat flapjacks
Here is the printable recipe:
Homemade Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken tenderloins
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon salt to season flour
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper to season flour
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese finely grated
- olive oil cooking spray to coat tenders before baking
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 °F.
- Place the flour in a wide bowl with a little salt and pepper.
- Add the eggs into another bowl and beat together with a whisk.
- Mix the panko breadcrumbs and the finely grated parmesan cheese in a third bowl.
- Toss each individual chicken tenderloin in the flour, then shake off the excess flour.
- Dip the floured tenderloin in the beaten egg, letting any extra egg drip off.
- Next, roll the chicken tenderloin in the breadcrumb mixture. Gently shake off any excess crumbs.
- Place a wire baking rack in a baking tray. Spray the rack with oil. Place each chicken tender on the wire rack, allowing a one inch space between each piece.
- Bake in the oven for 20 -25 mins, turning them over half way through the baking time.
- When they are completely cooked the outside should be a golden brown, and the inner chicken completely white. Remove from the oven and serve.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Irish American Mom
Here are some other recipes you might enjoy:
Oatmeal Banana Blueberry Muffins
Apple Crumble
Cottage Pie or Shepherd’s Pie
If you’re a Pinterest fan, here’s a pin friendly image to add to your boards. Thanks for sharing.
You can find all my Irish cooking tips and recipes here.
Lovely recipie, thank you .
Thanks, Maureen. My boys just love chicken nuggets. Now if I could only get them to eat stew at the same rate, I’d be in business.
All the best,
Mairéad
An Irish woman talking about being so Irish & gives the cooking temp in Fahrenheit instead of Celsius.
I don’t know anyone in this country with an oven displaying Fahrenheit
Hi Denis – I write this blog for an American audience so I tweak all my Irish recipes for cooking success in America. Most ovens in America only display temperatures in Fahrenheit. Even gas ovens have Fahrenheit controls and they do not use Gas Marks like we do in Ireland. So sorry if you thought this blog was geared towards an Irish audience.
All the best,
Mairéad
Ooh, I love the idea of frying them in a pan! We love to fry things (everything, really) in pork of beef lard- oh the flavour! I might have to try this soon! 🙂
Aimee – These tenders are delicious when fried in a pan – lard would really make them tasty.
Hope your family enjoys them, like my kiddos do.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Love this recipe – I have tried making chicken nuggets before but they turned out a little soggy. I’ll try baking them on a wire rack next time.
That should do the trick, Mags. Mine weren’t crispy until I tried cooking them on a wire rack.
Hope they turn out well for you.
All the best,
Mairéad
Boy oh boy, these look good!
I would have to use rice flour and then, something other than the panko bread crumbs for the coating, since mine would have to be gluten free. I might try some bits of cornbread crumbs instead of the panko…I will let you know how it turns out! 🙂
Kay – I have made these nuggets using chickpea flour for the first dredging. That is probably gluten free. They turned out great. Let me know if you find a gluten free alternative for the final coating.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Try gluten free rice crispies. I used them slightly crushed by hand with seasoning added for another recipe.
Thanks for a wonderful tip, Maxine. I’ll have to give that one a try.
All the best,
Mairéad
I love chicken tenders. Guess I’m still a kid at heart 🙂 Have never heard the term goujon before. Interesting! 🙂
Cheryl – I love them too – especially dipping them in ranch or honey mustard dressing. The term goujon is French. I have no idea why Irish people adopted the term. I first heard it in Ireland about 10 years ago, and now it is the most widely used name for chicken tenders all over the country.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Oh my goodness, this looks delicious! I’m definitely making this! thanks for sharing!
Hope you enjoy these chicken tenders.
All the best,
Mairéad
I am going to try your recipe I will let u no what way they turn out Jacqueline😀
Hi Jacqueline – I hope these tenders turned out well for you. Thanks for checking out the recipe.
All the best,
Mairéad
Do you know how long you would cook these in the actifry?
Brenda – I’m afraid I’m not familiar with the Actifry. Sorry I cannot be more helpful. If it is anything like a deep fat fryer, the cooking time will be far less. In a deep fat fryer I would cook these for about 10 minute.
All the best,
Mairéad
I Just wanted to know would it be okay to prepare them and leave them covered in the fridge for dinner tomorrow ??
Laura – I’m afraid these don’t turn out well if prepared and left in the refrigerator overnight. The raw egg makes the bread crumbs very soggy, so the end result is disappointing. Sorry I don’t have better news to help with your efficiency.
All the best,
Mairead
Great recipe! I’m making these in Ireland (where I’m also an American and Irish mom), where panko breadcrumbs are not as readily available. I used crushed Melba toast instead, and they turned out beautifully. The four-year-old said they were great, and he wouldn’t be that keen on meat in general!
Thanks so much for this great tip of using Melba toast for the outer crumb layer. Good to know they were a success in Ireland, and it’s great to know your family give them a two thumbs up.
All the best,
Mairead
Could I bread these with gluten free panko and prepare them 3 hours before baking them?
Hi Erin – Using gluten free panko should be no problem. However, I think if you dip them in egg wash and coat them in breadcrumbs three hours in advance, the crumbs may go a little bit too soggy and your chicken tenders will not be as crispy as when cooked immediately. I have made them an hour in advance and they turned out fine, just a little less crispy than we like. To save time, you could coat the chicken pieces in flour, leave them, then simply do the egg wash and breadcrumb step before cooking.
I hope this helps and thanks so much for checking out my recipe.
Mairéad
Mairéad,
Made these recently with my kids and they loved them, both the preparation and the eating. Thanks for sharing.
Seán
Hi Seán – I’m delighted to hear your kids like these chicken tenders. They’re a big hit in my house every time I make them. I even use them to create a quick and easy chicken parmigiana by serving them with spaghetti, mozzarella and marinara sauce. Yummy every time. 🙂 🙂 🙂
All the best,
Mairéad
It’s crazy, I made up my own little recipe yesternight lol and I decided that I would look and see how other people make theirs. WE MAKE OURS THE SAME EXACT WAY. 3 separate bowls/plates and we dip in the same order. Everything is literally the same, but I also added lemon pepper to the panko parm crust before coating so I can have a lemon taste. It was great.. And I put some homemade chicken gravy over it.
Hi Breeannah – I’m delighted to hear someone else makes their panko crusted nuggets just like I do. My kids love these things. The panko makes them crunchy which they love, plus I love the fact I can feed them nuggets without worrying about too many bad ingredients. Well, it looks like we think along the same lines when it comes to crunchy chicken tenders. Thanks so much for checking out my recipe and for giving it your seal of approval. 🙂 🙂 🙂 I love the idea of adding lemon pepper for a little lemon kick.
All the best,
Mairéad
Hi Mairéad.
Thank you for the fast response. Yes great minds think alike. You’re very welcome 🙂
🙂 🙂 🙂
Just wondering if you could make a big batch of these and then freeze leftovers to be eaten at another time? Probably would have to reheat them in the oven to keep them crispy. What do you think??
Hi Kathy – I have not frozen them before, but might give it a try. I think they would definitely need to be reheated in the oven. The microwave makes them soggy. I would also recommend flash freezing them first. Lay them on a cookie sheet, so that they do not touch, then place the metal sheet in the freezer if you have space. Freeze them for an hour or two before putting them in a freezer bag. This helps prevent them sticking together as they freeze.
Hope they turn out well.
All the best,
Mairéad
I have made these for my family several times and they always get rave reviews! Thanks 🙂
Hi Cat – thanks for stopping by to let us know your family approves of these chicken tenders. I’m so glad this is a recipe they enjoy every time.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
I want to make a large quantity for a party. Have you ever prepared the tenders and waited to bake until the next day?
Hi Irene – I have prepared the tenders in advance, but they didn’t turn out as crunchy and crispy as when they are made fresh. The panko coating tends to absorb the egg dip when they are sitting in the fridge and as a result the final product is not as crispy. I would recommend preparing all the ingredients and then waiting until the day of the party to actually dip and coat your tenders.
I hope this helps and have a wonderful party.
Mairéad
Wow these sound so good. Thanks for sharing.
Simon
Hi Simon – Glad you like this recipe.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Lovely recipe:D
Can’t agree with the rant though;) ‘Tenders’ is very much an American thing so it makes no sense for Irish/British/any nationality in Europe to use it since goujon’s are of French origin so it’s correct to use the word. ‘Nuggets’ doesn’t make any sense either as goujon’s and nuggets aren’t the same thing.
And we Irish are European into the bargain, Oisin, so I take your point that “goujons” is the most appropriate term. Although it does sound funny when pronounced with a Dublin accent.
All the best, and thanks for stopping by.
Mairéad
These chicken tenders were as you said, brown & crispy! Best results on oven baked that I have ever made. One suggestion, the chicken lacks flavor, more salt/pepper, additional Cajun spices or some kind of flavor to spice them up a bit. I guess the honey mustard sauce adds the flavor but we didn’t use. They are worth a second try with the addition of herbs & spices. Very crunchy. Thank you
Hi Pat – I’m glad you liked this chicken tenders recipe. This is a basic recipe that can be spiced up in many ways. Thanks so much for your great tips. My kids have an Irish palate so I tend to keep things pretty low key when it comes to spices. Thanks so much for trying out this recipe and leaving such great feedback.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
I just made goujons (nuggets) for the first time today. I got the flour and egg in wrong order! Still tasted good. Your recipe looks really interesting, I think will be my next attempt
Hi Paul – I hope my recipe turns out well for you. My kids love these tenders or nuggets. The panko coating helps keep them crispy.
Happy cooking,
Mairéad
What are the nutritional facts for these
Thank you Mairéad. This is the best result I’ve ever had from following a recipe. An imperial/metric conversion worked and I was surprised to find the “Panko” branded breadcrumbs locally (in Sligo, Ireland). Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese was substituted for parmesan and 200 °C worked out well on a fan assisted oven with a cooking time of approximately 22 minutes.
Hi David – I’m delighted to hear these chicken tenders were a success for you and glad to learn you were able to buy Panko breadcrumbs in Sligo. Food choices in Ireland today are amazing. Many thanks for verifying oven temperature and cooking time for those making this recipe in Ireland.
All the best,
Mairéad
Thanks for this awesome recipe my husband loves this one!🍗Chicken made this way has my family saying it’s their favorite.
Hi Lavinia – Lovely to hear your family like these chicken tenders. They’re a hit in my house and are usually requested at least weekly.
All the best,
Mairéad
These are in the oven right now, and smell heavenly! Never used the wire rack-great tip!
Hi Dotty – I hope you enjoyed these chicken tenders. The wire rack helps the tenders stay crispy on all sides.
All the best,
Mairéad
I made these for our dinner this evening. A huge success! Thank you! The wire rack it’s brilliant for keeping them crispy. I didn’t have panko breadcrumbs, so I made breadcrumbs from stale bread, toasted them in the oven and then whizzed them in a blender, worked a treat!! 🤗
Hi Katie – I too have used regular, toasted breadcrumbs for this recipe, when I run out of panko. They are always a hit in our house.
All the best,
Mairéad
Hi
I made those and kids hated it. Had to peel breadcrumbs for them to eat chicken. Rather bland for me.
Sorry this recipe didn’t work out for you, and they weren’t appealing to your kids. I hope you find a better recipe with a spicier flavor profile.
All the best,
Mairéad
I’m in the UK and chicken nuggets are a different thing to chicken goujons. . Nuggets are made of minced up chicken meat (and probably some other stuff!) formed into a lump and coated with crumbs. Goujons on the other hand are more finger shaped and are just strips of chicken meat coated in crumbs. So your recipe is for goujons, not nuggets in local speak. I should think a similar distinction may apply in Ireland but have never ordered either there!!
Hi Sarah – Thanks so much for clearing up the difference between nuggets and goujons. These would definitely be considered goujons in Ireland also. In America they would be considered a chicken tender.
All the best, and thanks for stopping by.
Mairéad
Any ideas on a replacement I could use for the egg?
Hi Laurel – You could try buttermilk as a substitute for the egg when dredging the tenders. Marinate the chicken pieces in buttermilk then coat them – you’ll make very moist tenders. I hope this helps.
All the best,
Mairéad