This easy recipe for baked potato chip chicken tenders is a lighter version of fried chicken that the whole family will love! The perfect quick supper with a veggie or salad on the side.
Jump to:
- Why we love this recipe ❤️
- What is a chicken tender? 🧐
- What is the difference between chicken tenders and chicken fingers? 🧐🧐
- Ingredients you need 🍗
- Ingredient notes and substitutions 📝
- How to make this recipe 👩🏻🍳
- Recipe FAQs 🧐
- Equipment we used for this recipe 🥣
- What to serve with this recipe 🍽️
- Other chicken recipes we love! 💕
- We want to know what you think! 🤔
- Potato Chip Chicken Tenders
Why we love this recipe ❤️
Okay, let’s all admit it…no matter how old we are, we all love crispy, tender chicken tenders.
They may be a staple on children’s menus everywhere, but at age never-you-mind, I am still a charter member of the chicken tender fan club.
However. One of the things about chicken tenders, delectable as they are, is that they usually come fried, and while I do love a deep fried chicken tender from time to time, I decided to try my hand at making a version that still had an irresistible crunchy crust, but that went into the oven instead of the frying pan.
And the answer (as with my favorite crab cake recipe) turned out to be potato chips. Not an official health food, but a step up from frying, I think! And as scrumptious as you hope and dream they are…let’s make ’em!
What is a chicken tender? 🧐
A chicken tender is a piece of (yep!) tender white chicken meat underneath the chicken breast. Chicken tenders are usually covered in bread crumbs and breaded and then fried so they are crispy and crunchy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside.
What is the difference between chicken tenders and chicken fingers? 🧐🧐
Chicken tenders are that specific extra tender piece of meat under the chicken breast (officially called the pectoralis minor muscle). Chicken fingers are any long strip of white meat, usually chicken breasts that are cut into that finger shape. Chicken tenders are usually packaged and labeled separately and are a little more expensive than chicken breasts because they are more, well, tender.
Ingredients you need 🍗
Ingredient notes and substitutions 📝
- Chicken Tenders: Chicken tenders are usually packaged separately in the poultry case of your supermarket. You can buy chicken breasts and cut them into tender shapes (about 1 inch by 4 inches) which is a little more work but a little less expensive.
- Potato Chips: We recommend the traditional thin chips (instead of kettle cooked or rippled) for the best consistency, but you can experiment with different flavors (sour cream and onion chicken tenders, anyone?)
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
How to make this recipe 👩🏻🍳
STEP 1: Preheat oven to 400 and line a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil or a silicone mat.
STEP 2: Pour the melted butter into a shallow bowl or rimmed baking dish. Put the potato chip crumbs in a separate shallow bowl or rimmed baking dish and mix in salt and pepper (yes, you really are going to want a little extra salt).
STEP 3: Dunk each chicken tender into the butter, and then roll in the potato chip crumbs until coated, pressing gently to make them stick. Lay them on the prepared baking dish as you go along.
STEP 4: Sprinkle the chicken fingers with pepper and bake for 30 minutes. You want the chicken to be cooked through and the coating to be browned. Run them under the broiler for a minute or two if you want an extra crispy crust! (Watch them carefully during the broiling part.)
STEP 5: Serve with your choice of something to dunk them in. We like ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing and good old ketchup – and of course they are just fine eaten plain as well!
Recipe FAQs 🧐
It’s not traditional but yes! Just make sure they are skinless and boneless.
You can make them ahead of time all the way up to the baking – we recommend making them earlier in the day you are going to serve them so the chips don’t get too soggy. Store them in the fridge and either bring them to room temperature before you bake them or let them cook for another 5 minutes or so.
The very best way is with a meat thermometer. Stick it into the thickest part of the chicken and it should read 165 degrees.
Pop your question in the Comments section under the recipe card and I will answer pronto!
Equipment we used for this recipe 🥣
These are some of my favorite kitchen tools! These are Amazon affiliate links, which means I get a little something if you buy through my links at no extra cost to you. (Which helps pay for all that bacon I keep buying! 😄) And I only share things I use and love. I’m so grateful for your support!
- Measuring Cup: We love these angled cups that show the measurements on both the inside and outside of the cup.
- Cutting Board: These sturdy, dishwasher-safe cutting boards come in all different sizes.
- Rimmed Baking Pan: This sturdy baking pan is perfect for everything from catching any drips from pies to making a sheet pan full of pancakes!
- Measuring Spoons: These handy magnetic spoons are not on a ring, so you can just pick the one you need.
- Pyrex Mixing Bowls: These classic sturdy bowls come in all different sizes and are great for everything from mixing ingredients to being casual serving bowls.
- Thermometer: The very best way to measure if something (from steak to chicken and even cakes) is done.
What to serve with this recipe 🍽️
We love to add a veggie or a salad to the side of our chicken fingers – mashed carrot potatoes and chilled sesame spinach are our faves – but we wouldn’t say no to some pancake batter onion rings. And for dessert, let’s have some cinnamon roll bread pudding!
Other chicken recipes we love! 💕
Looking for more chicken inspiration? We’ve got you covered! 🥳 Here is our complete collection of chicken recipes.
We want to know what you think! 🤔
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below the recipe card.
Potato Chip Chicken Tenders
This easy recipe for baked potato chip chicken tenders is a lighter version of fried chicken that the whole family will love! The perfect quick supper with a veggie or salad on the side.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks), melted
- 3 cups potato chips, crushed into fine crumbs (an 8 ounce bag of chips)
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken tenders
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- Dunking sauce (optional) – ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing and/or ketchup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 and line a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil or a silicone mat.
- Pour the melted butter into a shallow bowl or rimmed baking dish. Put the potato chip crumbs in a separate shallow bowl or rimmed baking dish and mix in salt and pepper (yes, you really are going to want a little extra salt).
- Dunk each chicken tender into the butter, and then roll in the potato chip crumbs until coated, pressing gently to make them stick. Lay them on the prepared baking dish as you go along.
- Sprinkle the chicken tenders with pepper and bake for 30 minutes. You want the chicken to be cooked through and the coating to be browned. Run them under the broiler for a minute or two if you want an extra crispy crust!
- Serve with your choice of something to dunk them in. We like ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing and good old ketchup – and of course they are just fine eaten plain as well!
Notes
-
- Chicken Tenders: Chicken tenders are usually packaged separately in the poultry case of your supermarket. You can buy chicken breasts and cut them into tender shapes (about 1 inch by 4 inches) which is a little more work but a little less expensive.
-
- Potato Chips: We recommend the traditional thin chips (instead of kettle cooked or rippled) for the best consistency, but you can experiment with different flavors (sour cream and onion chicken tenders, anyone?)
Karen Nelson says
Hi Kate…just did tenders in a panko coating like this..they were good but I think I will prefer the chips…I love chips! I served coleslaw and some had ranch…I drizzled honey. And..I did them in my air fryer! Coating stayed on and easy peasy clean up! Still rather warm here so still not embracing the oven. Have some tenders in the freezer so will give these a go!<3
HI my friend! Sounds like we are chicken tender twins. :) We are having a stretch of glorious cool weather (it was in the 50s this morning!) so I am getting all the outside time I can. Hope all is well with you and yours! xo