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!
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!
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.
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.
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Serve – Remove from the skillet and place on a plate. Serve with your favourite dipping sauces on the side.
Recipe Tips
- Watch cooking time – 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 – It’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 – 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.
Substitutions
- Chicken tenders – 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 drumsticks, thighs 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 – 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.
What Dips to Serve with These Tenders
- Honey Garlic Sauce
- Blue Cheese Dip
- Classic Barbecue Sauce
- Sweet and Sour
- Dijon Mustard & Honey Dipping Sauce
- Garlic Alioli
- Minted Garlic Dip
- Sriracha
- Jalapeño
- Sweet-and-Sticky Sauces
- Ranch dressing
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 the 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, it’s also really easy to over cook chicken and then it becomes really dry. 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.
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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!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 192kcal
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.
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