Crispy Spicy Chicken Tenders

I must say that there is not a single crispy chicken dish out there that I do not love.

BUT!!! I will not stand for soggy chicken so allow me to prove to you that you can make super crispy spicy chicken tenders without frying (not that there’s anything wrong with that ;))…

Now, there are a few special tips to ensure you achieve max crispiness without frying. You may not have tried these but trust me, I’m a professional and I know what I’m doing (disclaimer: I’m actually not a professional but I like to pretend to be one).

So, the tips:

• Toasting the breadcrumbs in butter before coating the chicken
• Adding a little cheese into the breadcrumbs
• Coating your baking ban with a thin layer of oil and preheating the pan before adding the chicken.

Chicken – you can buy chicken tenders or you can make your own chicken breast strips by slicing a chicken breast across the grain into about 1/4″-1/2″ slices.

Breadcrumbs – I like to use Panko breadcrumbs because the texture offers maximum crunch. If you like a finer coating you can use regular breadcrumbs, cornflake crumbs, or you can take the panko and pulse it in your food processor a few times (one of my favourite ways to use them). You can use a bit of cornmeal in the crumbs too if you’re a fan.

Butter – toasting the panko in butter before coating the chicken is key. The butter helps things get nice and brown in the oven and makes the coating kind of like a shake-and-bake.

Parmesan Cheese – you don’t have to add the cheese, but it does help with getting the strips brown and crisp..

Eggs – we’re using eggs to help the coating stick and we’re mixing them with…

Hot Sauce… because spicy is our goal here so we’re going to layer it in every chance we get.

Flour – the flour helps the egg mixture stick to the chicken. I use regular all-purpose flour.

The Spicy – we’re using hot sauce and cayenne primarily for our sources of heat. You can also use chili flakes in the mixture and maybe even chop up a few fresh chilies to top the finished dish.

Storing – keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in a skillet, the oven or the air fryer to maintain crispiness.

Freezing – these freeze really well. I freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet and once frozen I move them to freezer bags. Reheat in the oven for about 15 minutes or in the air fryer for 5-7 minutes. You can microwave them too, but they won’t be as crispy.

Spicy Chicken Tenders Recipe Variations:

Fried Version – if you’re hell-bent on frying the chicken I am here for you. I would skip toasting the breadcrumbs and omit the butter, then just add a thin layer of oil to a heavy skillet and when it’s hot add in the chicken tenders, cooking for about 2-3 minutes per side until brown, crisp and cooked through.

Air Fried Version – preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees and then cook the tenders for about 5 minutes per side, until cooked through. Don’t overcrowd the fryer or they won’t crisp up properly, so cook in batches if necessary, keeping the cooked pieces in a warm oven until serving.

Nashville Hot Chicken Version – while the chicken bakes, heat up about 1/2 cup oil. Stir in 2 tsp cayenne, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Brush this over the tenders right out of the oven. Bonus points if you serve with soft white bread and pickles.

My pro-tip: I don’t always do this because I’m often in a rush to get dinner ready… but marinating the chicken tenders in buttermilk for at least 2 hours ahead of time really enhances tenderness and flavour.

Ok, start by melting some butter in a large skillet and then add in the panko. Stir often until every panko crumb is perfectly toasted and golden brown.

Transfer the crumbs to a shallow dish and season it up with parmesan and spices.

Set up a breading station: one bowl for flour (with cayenne), one for eggs (with hot sauce) and you already have the panko ready to go.

Do what you need to do to prep the chicken and while you’re working preheat your oil-slicked baking sheet.

Bake the tenders, flipping halfway through and get your dip of choice ready…

I love sweet and spicy, so I drizzle mine with a little hot honey to serve, but they’re also awesome dipped into creamy buffalo ranch.

There you go… crispy, spicy perfection in under 30 minutes. Just try not to eat them all straight off the tray. 😉

• You can dip these in pretty much anything… cool ranch or blue cheese dressing to balance the heat… or try honey mustard, ketchup, spicy aioli or sriracha mayo. My quick go-to is actually a mixture of about 2 parts sweet chili sauce to 1 part honey.
• Serve them with fries on the side, coleslaw or mac and cheese (try my Cheetos Mac and Cheese to keep things super fun!)
• How about a game night party with these tenders and some loaded french fries? You coming? You’re invited!

If you like this Recipe for my Spicy Chicken Tenders let me know what you think in the comments below and please find and follow me on Social Media!