Our healthy baked chicken tenders (no breading) are the BEST way to enjoy flavorful chicken tenders that can be used in a variety of ways! If you have just 3 ingredients and 20 minutes, you can make yourself these healthy tenders and create a meal that is a WHOLE LOTTA YUM!
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Plain Baked Chicken Tenders
Plain baked chicken tenders are something we love to keep in our fridge - and they are always on our list for a meal-prep day. When he is home, our college-aged son always knows where to look when he raids the fridge. 😉
Super versatile, baked chicken tenders without breading are the perfect finger food, quick snack, or easy lunch or dinner option. We love to use these healthy tenders in veggie wraps, to make a filling and delicious Cobb salad, or even to create a quick and easy chicken taco salad. Or, whip up a quick keto-friendly soup or casserole when you start with these low-carb chicken tenders.
No matter how you choose to utilize your baked chicken tenders (no breading), you are going to love how versatile and quick this recipe is!
You will love these Oven Baked Chicken Tenders
- Seasoned with butter or oil and chicken rub, our baked chicken tenders no breading recipe is the perfect canvas for you to build a great-tasting meal on.
- Our plain baked chicken tenders is the perfect recipe for those following gluten-free, keto, low-carb, and paleo lifestyles, as well as those who are looking for sugar-free meal ideas.
- With a cook time of just 10-minutes, these chicken tenders ready faster than traditional breaded varieties.
- The whole recipe needs just 3 ingredients and less than 20-minutes of your time.
Serve your gluten-free baked chicken tenders no breading with herbed potatoes and coleslaw for a quick and easy dinner that is bursting with flavor! If you want to stay low-carb, check out this amazing oven-roasted radish recipe in place of the potatoes.
Make meal-prep a breeze when you use our baked chicken tenders in this chicken crack soup or this cheesy chicken divan.
Baked Chicken Tenderloins ingredients
Chicken tenders, butter or oil, and some chicken seasoning, plus a few minutes in the oven - that's all you need to create these baked chicken tenders without breading.
- chicken tenders
- butter - or olive oil
- chicken rub
- optional - dips such as BBQ or ranch
Easy Chicken Rub Recipe
- paprika
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- Italian seasoning
- brown sugar (for sugar free- skip this entirely or use golden monk fruit 1:1)
- salt
- pepper
- cayenne pepper
Chicken Tenderloins in Oven substitutions and additions
Chicken rub - create a variety of chicken tender flavors when you change your chicken seasoning to include Italian seasoning, taco seasoning, herbs, or other spices.
Diet Adaptions
- Dairy-Free - use oil in place of the butter
How to make Baked Chicken Tenderloins
While this baked chicken tenders no breading recipe is super easy, take a few minutes to read through our step-by-step instructions and recipe tips to ensure your baked chicken tenders come out perfect each and every time.
1. Prep Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 400F and put the oven rack in the center position.
Melt the butter.
Lay the raw chicken tenders on a baking sheet.
2. Assemble
Brush one side of the chicken tenders with olive oil or the melted butter.
Sprinkle chicken rub on the side that was just brushed with oil or melted butter.
Flip the chicken tenders over. Brush the second side of the chicken tenders with melted butter or oil and season.
3. Bake
How long to bake chicken tenders
Bake the chicken for a total of 10 minutes.
For best results, we do recommend flipping the chicken tenders after 5 minutes.
Be sure you cook your chicken tenders until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160F.
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes until serving.
Oven Baked Chicken Tenders recipe tips
- For best results, preheat your oven to 400F and make sure your oven rack is in the center position.
- Season both sides of the chicken tenders to make your baked chicken tenders as flavorful as possible.
- While flipping your baked chicken tenders no breading is not required, we do highly recommend flipping to ensure even cooking.
- The best way to make sure your baked chicken tenders are cooked fully without overcooking is to use a digital meat thermometer.
- Serve your low-carb baked chicken tenders with your favorite dips or sauces, add them to a salad or wrap, or create a quick and easy soup!
How to serve Baked Chicken Tenders
Baked chicken tenders (no breading) is always a good choice for dinner. Use your cooked tenders in salads or wraps, or create a quick and easy dinner when you serve your baked chicken tenders with oven-roasted potatoes and bacon curry coleslaw.
How to store Baked Chicken Tenderloins
Store: Baked chicken tenderloins can be kept in the fridge for up to 3-4 days in an air-tight container.
Freeze: Freeze leftover chicken tenderloin for up to 3 months. Wrap them in plastic wrap and then with a double layer of foil, or you can place them in a freezer bag, or freezer-safe container.
Reheat: You can reheat chicken tenderloins in a 400 F oven for 5+ minutes until they’re heated through, but the fastest way would actually be to pan fry them in a skillet for 2-3 minutes or air fry them at 380 F for 2-3 minutes.
Chicken Tenders in Oven FAQs
If you have any leftover chicken tenders, you can store them for 4-5 days in the fridge in a covered container.
Yes, you can! Just add a few minutes to the cooking time and be sure the internal temperature reaches 160F before serving.
Chicken tenders are definitely part of a healthy diet, especially if you cook them yourself and you know what the ingredients going into the recipe are. In general, pre-packed frozen chicken tenders or fried chicken tenders aren’t the healthiest options compared to our baked chicken tenders or air-fried recipe, but everything is in moderation.
Chicken tenders should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F to make sure they are safe to eat. Undercooking the chicken can make you sick whereas overcooking it makes the texture dry and tough. This is why we highly recommend using an inexpensive digital meat thermometer!
Chicken can bake faster with foil since it helps to lock in the heat and moisture, which can speed up the cooking time. However, the cooking time can also vary based on the thickness of the chicken and the temperature of your oven.
More Chicken Tenders Recipes
Looking for more chicken tender recipes?
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders (no breading)
- Pan Fried Chicken Tenders
- Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Tenders
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Tenders
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More favorites from Whole Lotta Yum
Oven Baked Chicken Tenderloins (No Breading)
Easy healthy baked chicken tenderloins without breading and with a dry rub that cook in just 10 mins! Dip in your favorite sauce or use in recipes.
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken tenders
- ¼-1/2 cup Butter, melted or olive oil
- 3-4+ tablespoon Chicken rub (our homemade version or store-bought)
- CHICKEN RUB
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and put the oven rack in the center position.
- In a small bowl combine the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
- Cut the butter into cubes and microwave it in 20-second increments until it's melted, stirring as needed. Alternatively, you can use olive oil instead of butter or do 50/50.
- Dredge the chicken tenders in the melted butter, or you can brush it on the chicken to use less of it. Lay the raw chicken on a baking sheet.
- Sprinkle the seasoning on both sides of the chicken tenders. The homemade rub recipe makes a little more than you'll need for this chicken recipe.
- Bake the chicken for a total of 10-12 minutes, flipping after 5 minutes, if desired but not required, and then continue cooking on the other side until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160-162F. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, it will continue cooking and should reach 165 F. Enjoy!
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and your favorite dipping sauces such as ketchup, BBQ sauce, honey mustard, etc.
Notes
The chicken could take less time or more time depending on the size of your chicken tenderloins, they can vary at the store.
The brown sugar can be omitted or substituted for monk fruit or coconut sugar if preferred.
Use them in your favorite recipes like a main dish of chicken salad or sliced on top of pasta, or eat them as a main dish alongside your favorite dipping sauce.
Other seasonings to use instead of chicken rub- taco, lemon pepper, store-bought brands such as McCormick spice blends
The rub mix makes a little more than you'll need in the recipe, just coat the chicken with rub to your personal taste.
Beck and Bulow says
So simple and sooo delicious... and when I say simple I mean no extra trip to the store (I had all the ingredients)... this recipe is exactly what I needed and We are also offering online meat delivery Services. please visit: https://www.beckandbulow.com
Maria says
I just made this tonight and was skeptical since the recipe sounded so simple. It turned out great! I did make a honey mustard sauce (mayo, mustard, honey and a bit of apple cider vinegar) that I drizzled over the tenders and it was amazing!
Thank you so much for this recipe!
Stephanie says
These were fantastic! 5 minutes per side in a glass baking dish. So simple and light, yet delicious! I'll definitely be making these again, thanks!
WholeLottaYum says
I'm glad you loved them! It's one of our easy go to dinners for sure.
Hmmm says
I used chicken tenerderloins just like pictured, some of mine were even a bit smaller, but even after doubling the cooking time (and flipping twice) I still am not able to get my chicken to read 160°. I've never cooked chicken more well done before, and yet, they are still not reading 160°, even the small pieces.....
Brenda says
These were awesome! Used butter and olive oil, salt, pepper, a sprinkle of mesquite seasoning, garlic and onion salt. This recipe is a keeper. Leftovers were used in a salad the next day.