February
14, 2009
Baked Panko Chicken Tenders with Basil Aioli
Call it a random desire to make chicken strips, paired with my gut’s disgust of fried foods, and you get an easy baked variation on a childhood favorite. Crunchy. Flavorful. Delicious. So good, in fact, that chicken just might be making a more regular appearance in our kitchen, but only as panko-crusted tenders.
If you can’t find or don’t want to spend the extra $3 a pound on pre-cut chicken tenders, simply take a whole chicken breast, put it between two layers of plastic wrap, and pound it until it is an even thickness (maybe 1/2″ or so). Then, slice into strips. Voila. It’ll save you a few dollars too – go buy yourself some chocolate or something. :)
This recipe is a guesstimate, as I didn’t really ‘measure’ anything as I worked. I grabbed a few random spices out of our spice drawer, tossed them with some panko breadcrumbs, and repeated a few of the same spices in the aioli. Use any spices you choose, really. Unless you go caking these in dill weed, I can’t see them tasting badly. They would also be delicious served with a honey-mustard dipping sauce, or without any sauce at all (they’re that good).
Best of all, no oil is needed to make these, just a light coating of cooking spray to keep them from sticking.
Baked Panko Chicken Tenders with Basil Aioli
Makes 3-4 servings (ish).
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or breast tenders
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
Cooking sprayFor aioli:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper, to tasteDirections
Preheat oven to 350?F. Prepare a baking sheet by covering it with foil and lightly spraying with cooking spray. Set aside.In a small bowl or shallow dish, season the flour with salt and black pepper, and lightly beat the eggs in another shallow dish. In a third shallow dish, combine panko breadcrumbs with basil, garlic, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
If using chicken breasts, prepare by putting one breast in between two layers of plastic wrap. Pound to an even thickness of approximately 1/2″. Remove plastic and slice into strips.
Dredge tenders in the flour to coat, shaking off any excess flour. Dip the floured chicken tenders into the egg and then coat the chicken tenders with the breadcrumb mixture. Arrange on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining strips.
Bake chicken tenders for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown, flipping once part way through the cook time.
To prepare aioli, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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Ngoc - "So good! I think next time I'll replace a little of the framboise with…"
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#1 | Reply
i’ve never actually used panko. but it looks like a great ingredient.
#2 | Reply
I am definitely going to have to pick up some panko to try these!
#3 | Reply
Since I already have panko at home and I’m stocked up on chicken tenders I’m going to give these a try this week.
#4 | Reply
Holy, moly, love the sound (and look of this)! Although, this post could have been called “Sawdust and Aioli” and I would be nearly as interested! :)
#5 | Reply
I made these last night and they were great!
#6 | Reply
Making my grocery list now! Out of curiosity, how many strips does this recipe make? Wondering if I need to double it. Thanks!
#7 | Reply
Megan -
Depends on the package of chicken you buy. Ours was one of the smaller packages of chicken breasts – maybe a little over a pound? And we had a good 3 servings, 4 if Taylor was a light eater. :)
It’s pretty flexible – just get enough chicken to feed everyone. You can always increase the breadcrumbs and stuff if needed.
Enjoy!
#8 | Reply
Made these last night- I thought the aioli totally made the meal. I used 18 oz of chicken and it was more than enough for my husband, me and our two dds, 10 & 7. A meal everyone will eat! woo hoo! I am going to try a honey mustard sauce for dh next time. thanks for the recipe! :-)
#9 | Reply
This looks great. I just made homeade garlice aioli for the first time recently. I may have to switch it up with basil and do this! Yum!
#10 | Reply
I made these tonight for dinner. Fantastic recipe!! I love the basil in the panko, plus it was quick and easy. I will definitely make these again. Thanks for the great recipe!
#11 | Reply
Looks great, making for the kids tonight. Love that you didn’t fry these as so many recipes call for frying (which I do like on occasion).
#12 | Reply
So so so good! The dip is heavenly!
#13 | Reply
Didn’t make the Aioli since I didn’t want to have to buy a big jar of mayo, but the chicken was delicious. Substituted buttermilk for the egg and it worked perfectly. Great recipe!
#14 | Reply
Just a side note… chicken tenders, short for chicken tenderloins, are not “pre-cut” – they are pulled from the chicken. Every chicken has two tenderloins and they are every bit a “part” of the chicken as the breasts, wings, thighs, and drumsticks.
#15 | Reply
Really tasty although mine took close to 40 minutes to cook (tenderized and all…but I used a roasting pan). Anyway, I’m in love with Panko now because it’s so darn crunchy! I also used 1/2 fat mayo and it tasted great!
Looking forward to making more of your recipes.
#16 | Reply
I had a craving for chicken tenders yesterday. I searched the web for a recipe and found yours. They were great! My husband loved your basil aioli.
#17 | Reply
what is the ailoli supposed to taste like? because i made it and wasnt sure if it was supposed to tast so mayonnaise-y?
#18 | Reply
Going to make these for dinner tonight, might not do the sauce since my husband & I aren’t fans of mayonnaise.