Baked Italian Parmesan Chicken Tenders

Baked Italian Parmesan Chicken Tenders (Gluten Free)
with
Homemade Honey Mustard Sauce

This recipe was created from trial and error when I was trying to come up with a healthier and Gluten-Free version of those store-bought “Chicken Fingers” (you know the ones…those Dinosaur-shaped finger foods that we are all guilty of feeding our little ones from time-to-time). I seriously believe that my children would have eaten AND probably survived until they trekked off to college on those rubbery little dinosaur-shaped thingys if I hadn’t stepped in and saved the day! All kidding aside, my children actually prefer MY “Chicken Fingers” over the store-bought ones!! And, I feel great because there are only FIVE (5) ingredients (okay, 6, including the water) involved in making these yummy tenders, so I have a much better idea of what is going into their bodies. Plus, these are SO juicy and tender with a nice light crunchy outside :).

So, I hope you and your children enjoy these “Chicken Fingers” as much as we do…

Bon appetit!

Ingedients for Chicken Tenders:

14-16 Chicken Tenders (trimmed, rinsed in cold water & patted dry with paper towels)
1 Cup Italian Style Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs
1/2 Cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs (can use egg whites for healthier version) + 2 Tbsp cold water
2 Tbsp melted salted (or unsalted) butter (or spray with Olive oil)

Ingredients for Honey Mustard Sauce/Dip:

1 Cup mayonnaise (I prefer Hellmann’s)
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
2 Tbsp honey

Instructions

Preparing the Chicken Tenders

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

I set up a work station in order to prepare the chicken tenders for breading (please see the photo above).

First, I place the trimmed, washed and dried chicken on a plate/ platter.

Second, I mix the 2 eggs with the 2 Tbsp of cold water in a shallow, wide bowl.

Third, I mix the bread crumbs with the parmesan cheese in a baking dish or any other deep sided dish.

Fourth, I cover a large baking sheet with foil and light spray with non-stick cooking spray (I prefer “Pam” Coconut spray since it doesn’t seem to conflict with flavors).

Steps & Baking

The steps for breading the chicken are as follows:

Using a fork, dip a chicken tender into the egg mixture and turn over a couple of times to fully coat.

Next, place the chicken tender into the bread crumb mixture and turn over to coat both sides (you may have to use the fork to scoop some of the breading mixture onto the chicken to fully coat).

Transfer the chicken tender onto the baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the chicken tenders until finished. You will develop your own technique as you go. I usually end up doing 2 or 3 tenders at a time to help speed things along.

Lastly, drizzle the melted butter (or spray with the olive oil spray) over the tenders using a spoon.

Bake for 10 minutes, then turn over and bake for another 5-10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Preparing the Honey Mustard

Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard and honey until well blended.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

Servings & Prep Time

Servings: approximately 6-8 (2 tenders per person)

Prep Time: approx. 30-40 minutes

Baking Time: approx. 15-20 minutes

Baked Italian Parmesan Chicken Tenders (Gluten Free)
with
Homemade Honey Mustard Sauce