Freezer Chicken Tenders

by admin dinner

These Freezer Chicken Tenders are perfect for meal prep. Make several batches ahead of time and stick them in the freezer. On a busy night, just pull them out, bake from frozen and have dinner on the table in 30 minutes!

*Originally published Jan 2015. Updated Feb 2018 & Feb 2021*

Hi Friends!

Allow me to introduce you to these Freezer Chicken Tenders. They’re of my favorite food prep recipes. Let’s talk about food prep for a minute, shall we? A lot of times when we think about food prep or meal prep, we’re focusing only on planning for the week ahead. But sometimes it can be just as helpful to spend a day making things to stock your freezer, (like these frozen chicken tenders) so that you can pull them out over the coming weeks when you have a busy night, don’t get around to food prep or find yourself just too tired to cook.

I first made these Freezer Chicken Tenders when I was stocking my freezer before my first baby was born. They were such a hit that I’ve made them over and over again since then and even made them several times for fellow new moms so they have a kid-friendly dinner on hand to prep for a whiny toddler while holding a screaming newborn.

Freezer Chicken Tenders

 

It’s easy to make several batches at once so you can stock your freezer and you can bake them straight from frozen so you don’t have to remember to thaw anything out! How long to bake frozen chicken tenders will depend on how thick they are!

What ingredients do you need?

  • Chicken – boneless, skinless chicken breasts work best!
  • Flour- to dredge the chicken before dipping. You can also use cornstarch
  • Egg – to dip the chicken in to help the breadcrumbs stick
  • Breadcrumbs – I use panko breadcrumbs but regular are fine too. You can sub crushed gluten-free cereal for a GF version.
  • Seasonings – I usually use a mix of paprika and garlic powder. To change things up, try everything but the bagel seasoning, cayenne for spice or even a ranch twist!

I usually serve them with mac and cheese and some steamed veggies for a quick, hands-off meal!

Here’s the recipe…but remember, you don’t really have to measure. You can make as many batches as you like and you really just need enough flour to dredge them, enough egg to coat them and enough breadcrumbs to cover them. So don’t stress about measuring exactly!

How To Cook Frozen Chicken Tenders

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Freezer Chicken Tenders

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.8 from 5 reviews

These Freezer Chicken Tenders are perfect for meal prep. Make several batches ahead of time and stick them in the freezer. On a busy night, just pull them out, bake from frozen and have dinner on the table in 30 minutes!

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 5 min
  • Cook Time: 30 min
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 2-3 1x

Ingredients

Scale

  • 1 pound chicken tenders
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (i use whole wheat)
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne, optional
  • 1 egg
  • 3 Tbsp flour

Instructions

  1. Place the flour on a small plate, the breadcrumbs and seasonings on another and the egg in a bowl (poke the yolk and stir it around until mixed).
  2. Dredge each chicken tender in flour, then dip in the egg and then coat with breadcrumbs.
  3. Line the tenders up on a plate or pan and freeze for at least 2 hours.
  4. Remove from pan and place in a large ziploc bag. Remove as much air as possible and store in the freezer.
  5. When ready to eat, place a cooling rack on a large baking sheet and place tenders on the rack (or just place on a greased or foil-lined cookie sheet)
  6. Bake from frozen at 375 degrees for approximately 25 minutes or until tenders reach 165 degrees F.

Notes

To make these gluten-free, toss in gluten-free cornstarch and roll in crushed Rice Chex!

This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled and measurements don’t have to be exact.

Did you make this recipe?

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I bake mine on a cooling rack and they come out nice and crispy- perfect for dipping in ketchup, bbq sauce or honey mustard sauce! Cooking times may vary depending on how thick your tenders are. You could also cut them into small pieces and make nuggets!

 

 

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

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