These oven-baked chicken tenders have so much crispiness on the outside and are tender and juicy on the inside. Why bother frying chicken when you can get so much flavor from baked chicken and it’s obviously healthier.
Easy, ready in 25 minutes, and perfect for busy weeknights. I’ve never known a picky kid (or spouse) to turn down chicken fingers, especially when they’re coated with bacon and cheese.
How Does The Chicken Get Crispy Without Frying
The chicken gets its crispiness from a few things: Shredded cheddar cheese which crisps up in the oven; cooked bacon that turns even crispier while it bakes, and panko breadcrumbs. Note that panko breadcrumbs are Japanese-style breadcrumbs and are not the same as regular breadcrumbs so don’t substitute those. These are bigger, crunchier crumbs and yield chicken tenders that have a lovely crispiness on the outside that you wouldn’t get from regular breadcrumbs.
Favorite Easy Chicken Recipes:
15 Chicken Dinners Ready in 15 Minutes – Easy dinners that are ready in a flash and perfect for busy weeknights! Delish, healthy, and guaranteed to please your toughest dinner critics! 15 Skinny Chicken Dinners Ready in 15 Minutes – FAST, easy, gluten-free recipes on the SKINNIER side!! You won’t miss the fat and calories because there’s so much FLAVOR! Perfect for busy weeknights and there’s more than than just salads! Easy Spicy-And-Sweet Glazed Chicken – Perfectly spicy with just the right amount of sweetness in this EASY, super flavorful recipe that leave you wanting more!! Crispy skin on the outside, juicy and tender inside, and so GOOD! Kicked Up Cornflake Chicken – EASY, ready in 30 minutes, so CRISPY on the outside and tender and juicy inside!! The sauce has the perfect amount of KICK to keep you going back for more! Grilled Tandoori Chicken – Recreate this Indian favorite QUICKLY and EASILY at home!! If you’re looking for a new spin on grilled chicken, this is THE recipe to try! Super juicy, flavorful, and you’ll LOVE IT!
How To Make The Bacon Cheddar Chicken Tenders
First cook the bacon. To make this recipe even faster and easier, I recommend using fully cooked bacon that you can heat up in the microwave in 1 minute. No matter what kind of bacon or the preparation method you choose, don’t overcook it in the microwave or in a skillet until the super crispy state because it coats the chicken and later gets baked for 15 minutes and will crisp up plenty. Then beat an egg, dip the chicken into it, and add the chicken to a large ziptop plastic bag along with panko breadcrumbs, cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper. Seal up the bag and shake. This is the modern DIY version of shake-and-bake chicken. Bake for 15 minutes and dinner is ready. My daughter gave these a 10 out of 10 and I think most kids (of all ages) would be thrilled to see these show up on their dinner plate.
Related Recipes
15 Chicken Dinners Ready in 15 Minutes – Easy dinners that are ready in a flash and perfect for busy weeknights! Delish, healthy, and guaranteed to please your toughest dinner critics! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes!
15 Skinny Chicken Dinners Ready in 15 Minutes – FAST, easy, gluten-free recipes on the SKINNIER side!! You won’t miss the fat and calories because there’s so much FLAVOR! Perfect for busy weeknights and there’s more than than just salads!!
Kicked Up Cornflake Chicken – EASY, ready in 30 minutes, so CRISPY on the outside and tender and juicy inside!! The sauce has the perfect amount of KICK to keep you going back for more!!
Baked Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard – You’ll never guess they’re baked and not fried! Crispy on the outside, tender and juicy inside! Goodbye storebought nuggets because homemade are way better!
Baked Parmesan-Crusted Chicken – You’d swear this chicken was fried but it’s baked! The interior is so tender, juicy, and moist while the exterior is extra crispy!! Easy, ready in 25 minutes, and so good!
Easy Honey Mustard Chicken – Soft, juicy chicken tenders coated with the best honey mustard! Ready in 20 minutes, a family favorite, and a perfect addition to your weeknight dinner rotation!
