These chicken tenders are oven-baked to crunchy perfection with a combination of spices that rival our favorite takeout chicken. Serve with Twice-Baked Mashed Potatoes and Four Ingredient Basic Biscuits for a winning menu combination!
Place chicken tenders in a bowl and add buttermilk. Combine so that each chicken strip is covered completely and soaking in the buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. This step helps to tenderize the chicken.
Preheat Oven
Preheat oven to 425° F.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with Pam.
Prep Breading
Combine bread crumbs, ⅓ cup arrowroot flour, Old Bay Seasoning, smoked paprika, pepper, salt, Everything Bagel Seasoning, dried basil and Accent flavor enhancer (optional) in a shallow pan, a pie dish works great. Use a fork to combine. Set aside.
In a shallow bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy and set aside. Place the remaining ⅔ cup arrowroot powder and cayenne powder on a plate and stir to combine, set next to the bowl with the egg whites.
Remove chicken tenders from the fridge and drain the buttermilk.
Bread the Chicken Strips
Place each chicken strip in the arrowroot flour on the plate, then dunk in the egg whites. Next, place each chicken strip in the bread crumb mixture and turn a few times so the breading coats each piece of chicken.
Place the chicken strips on the prepared parchment paper on the baking sheet and brush the top of each piece of chicken with the melted butter. You can spray each piece with Pam, instead of brushing with butter but the flavor is best using butter.
Bake
Bake for 15 minutes. Check the chicken strips to see if they are fully cooked. If the breaded coating is dark, golden brown and the juices are clear when you pierce the chicken strip with a fork, they are done. Sometimes, depending on how large the chicken strips are, I'll bake them for an additional 5 - 8 minutes.
Notes
The nutritional information for this recipe was calculated without the buttermilk since it is used as a light coating and the amount is negligible on each portion. INSTRUCTIONS FOR FRYING: You can also opt for the old-fashioned way to prepare fried chicken - like our grandma used to - and fry each chicken tender in a cast iron skillet. Heat about ¾ cup of vegetable oil in the skillet (I recommend cast iron) over medium-high heat, until the oil starts to shimmer. Place each breaded chicken tender in the hot oil and cook for about 4 minutes on each side or until done and the juices from the chicken are clear. Serve with Country Potatoes, a classic potato casserole or Sweet Corn Pasta Salad for a delicious, family-friendly meal.