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Easy Pan Fried Chicken Tenders

With only four ingredients and 15 minutes, you can make these Easy Pan Fried Chicken Tenders. Chicken tenders are great on their own, in salads, wraps, sandwiches and more!

Close up of chicken tenders on a plate.
Stovetop Chicken Tenders

What’s Great About Chicken Tenders

  • Chicken tenders cook quickly.
  • They are very versatile and can be baked, fried, breaded, battered, grilled, put in a slow cooker, cooked in an air fryer and cooked on the stove top.
  • Everyone loves them!
  • Easy preparation.
  • Great for serving at parties.

Check out this collection for Easy Chicken Tenders!

Chicken tenders on a black plate.
Pan Fried Chicken Tenders

What are These Chicken Tenders Like

  • Difficulty – This recipe is so easy! It’s uses only 4 ingredients and it done in about 15 minutes from start to finish!
  • Taste – This is a simple recipe that brings great flavour. The chicken has a golden crust on the outside and it’s so tender inside.
  • Serving – As an appetizer, this will serve about 4 people. If you are serving it as a main course, I would say two servings. In the recipe card at the end of the post you can easily adjust the serving size up or down.
Chicken tenders on a black plate.
Stove Top Chicken Tenders

Ingredients

  • Chicken – This recipe uses chicken tenders. Chicken tenders are a little different from chicken breast. They are, in fact, tenderloins that are located underneath the chicken breast along the breastbone. And like chicken breast, each chicken contains two tenderloins. Chicken tenderloins are much smaller and thinner than the chicken breast. Therefore, they do cook much quicker.
  • Salt – Just regular table salt.
  • Black Pepper – Fresh cracked black pepper works great.
  • Olive oil – I used extra virgin olive oil to cook the chicken tenders.

NOTE, The full recipe and instructions can be found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

Ingredients to make stove top chicken tenders.
Ingredients to Make Stove Top Chicken Tenders

Instructions

  1. Season chicken – Place the chicken tenders in a large shallow bowl. Season with the salt and pepper and make sure all the tenders are seasoned.
  2. Heat a skillet – In a large heavy bottomed skillet set over high heat, add the olive oil and heat for about 2 – 3 minutes until the pan is really hot.
  3. Cook chicken – Place the chicken tenders in the pan, making sure they are not touching or overlapping. Cook for about 4 minutes and then flip and cook the other side for a further 4 minutes or until the tenders are cooked through.
  4. Serve – Remove from the skillet and place on a plate. Serve with your favourite dipping sauces on the side.

Recipe Tips

  • Watch cooking time โ€“ These cooked perfectly for me in about 10 minutes. Yours may cook a little quicker or take a little longer. Depending on your stove, pan and the thickness of your chicken tenders.
  • Cooking chicken on the stove top โ€“ Itโ€™s best to cook the tenders in a heavy bottomed skillet. Heavy bottomed skillets cook food evenly and they have even heating. Some thinner skillets and pans heat up too quickly and then food will burn or stick.
  • Allow chicken to rest โ€“ It’s best to allow chicken to rest about 5 minutes after removing it from the heat. This will ensure the juices stay inside the and chicken will be more tender and juicer.
chicken tenders on a plate with dip.
Stove Top Chicken Tenders

Substitutions

  • Chicken tenders โ€“ I used pretty small sized chicken tenders for this recipe. You could use whole chicken breast. You could cut the chicken in small pieces and put it on skewer sticks. Even drumsticksthighs or wings would work. Keep in mind cooking time will vary with the type of chicken you are using.
  • Seasoning – I just used salt and pepper for this recipe. Feed free to use different seasonings for different flavours. You could use Everything Bagel Seasoning, Homemade Mild Taco Seasoning or the Homemade Cajun Seasoning.
  • Can be cooked under a broiler in the oven โ€“ Place the chicken tenders on a baking sheet and place directly under the broiler in the oven. Cook them for about 10 minutes per side or until cooked through.
Chicken tenders with dipping sauce.
Easy Skillet Chicken Tenders

What Dips to Serve with These Tenders

Close up of chicken tenders on a plate with a fork.
Chicken Tenders Cooked on the Stovetop

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you cook chicken tenders in the slow cooker?

Yes, you can cook chicken tenders in the slow cooker. In fact like theย Slow Cooker Chicken Taquitos, the slow cooker is a great way to cook chicken tenders. Because chicken tenders are so small, they should only take about four hours in the slow cooker.

Are Chicken Tenders and Chicken Strips the same thing?

No, chicken tenders and chicken strips are not the same. Chicken tenders are the entire chicken tenderloin. Chicken strips are pieces of chicken cut from the chicken breast.

How do you prevent chicken from being dry?

As easy as chicken is to cook, itโ€™s also really easy to over cook chicken and then it becomes really dry.ย Chicken is cooked perfectly at 165 degrees F/74 degrees C. The best way to tell is to use a meat thermometer. Just insert it into the chicken temperature and you will clearly see the internal temperature of the chicken.

Can you marinade chicken tenders in advance?

Yes, most chicken tender recipes can be prepared about 24 hours in advance. However, be careful if the marinade contains a lot of acid like lemon or lime juice. These will break down the fibres in the chicken and should only be marinated for a few hours.

Close up of chicken tenders on a plate.
Easy Chicken Tenders Recipe


Tandoori Chicken Tenders

Make these easy Tandoori Chicken Tenders at home in no time at all! Using a few Indian inspired seasonings, Greek yogurt and lime juice, you just won't be disappointed with the flavours!
Check out this recipe
Spiced chicken tenders with yogurt sauce on the side.

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Tenders

Break out the barbecue for these easy and tasty Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Tenders. Chicken tenders lightly marinaded in a homemade teriyaki sauce and grilled to perfection. On the table in under 30 minutes!
Check out this recipe
Chicken tenders in teriyaki sauce on a plate.

Stove Top Tex-Mex Chicken Tenders

These Stove Top Tex-Mex Chicken Tenders use a Homemade Taco Seasoning and lime juice. They cook in 10 minutes on the stove top and can be added to salads, wraps and more!
Check out this recipe
Chicken tenders on a plate.

Close up of chicken tenders on a plate.
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Easy Pan Fried Chicken Tenders

With only four ingredients and 15 minutes, you can make these Easy Pan Fried Chicken Tenders. Chicken tenders are great on their own, in salads, wraps, sandwiches and more!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: North American
Keyword: chicken tenders, stovetop
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 192kcal
Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

  • 1 lb chicken tenders
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

  • Place the chicken tenders in a large shallow bowl. Season with the salt and pepper and make sure all the tenders are seasoned.
  • In a large heavy bottomed skillet set over high heat, add the olive oil and heat for about 2 – 3 minutes until the pan is really hot.
  • Place the chicken tenders in the pan, making sure they are not touching or overlapping. Cook for about 4 minutes and then flip and cook the other side for a further 4 minutes or until the tenders are cooked through.
  • Remove from the skillet and place on a plate. Serve with your favourite dipping sauces on the side.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Nutrition Facts
Easy Pan Fried Chicken Tenders
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 192 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Trans Fat 0.01g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 73mg24%
Sodium 422mg18%
Potassium 423mg12%
Carbohydrates 0.2g0%
Fiber 0.1g0%
Sugar 0.003g0%
Protein 24g48%
Vitamin A 35IU1%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 7mg1%
Iron 0.5mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks for Stopping by and Hope To See You Soon!

By on February 9th, 2024
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About Julia Pinney

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