These crispy parmesan chicken tenders are pan-fried and then baked in cheesy breading until they’re golden on the outside and juicy inside. I highly recommend serving them dipped in my homemade buttermilk ranch dressing!
If you love light and crunchy chicken recipes, check out my easy chicken spiedini (crispy Italian chicken skewers) and my oven-baked garlic parmesan chicken wings, next!
These parmesan chicken tenders with buttermilk ranch dressing were inspired by my very first blog crush, Andie Mitchell, from her cookbook Eating in the Middle. With a few tweaks here and there over the years, I still come back to this recipe often. The flavor is AMAZING, and they’re so incredibly crispy and juicy, wrapped in golden parmesan breadcrumbs. In short, they might just be the best chicken tenders I’ve ever had!
Why I Love These Parmesan Chicken Tenders
- Lightly fried. You’ll give the coated chicken a quick sear in a skillet before finishing them in the oven. This way, you get the “deep-fried” effect without actually deep frying, and the chicken comes out light and crispy.
- Family-friendly. The first time I made parmesan chicken tenders, they vanished from the plate in minutes! My family can’t get enough of the crispy, seasoned tenders dunked in ranch dipping sauce.
- The best ranch dressing. This brings me to the homemade buttermilk ranch dressing that keeps these tenders company on the plate. Holy Ranch Dressing, it’s so good!! It’s perfect with the crispy chicken, and I always make a double batch and store it in the fridge to use on salads afterward.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Let’s get things started with the short list of ingredients. I’ve included some notes here along with some possible substitutions, and you’ll find the printable list and full recipe details in the recipe card after the post.
- Chicken Tenderloins – One pound of chicken breast tenderloins is usually enough for 4 servings. You can also buy whole chicken breasts and slice them into strips.
- Breadcrumbs – I like to use Panko as the crumbs are larger with more crunch. Any type of plain or seasoned breadcrumbs will work, or you can crush up Ritz crackers or cornflakes (like I do for my cornflake chicken).
- Seasonings – I like to use a simple but delicious mixture of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Parmesan – Freshly grated parmesan or pecorino cheese is best.
- Eggs – Just the whites, as a lighter way to help the breading adhere to the chicken. You can use the whole egg if you prefer, though.
- Olive Oil – Or another cooking oil, for pan-searing the breaded parmesan chicken.
- Ranch Dressing – For serving. I include the recipe for the BEST buttermilk ranch made from mayo, sour cream, low-fat buttermilk, fresh dill, vinegar, and a handful of seasonings. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a homemade substitute from lemon juice (or vinegar) and regular milk.
How to Make Parmesan Chicken Tenders
I love that these crispy parmesan cheese chicken tenders have all the delicious crunch that comes from deep frying, without any of the grease or mess. Here’s an easy step-by-step to walk you through it.
- Set it up. While the oven preheats to 400ºF, take out a large, rimmed baking sheet. Place a wire rack over the baking sheet and coat it lightly with cooking spray. The wire rack is a helpful hack that gives the hot oven air room to circulate while the chicken tenders bake.
- Prepare a breading station. Meanwhile, mix the Panko with the parmesan and seasonings in one bowl, and whisk the egg whites in another.
- Coat the chicken. Dredge the chicken tenders first in the egg whites, and then the breadcrumbs, pressing to get them thoroughly coated. Place the coated chicken onto a plate.
- Pan-fry. Once all the tenders are coated, heat a small amount of oil in a skillet. Working in batches, brown the chicken for 3 minutes per side. Afterward, place the chicken on your prepared wire rack.
- Bake. Lastly, bake the parmesan chicken tenders at 400ºF for 8-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and crispy.
- Make the dressing and serve! Whisk the ingredients for the buttermilk ranch dressing (see below) and enjoy.
Make It in the Air Fryer
The air fryer is an easy way to speed up this recipe if you’re pressed for time since you can skip the pan-frying step. Bread the chicken as directed and cook in batches at 375ºF for 8 minutes per side. See my air fryer chicken tenders recipe for details.
Easy Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
While the chicken bakes in the oven, you’ll have more than enough time to whip up the buttermilk ranch dipping sauce:
- Combine the ingredients. Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, and buttermilk with fresh dill, a splash of vinegar, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Store or serve. Keep the ranch dressing airtight in the fridge until you’re ready to serve (this also gives the flavors a chance to develop). When dinner time rolls around, serve your chicken tenders with ranch on the side!
If you’d rather skip the mayonnaise in the recipe, I have another lightened-up homemade ranch dressing that replaces the mayo with plain yogurt.
Tips and Variations
- Check that the chicken is done. Use a meat thermometer to check that the chicken is cooked to a done 165ºF.
- Use a wire rack. Layering a wire rack over the sheet pan is the best way to crisp up these chicken tenders in the oven. You can bake your breaded chicken directly on the sheet pan, but they won’t be as crispy on all sides.
- Different seasoning. You can flavor your breadcrumb mixture with more seasonings, like Cajun spice, chili powder, curry powder, Italian seasoning, etc.
- For an all-baked version of this recipe, follow the cooking directions for my baked chicken tenders.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Store these parmesan chicken tenders in an airtight container and refrigerate them for 3-4 days. I like chopping up the leftover chicken tenders to add to a chicken salad or reheat them to roll up in a crispy chicken Caesar wrap.
- Reheat. The breading gets soggy with time, so the best way to reheat parmesan chicken is in the oven. Place it back onto a wire rack set over a baking sheet and warm the chicken at 350ºF until it’s hot throughout. You can also easily reheat single servings of chicken in the air fryer if you have one.
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FOR THE PARMESAN CHICKEN TENDERS
FOR THE BUTTERMILK RANCH DRESSING
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Prep. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Set a wire rack over a large-rimmed baking sheet and spray the rack with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
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Mix the parmesan breadcrumbs. In a small shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and Parmesan. Mix to combine.
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Beat the egg whites. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites.
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Coat the chicken. Dredge each chicken tender first in the egg whites, then in the bread crumbs, pressing with your fingers to coat. Put the coated tenders on a plate as you go, repeating the process until all the tenders are coated.
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Pan-fry. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the tenders to the pan and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Add more cooking oil as needed. Transfer the cooked chicken tenders to the previously prepared wire rack.
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Bake. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the chicken tenders are golden brown and cooked through.
Make the Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
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Mix the ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, dill, vinegar, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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Serve! Serve the chicken tenders immediately with a side of the prepared ranch dressing.
Serving: 4oz + 2 tablespoons Ranch dressing | Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 706mg | Potassium: 543mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 146IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
