These baked chicken tenderloins without breading are perfect with just the chicken, butter, and a blend of seasonings! They are crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside, and packed with a ton of flavor! Since this chicken is ready to enjoy in just 30 minutes, it is a perfect dinner option for any night of the week!
Serve your chicken tenders with your favorite dipping sauces! I recommend some homemade ranch or mild buffalo sauce!
Jump to:
Chicken strips are one of the best finger foods for kids and adults. However, I'm not always in the mood to pull out the deep fryer. While the crispy breading is delicious, sometimes I just want a lighter meal.
That's where these baked chicken tenderloins come in! They are beautifully seasoned without all of the extra breading.
🥘 Ingredients
- Butter - ½ cup of melted butter.
- Honey - 1 teaspoon of honey.
- Paprika - 2 teaspoons of paprika.
- Garlic Powder - 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Onion Powder - ½ teaspoon of onion powder.
- Salt & Pepper - ¼ teaspoon of both salt and pepper.
- Chicken Tenderloins - 1 pound of chicken tenderloins.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Bake Chicken Tenderloins
No breading means that this recipe is extra easy! You'll need a baking sheet, some parchment paper, a couple of small bowls, and a meat thermometer.
This recipe is for 4 servings, but you can easily stretch that out by adding tasty, hearty side dishes!
- Preheat. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter. Place ½ cup of butter in a small bowl and heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds to melt it. Once melted, stir 1 teaspoon of honey into the butter.
- Combine seasonings. Meanwhile, in a separate small bowl, mix together 2 teaspoons of paprika, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, ½ teaspoon of onion powder, and ¼ teaspoon of both salt and pepper.
- Prepare the chicken. Pat 1 pound of chicken tenderloins dry with a paper towel and then dunk them into the melted butter, making sure they are fully coated. Then, place the tenderloins onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake. Season both sides of the chicken tenderloins with the seasoning mixture and then bake in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 165°F (74°C).
- Serve. Remove the baked chicken from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Take a look at this list of what to serve with chicken for some yummy side dish recipes! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Customizing Seasonings: Feel free to add or swap your favorite seasonings to this recipe. For a bit of heat, try adding a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Meat Thermometer Use: To ensure your chicken is fully cooked, use a meat thermometer. Check out my post on chicken internal temperatures for detailed guidance.
- Room Temperature Chicken: For best cooking results, bring your chicken out of the fridge 20 minutes before starting. This helps the chicken cook more evenly.
>>>See All Of My Tasty Recipes Here!<<<
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Allow your leftover chicken to cool completely before placing it into a storage container and keeping it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To freeze, seal it in a Ziploc bag or container and freeze it for up to 3 months. Allow the chicken to defrost in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating
Reheat them in the microwave or by placing them back in the oven.
❓ Recipe FAQs
A tenderloin is cut from a very specific area underneath the breast of the chicken. On the other hand, chicken tenders are typically the actual breast meat that has been cut into strips.
Yep! You can cook your chicken straight from frozen. Prepare them as directed, but add about 3 minutes to the bake time. Make sure to check the internal temperature as well!
Since these pieces of chicken are thin and cook quickly, you don't have to worry about them drying out. However, make sure you don't overcook them!
🍗 More Chicken Recipes
- Boneless Chicken Wings - These delectable wings are fried and tossed in your favorite sauce!
- Sous Vide Chicken Breast - Chicken breast is perfectly cooked using a sous vide machine!
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast - Make some last-minute chicken using your air fryer!
- Baked Boneless Chicken Breasts - If you love these chicken tenders, make sure to try out these baked chicken breasts!
- Grilled Chicken Tenders - These tasty chicken tenders are even better than the ones from Cracker Barrel!
- Parmesan Garlic Mushroom Chicken - This chicken is cooked in a flavorful, rich, and creamy sauce!
See all my chicken recipes here!
Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
Stay in touch with me through social media @ Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Subscribe to the newsletter today (no spam, I promise)! Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!
📖 Recipe Card
Baked Chicken Tenderloins
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter (melted)
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper
- 1 lb chicken tenderloins
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place your butter in a small bowl and heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds to melt it. Once melted, stir the honey into the butter.
- Meanwhile, in a separate small bowl, mix together your paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Pat your tenderloins dry with a paper towel and then dunk them into the melted butter, making sure they are fully coated. Then, place the tenderloins onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Season both sides of the chicken tenderloins with the seasoning mixture and then bake in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 25-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 165°F (74°C).
- Remove the baked chicken from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- You can easily customize this recipe by adding or swapping your favorite seasonings. Add in a pinch of cayenne pepper for some heat!
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure your chicken is fully cooked. Take a look at my post on chicken internal temperatures for more information.
- For best results, bring your chicken out of the fridge 20 minutes before you get started. This will help to ensure that the meat cooks evenly.
- To store: Allow your chicken to cool completely before placing them into a storage container and keeping it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To freeze: Seal your tenderloins in a Ziploc bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow the chicken to defrost in the fridge before reheating.
- To reheat: Reheat your chicken tenderloins either in the microwave or by placing them back into the oven.
Nutrition
Originally published February 3, 2023
Lamanda J Wright says
This recipe looks great and simple
Jude says
Perfect, the family loved it
Lila Roenigk says
A very easy and tasty dinner option. I used 5 TBL butter vs entire stick. Might improvise next time and try olive oil/butter combo. Still, delicious as written!!
Cheerie says
Absolutely Delish! Thank you😍.
Can I use this recipe with chicken breasts?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Yes, definitely! You can even cut the chicken breasts into tenderloin size strips and keep the same cooking time. If you do cook the whole breasts, make sure to check the internal temperature for doneness. I like boneless chicken breasts to be at least 165F and 180F for bone-in breasts. Thanks for asking!
Andy Schectman says
Fantastic, spot on recipe with the cooking times and seasoning. I love it!!!