Everything Bagel Chicken Tenders

Everything Bagel Chicken Tenders are perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner! Serve these crispy baked chicken tenders with sweet and tangy maple mustard dipping sauce for a meal that will be a hit with the whole family!

Let’s get this week started with an easy dinner recipe reminiscent of something we probably all grew up eating. Crispy, crunchy, chicken tenders. Instead of making traditional crunchy baked chicken tenders, I decided to upgrade mine and add everything bagel seasoning to them. These Everything Bagel Chicken Tenders will satisfy both the kid and adult in you!

There’s many ways to make chicken tenders or chicken nuggets. You can fry them, although I prefer not to go this route. You can still get crispy chicken tenders through baking and you don’t have to mess with frying or the extra calories. Then of course there’s my least favorite method, opening a box of them from the freezer section at the grocery store.

I get that sometimes the box of frozen chicken tenders is convenient and easy, but the flavor, texture and nutrition is nothing compared to when you make your own.

Benefits of Making Homemade Chicken Tenders

1. You control the type of chicken being used. It’s hard to say what quality of meat is being used in the boxed ones. If you want to use organic, free range, breast meat, dark meat, you have control over it.
2. The breaded exterior of homemade chicken tenders is generally only a few ingredients. The boxed version can be a paragraph long list of ingredients. 
3. Frozen chicken tenders fall into the category of processed foods, perhaps not as processed as some, but why put random ingredients in your body that don’t need to be there?

Have I sold you yet on making your own baked chicken tenders? Still need convincing? Let’s talk about how easy they are to make.

How to Make Baked Everything Bagel Chicken Tenders

1. You’ll need two pie plates or shallow bowls. Crack an egg in one dish and add a splash of water. Whisk it. Add panko and everything bagel seasoning to the other, stirring them to combine.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil sprayed with cooking spray or parchment paper and place the prepared chicken tenders on them in a single layer. 
3. Take a few of the chicken tenders (or chicken breasts cut into tenders like I did) and coat them in the egg wash. Use a fork to move them into the panko mixture and toss them around until coated. Place them on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Repeat the process until all the chicken is coated.
4. Bake the chicken tenders at 400° F. for 12-15 minutes depending on their size. Chicken is cooked through when the internal temperature is 165° F. 

That’s all there is to it! Dinner can literally be on the table in less than 30 minutes and it will taste so much better than what you get in the box from the freezer section. 

If you’re like me then you’ll need a dipping sauce for your Everything Bagel Chicken Tenders. Ketchup is great, but we can do better than that. Maple mustard dipping sauce is where it’s at friends! It’s sweet, it’s tangy and even a little spicy if you want. Dijon mustard, maple syrup and sriracha are all you need for the sauce. Not into spice? Skip the sriracha.

What Can I Serve with Chicken Tenders?

• Parmesan Pesto Roasted Potatoes
• Sautéed Green Beans
• Lightened Herby Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Maple Mustard Dressing
• Honey Roasted Carrots with Goat Cheese and Thyme

More Baked Chicken Tenders

Almond Crusted Chicken Tenders with Chipotle Ketchup

Sheet Pan Parmesan Crusted Chicken and Broccoli