Baked Chicken Tenders
At North Carolina State, in Raleigh, N.C., Executive Chef Bill Brizzolara created these baked chicken tenders as a healthier alternative to traditional fried chicken tenders. His baked version has only 140 calories compared to the 286 calories in the fried chicken tenders. Brizzolara says he is able to save 146 calories and 16 grams of fat by simply baking the chicken tenders.
Ingredients
14 ½ oz. all-purpose flour
2 3/8 tsp. salt
5/8 tsp. ground white pepper
6 lbs. chicken tenders, raw
1 cup + 2 tbsp. water
2 ½ cup egg liquid
1 lb. + 8 oz. Japanese bread crumbs
4 ¾ oz. bread crumbs
1 tbsp. + ½ tsp. salt
5/8 tsp. ground white pepper
Steps
1. Mix flour with first amount of salt and pepper. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Dust chicken in seasoned flour, shake off excess. Mix water and eggs together to make eggwash and place tenders in eggwash. Coat well in eggwash and place in 200 pan with rack to let excess eggwash drain.
3. Mix Japanese bread crumbs and regular crumbs together. Toss several tenders at a time in bread crumbs to coat. Place on lined sheet pan tray. Do not stack tenders directly on top of each other.
4. Bake tenders at 325°F to an internal temperature of 165°F.