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Home » Appetizers » Crispy Ranch Chicken Tenders

Crispy Ranch Chicken Tenders

December 26, 2020 by Tracy | Updated December 26, 2020 This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

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a plate of chicken tenders and ketchup with Pinterest pin text.
a plate of chicken tenders and ketchup and a tender being dipped into ketchup with Pinterest pin text.
chicken tender on parchment paper and a hand dipping a tender into ketchup with Pinterest pin text.
a hand dipping a chicken tender in a ketchup with Pinterest pin text.

Easy to make, with from scratch ingredients, these Crispy Ranch Chicken Tenders are a kid favorite and mom approved. Even better, they can be made ahead and frozen to keep on hand just like anything you'll find in the frozen foods aisle!

chicken tender being dipped in ketchup

Is there anything better than a crunchy chicken tender? Yes. A Homemade Chicken Tender! I know, there are so many frozen options that are so incredibly easy to just defrost and go, especially when you have a hungry family to feed. Well I'm going to let you all ] in on a lil secret. You can make a big batch of these super easy to make Crispy Ranch Chicken Tenders and keep them in the freezer! From Scratch Fast!

Ingredients Needed

mustard, mayo, panko, ranch mix, pepper, chicken, paprika, egg, and salt on counter
  • Chicken Breast Tenderloins - Raw chicken tenders. You could also buy some chicken breasts and slice them into nice chicken tender sizes.
  • Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix - This is what adds the ranch flavor. And you know we can serve that from scratch with our homemade mix!
  • Panko Bread Crumbs - These are our favorite to use because they crisp up nice!
  • Homemade Dijon Mustard - This adds such a great flavor to the chicken! And BTW, making your own is so easy!
  • Homemade Mayo - Again, add some flavor (and fat aka moisture) to your chicken. And Homemade Mayonnaise is also an incredibly easy condiment to make!
  • Egg - Your binder. Everyone needs a good binder.
  • Seasonings - Smoked Paprika, Salt, and Pepper. We've also added some garlic powder and onion powder, too.

These are basically just like our Panko Baked Chicken Tenders, but with some Ranch love!

Step-by-Step Instructions

bowls of spices and eggs and the a bowl of it all mixed

Ok, I know that buying frozen chicken tenders in the store is super easy, but trust me, this recipe is also super easy.

Step 1: Mix your batter in a bowl.

Step 2: Toast your panko bread crumbs - this is key to making sure that your tenders are nice and crisp-ay.

a bowl of raw chicken in batter

Step 3: Add those chicken tenders to your batter.

raw chicken tender in toasted panko bread crumbs on a baking sheet

Step 4: Coat your chicken tenders in the nice toasted panko bread crumbs.

baked chicken tender on baking sheet

Step 5: Baked and done!

Crispy. Ranch-y. SO EASY. This is a winner in our house with two small kids and a WFH mom who is about ready to lose her mind and needs some super easy dinners to keep in the freezer.

plate of baked chicken tenders and ketchup

We love to serve these with our 5 Minute Homemade Ketchup and Fry Sauce. Or if you want to go even extra, serve these Crispy Ranch Chicken Tenders (that use a homemade ranch mix) with a ranch dressing that is MADE FROM the ranch dressing mix used in the chicken tenders!

These are so perfect as an appetizer or as dinner with a deliciously healthy side (hello New Year Resolutions!).

a plate of baked chicken tenders with some ketchup

Other Healthy Appetizers

  • Panko Baked Chicken Tenders
  • Sweet Sesame Ginger Meatballs
  • Parmesan Garlic Baked Chicken Wings
  • Sundried Tomato Hummus
  • Avocado Corn Salsa
  • Crispy Tater Tots From Scratch
  • Fresh Spinach Guacamole

Freeze for Later

One of the best parts of this recipe, especially for a meal prepping busy parent, is that you can make a big batch of these in advance and store them in the freezer. Then it is literally just as easy as opening a frozen bag from the grocery store, except you know exactly what's in it because you made it yourself, from scratch! We always make at least double and then freeze some so when we've hit that, "Oh no, what's for dinner?" the girls can have some fast and easy chicken tenders - that are still from scratch!

Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!

chicken tender being dipped in ketchup.

Crispy Ranch Chicken Tenders

Crispy Ranch Chicken Tenders
5 from 9 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, chicken
Cuisine: American
Diet: Diabetic, Kosher, Low Fat
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Author: Tracy

Equipment

  • baking sheets
  • Misto (optional)
  • Tongs

Ingredients

  • 1 lb boneless chicken tenderloins
  • 1 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

Batter

  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix 1 oz packet
  • 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Instructions

  • Pre-heat to 400 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Add panko bread crumbs to baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes or until bread crumbs are toasted.
  • Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl, add all of the batter ingredients and mix well.
  • Add chicken tenderloins to bowl with batter and coat well.
  • Remove panko bread crumbs from oven and add to a shallow dish - keep parchment paper on baking sheet.
  • With tongs, dredge chicken tenders through bread crumbs until fully coated. Gently press on bread crumbs to coat.
  • Return chicken, after fully coated with bread crumbs, to parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes.
  • Enjoy and serve with your favorite homemade condiment or freeze for up to 6 months.

Notes

Make ahead and freeze!
Let tenders completely cool and then store in freezer for up to 6 months.  When ready to use, add to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees F and bake for 20-25 minutes until internal temperature is at least 165 degrees.  
3 tablespoons = 1 oz, which is equivalent to one packet. 

Nutrition

Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 812mg | Potassium: 467mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 96IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kate

    July 11, 2021 at 1:05 pm

    My entire family loved these chicken tenders! Making these again soon.

    Reply
  2. Liz

    July 10, 2021 at 8:15 am

    5 stars
    I'm always on the hunt for kid friendly recipesd and these are going to be perfect!! Thanks for the easy instructions!

    Reply
  3. Chandice

    March 21, 2021 at 12:12 pm

    5 stars
    Wow those are so flavorful! Super easy too and can be used for many things from salad to pasta or just on their own, thank you!

    Reply
  4. Kushigalu

    March 21, 2021 at 8:43 am

    5 stars
    These crispy ranch chicken tenders looks amazingly delicious. My family would love these. Making this soon. Thanks.

    Reply
  5. Eva

    March 21, 2021 at 12:44 am

    5 stars
    Oooh that batter! Makes simple chicken tenders so flavourful! Using fresh chicken they stay so juicy that you barely need any dipping sauce, honestly. What a fantastic meal!

    Reply
    • Tracy

      March 21, 2021 at 9:09 am

      Thanks so much, Eva!

      Reply
  6. Alex

    March 20, 2021 at 12:39 pm

    I love that this recipe uses both homemade mayo and Ranch seasoning! Nothing better than a healthy chicken recipe that's actually tasty. 🙂

    Reply
  7. Erin

    March 20, 2021 at 11:39 am

    Oooh, I so need to try these! I live in Germany and haven't had ranch-flavored anything for years. And I love that you were able to make these crunchy!

    Reply
  8. Shelley

    March 20, 2021 at 7:19 am

    5 stars
    Yes, yes ... and YES! So much better than store-bought, frozen, who-knows-what's-even-in-them chicken tenders. Take control ... make your own, and stock your freezer so it's just as convenient as store-bought on busy nights! I love this so much! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Tracy

      March 20, 2021 at 8:43 am

      100%, Shelley!! Thank you!

      Reply
  9. Tristin @ Home Cooked Harvest

    March 19, 2021 at 11:38 am

    5 stars
    Love that I can make a big batch of these and freeze half of them to make when I am short on time. Thanks for this scrumptious recipe!

    Reply
  10. Chef Dennis

    March 17, 2021 at 2:03 am

    5 stars
    No doubt that my boys will super love these Crispy Ranch Chicken Tenders! It looks really scrumptious in every bite.

    Reply
    • Amy Liu Dong

      March 19, 2021 at 6:04 pm

      5 stars
      This is definitely a delicious and easy recipe to make for my kids and I am pretty sure that they will love this.

      Reply
  11. Gloria

    March 15, 2021 at 8:02 am

    5 stars
    I know my grandkids would love these. They always ask for chicken when they come over for dinner. These would also work as a party appetizer idea too.y

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Tracy!

I'm here to help take the fear out of from scratch, whole foods cooking & share easy to make, approachable recipes that you can get excited about making! Read More…

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