Eggless Oven Fried Chicken Tenders Recipes (2024)

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By: Oriana Romero/Published: /48 Comments

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There is nothing ho-hum about these Eggless Oven Fried Chicken Tenders! This chicken has the same crispy, golden texture as the fried version. Plus, no greasy mess to clean up.

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Eggless Oven Fried Chicken Tenders Recipes (4)

Table of Contents hide

1.Why I Love This Recipe

2.Ingredients You’ll Need

3.Step By Step Recipe Photo Tutorial

4.Frequently Asked Questions

5.Quick Recipe Tips

7.More Recipes You’ll Love

8.Eggless Oven Fried Chicken Tenders

Why I Love This Recipe

These Eggless Oven Fried Chicken Tenders look amazing, tastes just like deep-fried fried chicken, and always cure my cravings. Plus, this recipe is straightforward to make.

Looking at these photos, you’ll swear this oven-fried chicken, lower in calories and fat but still crunchy and delicious, was made in the frying pan. Nope! They’re completely baked from start to finish. There’s absolutely no searing or frying here.

The chicken has the same crispy, golden texture as the real deal.

The chicken is soaked in buttermilk, which keeps it moist and juicy, and then rolled into a crunchy and tasty coating. Even though they are made with chicken breast, they are incredibly juicy and tender.

Eggless Oven Fried Chicken Tenders Recipes (5)

Ingredients You’ll Need

Amounts are included in the printable recipe below (scroll down).You’ll need:

  • Chicken breast: I use boneless and skinless chicken breasts.
  • Buttermilk: don’t have any? Here’s how to make your own buttermilk.
  • Cornflakes
  • Seasoned breadcrumbs: you can buy seasoned breadcrumbs or add your own seasoning of choice to plain breadcrumbs.
  • Seasoning: I use garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, and ground cayenne pepper.

Step By Step Recipe Photo Tutorial

Detailed instructions are included in the printable recipe below (scroll down).

1 – Prepare The Chicken

Use a sharp knife to trim the fat from the chicken breasts and cut it into tenders. Dip the chicken into buttermilk and let soak for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.

Eggless Oven Fried Chicken Tenders Recipes (6)

2 – Make the Breading

Place corn flakes, seasoned breadcrumbs, garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper into a small food processor. Pulse until well combined.

Eggless Oven Fried Chicken Tenders Recipes (7)

3 – Bread the Chicken

Place breadcrumbs mixture in a shallow pan. Then dip each chicken piece into the breading mixture. Press down firmly so the breading sticks to the chicken.

Eggless Oven Fried Chicken Tenders Recipes (8)

4 – Bake the Chicken

Preheat oven to 450º F. Place the chicken on a lightly oiled pan; spray the top of the chicken well with cooking spray. Bake the chicken until done, about 30 minutes.

Eggless Oven Fried Chicken Tenders Recipes (9)

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different cut of chicken?

You can use whatever cut of chicken you prefer. Just keep in mind that dark meat has more calories than white meat.

Can I make this in an air fryer?

You can make this healthier fried chicken in the air fryer! Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Place the chicken in the basket in a single layer (cook in batches if needed). Cook for 13-15 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through so they’re crispy on both sides. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

How do I reheat oven-fried chicken?

To keep the chicken crispy, reheat the chicken tenderloins in a 350ºF oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until warmed through.

Eggless Oven Fried Chicken Tenders Recipes (10)

Quick Recipe Tips

  • The cooking time will depend on the thickness and size of your chickenpieces. So make sure to check that the chicken is cooked through before you serve. The best way is to use a meat thermometer (170°F for breasts; 180°F for thighs and legs).
  • Don’t have regular breadcrumbs? Try panko breadcrumbs.
  • This baked crispy chicken is best enjoyed right away as it loses its crispness over time.
  • Leave space between the chicken breasts when placing it on the sheet pan. This way, the heat can reach all sides of the chicken to help it get extra crispy.

Storing & Freezing Instructions

If you have extra healthier oven-fried chicken, here’s how to store it.

Leftovers

Thesecrispy chicken tenderloins can be refrigerated for 3 days. Be sure to wrap it up tightly or store it in an airtight container.

Freeze

This eggless oven-fried chicken tender can also be frozen.

  • Baked Chicken Tenders: Let the chicken cool completely and then place them in a freezer plastic bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
  • Unbaked Chicken Tenders: Arrange the breaded chicken tenders on a baking sheet and freeze until hard, 1 to 2 hours. Then, transfer to resealable freezer bags and freeze for up to 1 month. When ready to eat the frozen tender, generously spray the frozen chicken tenders all over with cooking spray. Arrange on the baking rack and bake, flipping halfway through, until golden and crispy and cooked through.
Eggless Oven Fried Chicken Tenders Recipes (11)

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Eggless Oven Fried Chicken Tenders Recipes (12)

Eggless Oven Fried Chicken Tenders

There is nothing ho-hum about these Eggless Oven Fried Chicken Tenders! The chicken has the same crispy, golden texture as the fried version. Plus, no greasy mess to clean up.

4.35 from 111 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 lb (450 g) chicken breast, boneless and skinless (about 2 -3 medium-size chicken breasts)
  • 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
  • 1 cup (80 g) cornflakes
  • 1 cup (100 g) seasoned bread crumbs or panko (see notes)
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions

  • Use a sharp knife to trim the fat from the chicken breasts and cut it into tenders.

  • Dip the chicken into buttermilk and let soak for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.

  • Place corn flakes, seasoned breadcrumbs, garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper into a small food processor. Pulse until well combined.

OVEN:

  • Preheat oven to 450º F (230º C).

  • Place breadcrumbs mixture in a shallow pan. Then dip each chicken piece into the breading mixture. Press down firmly so the breading sticks to the chicken.

  • Place the chicken on a lightly oiled sheet pan; spray the top of the chicken well with olive oil spray.

  • Bake the chicken until done, about 30 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through so they're crispy on both sides. NOTE: The cooking time will depend on the thickness and size of yourchickenpieces. The best way to check for doneness is to use a meat thermometer. The chicken will be done when it reaches 175º F. So make sure to check that the chicken is cooked through before you serve.

AIR FRYER:

  • Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200º C).

  • Place the chicken in the basket, DO NOT crowd or overlap. You might need to do this in batches depending on the air fryer's capacity.

  • Cook for 13-15 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through so they're crispy on both sides. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

Oriana’s Notes

Store: Thesechicken tenders can be refrigerated for 3 days.

Freeze:This eggless oven-fried chicken tender can also be frozen.

  • Baked Chicken Tenders: Let the chicken cool completely and then place them in a freezer plastic bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
  • Unbaked Chicken Tenders: Arrange the breaded chicken tenders on a baking sheet and freeze until hard, 1 to 2 hours. Then, transfer to resealable freezer bags and freeze for up to 1 month. When ready to eat the frozen tender, generously spray the frozen chicken tenders all over with cooking spray. Arrange on the baking rack and bake, flipping halfway through, until golden and crispy and cooked through.

Reheat: reheat the baked chicken tenders in a 350ºF (180º C)oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until warmed through.

Bread Crumbs Vs Panko: to make this recipe you can use either. I prefer to use Panko because it adds extra crispiness to the chicken tenders.

Quick Tips:

  • The cooking time will depend on the thickness and size of your chickenpieces. So make sure to check that the chicken is cooked through before you serve. The best way is to use a meat thermometer (170°F for breasts; 180°F for thighs and legs).
  • Don’t have regular breadcrumbs? Try panko breadcrumbs.
  • This baked crispy chicken is best enjoyed right away as it loses its crispness over time.
  • Leave space between the chicken breasts when placing it on the sheet pan. This way, the heat can reach all sides of the chicken to help it get extra crispy.

Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!

Please note that nutritional information is a rough estimate and it can vary depending on the products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 303kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 31gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 648mgSugar: 5g

Rate This Recipe

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Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Calories 303

Keyword chicken easy eggfree Eggless fried healthy oven

Eggless Baking Frequently Asked Questions

You’ve asked, and I’ve answered! Read on for a handful of answers to the most frequently asked questions abouteggless baking.

FAQs

Originally posted in April 2016, photos were replaced in December 2019, and post content was edited to add more helpful information, no change to the recipe. The post was updated again in September 2021.

Welcome to my eggless kitchen!

Eggless Oven Fried Chicken Tenders Recipes (13)Thanks for stopping by! I’m Oriana, a wife, mom to three wonderful kids, and a passionate baker and cooker of all eggless things delicious. My goal is to give you the confidence and knowledge to cook and bake without eggs while providing quality recipes that your whole family will love. I’m really happy that you’re here, so take a seat and have fun exploring! Read More…

Eggless Oven Fried Chicken Tenders Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you get breading to stick to chicken without eggs? ›

To make the chicken coating stick without using eggs, you can dip the chicken pieces in a liquid such as oil or melted butter, then roll them in your desired coating mixture, such as breadcrumbs or seasoned flour. The oil or melted butter will act as the binding agent to help the coating adhere to the chicken.

What can you substitute for eggs when making fried chicken? ›

There are several options you can use as an egg substitute when frying chicken. Some popular alternatives include buttermilk, yogurt, mayonnaise, milk, or even a simple flour-water mixture.

Do you need eggs to make fried chicken? ›

Flour and water is one of the most simple yet effective substitutes for eggs in fried chicken. To make this substitute, you can easily use a 1:1 ratio. This means that you simply need to combine equal parts of flour and water to make a thick paste. Make sure that there are no lumps in the mixture.

How do you make batter stick to chicken tenders? ›

The trick to getting the batter to stick to the chicken pieces properly is to dip the chicken into the seasoned flour, before dipping into the egg mixture. The flour helps the egg mixture adhere to the chicken. Then dip the chicken back into the flour mixture.

What can I use if I don't have breading? ›

Sunflower seeds, almonds, and sesame seeds are all great breadcrumb alternatives. Chop larger nuts finely in a food processor. Seeds like sesame are already small enough and can be used as is. Use a variety of nuts as a coating for chicken, fish, or pork; just pulse them finely so they will stick.

What can I use instead of breading for chicken? ›

Crushed nuts will add extra flavour and nutrients to your dish that you don't get with standard breadcrumbs. Try adding a crushed almond, pecan, walnut or cashew crust to meat and chicken.

Is it better to use egg or milk for fried chicken? ›

Some recipes call for dipping the chicken in egg before coating with flour while others call for milk (or butter milk). Egg provides a lot more protein and will produce a thicker, more stable crust. Milk is obviously much thinner, contains much more water, and won't cling to the meat as much.

Can you use mayo instead of eggs for breading? ›

There are more than a few reasons why mayo makes sense as a substitute for egg wash. Since they both share the same main ingredient (eggs), they function in very similar ways. Much like egg wash acts as a binding agent to help seasonings and breadcrumbs stick to meat, creamy mayonnaise also manages to do the same.

Can you use breading without eggs? ›

THE BOTTOM LINE: We recommend using heavy cream when breading foods if you cannot use eggs. CREAM IS BEST: If you can't use eggs, use heavy cream to hold breading in place.

Do you have to dip chicken in egg before flour? ›

Wet Protein → Dry Flour

No matter how well you dry the chicken, it will still have a rather moist surface. If you dipped it directly in the egg, it would slip right off, leaving nothing for the breadcrumbs or panko to cling to. Dipping the chicken in the flour forms an even base.

What happens if you fry chicken without oil? ›

By frying chicken without oil, you can reduce the calorie count and create a lighter, healthier dish without compromising on taste or texture.

How do you keep batter from falling off chicken tenders? ›

Always dip your chicken in beaten egg before coating

Dipping your chicken in egg helps the breadcrumbs, or whatever coating you use, adhere evenly to the outside of the cutlet. You should start with a thin layer of flour, which gives the egg a better surface to cling to, then the egg, then the coating.

Why are my homemade chicken tenders tough? ›

Overcooking chicken and buying woody chicken breast are two of the main causes behind rubbery chicken. You can stop this from happening by: buying “slow-growing” chicken. cooking your chicken in moisture.

How do you keep chicken breading from falling off? ›

Always dip your chicken in beaten egg before coating

Dipping your chicken in egg helps the breadcrumbs, or whatever coating you use, adhere evenly to the outside of the cutlet. You should start with a thin layer of flour, which gives the egg a better surface to cling to, then the egg, then the coating.

Can you use oil instead of eggs for breading chicken? ›

5 Answers. Also you can just substitute out a fat instead of the egg wash, dredge the food in flour, then dip in whatever oil you may prefer (corn, olive, coconut, etc.) coating completely, but be sure to press firmly into the breading (Outer coating).

Why does the breading fall off my chicken when I fry it? ›

You don't start dry

The first step to breading chicken is crucial: Make sure the chicken is completely dry before starting the dredging process. Using a paper towel, pat the meat dry on all sides. Excess moisture will cause the flour to get soggy, meaning it will not adhere properly to the chicken.

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