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These Baked Buffalo Chicken Tenders are crispy on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside. Toss them in spicy buffalo sauce and serve them with a side of cool and creamy Greek yogurt blue cheese dipping sauce!
Buffalo chicken recipes are no stranger here on Recipe Runner. Everything from appetizers, chili, zucchini boats, sloppy Joe’s, and even a buffalo chicken salad.
It’s fair to say I’m a fan of the spicy sauce. Today I’m sharing a quick and easy recipe for baked buffalo chicken tenders.
This recipe takes me back to my college days when we’d go to a sports bar for chicken wings or in my case boneless chicken wings, a.k.a. glorified chicken nuggets. They were always so crispy and drenched in hot sauce.
It was those fried chicken tenders that inspired me to make a healthier baked version that’s still extra crispy and coated in buffalo sauce. They’re super easy to make and go great with the homemade Greek yogurt blue cheese dipping sauce.
Ingredients For Baked Buffalo Chicken Tenders
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders
- All purpose or gluten-free flour
- Smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder
- Panko breadcrumbs, gluten-free if needed.
- Egg
- Buffalo sauce – I use Frank’s Buffalo Wings Sauce. You can also make your own by combining hot sauce, melted butter, worcestershire, and white vinegar. There’s lots of recipes out there.
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Blue cheese – Buy a wedge of blue cheese rather than pre-crumbled. The flavor and texture is better and there aren’t any anti-caking agents in it.
- Lemon
- Apple cider vinegar
How To Make Baked Buffalo Chicken Tenders
Preheat your oven to 425° F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. If using foil spray it with cooking spray.
If you are using chicken breasts rather than chicken tenders pound them out so they are an even thickness and then cut them into strips approximately the same size as chicken tenders. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
Whisk together the egg, water, and a tablespoon of hot sauce in a bowl. In a shallow dish or plate whisk together the flour, spices, salt and pepper. In a second shallow dish or plate spread out the panko and season it with a little salt and pepper.
Toss the chicken in the flour mixture and shake off any excess. Dunk the chicken into the egg mixture until coated and the roll it around in the panko. Lay the chicken onto the prepared baking sheet making sure not to crowd them.
Spray the tops of the chicken tenders with cooking spray or drizzle them lightly with oil. Bake for 6 minutes and then flip the chicken tenders over. Bake for another 5-6 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.
If you find that your chicken isn’t browning, switch the heat to broil. Be sure to keep an eye on them as they can quickly go from brown to black.
While the chicken bakes, combine all of the ingredients for the blue cheese dip in a bowl. Stir them together until combined and set aside.
Remove the chicken tenders from the oven and immediately toss them in a large bowl with the buffalo sauce until they’re coated. Immediately serve the buffalo chicken tenders with the blue cheese dipping sauce.
Tips For The Best Crispy Baked Chicken Tenders
- If you’re using chicken breasts pound them out so they’re an even thickness. This will ensure that they cook evenly.
- Pat the chicken dry before you start.
- Spray the tops with cooking spray or drizzle with oil. I always spray mine with avocado oil spray.
- Bake at a high temperature. I recommend 425° F. You can even turn on the broiler for the last few minutes. If you do this be sure to keep an eye on them as they can easily burn.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend using panko if you want the chicken tenders to have a crunchier texture. If that isn’t an issue for you, then yes, you can use breadcrumbs.
If you don’t like blue cheese try making this spicy ranch dressing or for a non-spicy version, this Greek yogurt ranch dressing that I made for this barbecue chicken salad.
More Buffalo Chicken Recipes
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili
- Buffalo Chicken Skillet
- Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats
- Skinny Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Baked Buffalo Chicken Wonton Cups
Did you make this Baked Buffalo Chicken Tenders? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
Baked Buffalo Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
Buffalo Chicken Tenders
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders
- 1/4 cup all purpose or gluten-free flour
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumb, gluten-free if needed
- 1 egg whisked with 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon of hot sauce
- Cooking spray
- 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce, such as Frank’s Wing Sauce
Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. If using foil spray it with cooking spray.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. If you are using chicken breasts pound them out so they are an even thickness and then cut them into tender sized strips.
- In a bowl whisk together the egg, water, and a tablespoon of hot sauce. In a shallow dish or plate whisk together the flour, spices, salt and pepper. In a second shallow dish or plate spread out the panko and season it with a little salt and pepper.
- Take several chicken tenders and toss them in the flour mixture. Shake off any excess flour and then dunk them into the egg mixture until coated. Roll the chicken around in the panko until coated. Lay the tenders onto the prepared baking sheet making sure not to crowd them. Repeat the process until all the chicken is coated.
- Spray the tops of the chicken with cooking spray or drizzle them lightly with oil. Bake for 6 minutes and then flip the chicken tenders over. Bake for another 5-6 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. If the chicken isn't browning, switch the heat to broil and broil for several minutes.
- While the chicken bakes, combine all of the ingredients for the blue cheese dip in a small bowl. Stir them together until combined and taste for seasoning.
- Remove the chicken tenders from the oven and toss them in a large bowl with the buffalo sauce until they're coated. Serve immediately with the blue cheese dipping sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I always substitute Boursin vol/vol for blue cheese. Just never could get to appreciate the taste of blue cheese!
Blue cheese is definitely a love or hate type of cheese. Your boursin suggestion sounds like a great substitution!