This easy chicken tenders recipe makes chicken tenders that are so easy and taste so good your whole family will love them! Why spend too much on institutional or restaurant chicken tenders when these are easy, taste great and cost a lot less!
Our entire family loves this easy chicken tenders recipe and it has also been popular with guests! With just 4 ingredients and a few seasonings, you can easily make these chicken tenders with 5 minutes prep time and then about 15 minutes to fry them.
Chicken Tenders Recipe And Quick and Easy Meal Plan!
Tips:
- Cool weather is on its way, which means yummy soups and stews. If your children’s soup is too hot for them, add a few frozen vegetables to it. As the veggies cook, it cools down the soup.
- For a quick dessert that’s a little different, top a brownie with ice cream. Then top it with chocolate syrup mixed with chunky peanut butter. You can add as little or as much as you want.
Chicken Tenders Meal Plan:
Potato Flake Chicken Tenders Recipe*
Easy Vegetables*
French Fries
Soda Cracker Pie*
Potato Flake Chicken Tenders Recipe
Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 (7.6 oz.) pkg. instant garlic flavor potatoes or 1 cup potato flakes with 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 lbs. chicken tenders
Instructions
- Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat.
- While oil is heating, beat egg and milk together in a bowl.
- On a piece of wax paper or a small plate, mix potatoes and seasonings.
- Dip chicken into milk mix; then roll in potato flakes.
- Fry 7-10 minutes, until golden.
- Drain on paper towels.
Notes
You can modify this chicken tenders recipe by adding some Parmesan cheese or other seasonings you might like to the potato flakes.
You can use regular instant potatoes and just add garlic powder to season them.
Easy Vegetables
Ingredients
Broccoli florets
Cauliflower florets
Green beans, with the ends trimmed
Red pepper, cut into strips
Italian dressing
Parmesan cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Drop any amount of first three vegetables you want into boiling water and cook for 2 minutes or until they are bright in color and still crisp. Do not overcook them.
- Drain immediately and rinse in cold water. Drain well.
- Add pepper strips, cover and chill. Before serving toss with dressing and cheese.
Soda Cracker Pie
You can serve this pie with just whipped cream or you could leave out the nuts and top with lemon, blueberry, cherry or any other pie filling. You can also use Ritz, graham or saltine crackers in place of soda crackers or add chocolate chips. Someone suggested spreading it with jam and sprinkling with brown sugar.
Ingredients
3 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
20 soda crackers, finely crushed
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup pecans or nuts, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°.
- Beat egg whites to stiff peaks.
- Fold in all the rest of ingredients.
- Spoon into a greased 9-inch pie pan
- Bake 25-30 minutes.
- Cool.
For more easy recipes like this chicken tenders recipe, check out our cookbooks:
You might also like our Parmesan Chicken Tenders Recipe from Dining On A Dime Cookbook, Volume 2.
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I like that potato chicken recipe. I am getting hungry just reading it. Also, that pie seems unique, frugal and yummy.
Does the Soda Cracker Pie really call for 3 cups of egg whites? How many dozen eggs would that take?
No Donna. Thanks for catching my big boo boo. It’s suppose to be 3 eggs. I average dealing with about 15-20 recipes a day sometimes and so I do make goofs even though we try to proof read and proof read so thanks.
You misread. It says 3 egg whites.
My family loves the soda cracker pie. I usually serve it with sweetened strawberries on top, it is a great alternative to shortcake.
Soda Cracker Pie – change up.
A friend made one once in layers with vanilla pudding, strawberries and whipped cream. Delish and I was shocked at how the soda crackers didn’t taste like soda crackers.
Yummy!!!!
Thanks for the chicken tender recipe. My husband can’t eat wheat and some brands of potato flakes have only potatoes (no other ingredients), so not only will I be able to use them but they are much less $$ than what I’m using now if I make breaded chicken. Looking forward to trying this on fish, too!
Last weekend I made your ham/potato dish. This weekend, I’m going to have to try those chicken tenders. They sound wonderful. Thanks for great meal ideas!
Thank you for posting the chicken recipe with potato flakes. A friend had made me something similar to this, but baked in the oven, years ago (15 or more now) and I loved it. Now, I will be able to make it for my husband and kids. Thanks so much! By the way, I’ve got both Dining on a Dime and Not just beans and recommend both to all of my friends.
My mom has been making the Soda Cracker Piecrust for over 40 years. She’d always fill it with whole strawberries (drain them on a paper towel after you wash them, you don’t want a soggy crust!) then top it with Cool Whip. This was usually only done for special occassions or family reunions. MMMMMmmmmmMMMMMM! I’d even ask for this as my birthday pie instead of cake!
There is a Mock Apple Pie you can make with Soda Crackers too.
Mock Apple Pie
1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1-1/4 tsp cream of tartar
18 soda crackers broken up
pie crust for top and bottom (unbaked)
Boil all ingredients, except crackers, for 5 minutes. Let cool. Break up crackers and place in pie crust. Pour the rest of cooled ingredients on top. Dot with butter. Sprinkle with more sugar, and either add crust on top, or make a crumble topping. Bake at 400 degrees for about a half hour.
Good Morning!
I always thought mock apple pie was made with Ritz Crackers.
??
Not always.
It was. I remember too! My mother would make it .
Ritz is what my mother used.
My great-grandmother used to make a pie very similar to this but instead of sugar, she used sorghum as the sweetener. I hadn’t thought about it in years. I’ll have to dig out her recipe box and make one for my boys (ages 9 & 13). Thanks for the chicken tender recipe! We love homemade chicken strips at my house. I use crushed cornflakes a lot.
are soda crackers just plain saltine crackers?
Yes Gwen they are.
Hi Jill
Love the chicken tender receipe! I have made these before but instead of instant garlic potatoes I used instant baby reds and it is good! just a note I came from Kroger and they had the eight pack of cookies and cream candy for 75 cents! Well I got several packs at that price because with Christmas comming up these will be good to put in christmas stocks! Have a blessed one
Oh How funny of me I mean Christmas stockings!
Susan, really? Stocks at Christmas? What type of discipline to you enforce on non holidays? ahahahah!
I’m going to try the chicken tenders recipe, Hubby loves chicken tenders and sometimes I find them on sale for a good price. Could you answer a question for me? It may sound funny but I don’t really know what soda crackers are supposed to be! I take it they’re not saltines but I have looked for them and I have been puzzled because I can’t seem to find anything marked soda crackers. Maybe they’re not available in my area?? Or are they masquerading as something else?? Thanks for any help you can give!
Things are called many different things in different areas so this isn’t a funny question at all. They are just regular white saltines. Sorry you went through so much trouble be sure and give us a holler anyone out there who isn’t sure because I don’t mind answering your questions at all. One thing too you might try different crackers for different tastes like Ritz or really anything might be good just to experiment.
Are potatoe flakes instant potatoes?
Yes they are Elizabeth.
Sounds good
Do you beat the sugar with the egg whites like you would making meringue, or do you stir it in with the other ingredients?
Patricia most of the recipes are split down the middle with some doing the sugar and others folding it all in at the same time. It probably doesn’t matter but it would not be to big of deal or hurt to mix in the sugar gradually then fold in the rest of the ingredients.
I just made these & they are delicious. Also the potato flakes are genius added my seasoning to taste these were a hit especially for one of my very picky eater . Will definitely make these again! Thanks for sharing!
I’m eager to try the chicken tenders recipe ~ I’d have never thought of using instant potatoes, but I think it’s a terrific idea. Just today my younger son (and super picky eater) was asking if we could make our own chicken fries at home. He dislikes the flour breading I tried in the past, so this just may be what cinches it :)
I love the recipes shared ~ it always amazes me what we can do ‘on our own’ — I was an adult before I realized that pudding could be made at home without the aid of the folks at Jell-o. (nope, I don’t come from a cooking family ~ so I appreciate all of the tips and recipes. I’ve come a long way from my jell-o days but still have a lot to learn :) )
Has anyone used chicken thighs?
If I want to freeze the chicken tenders should I freeze before or after cooking?
You can freeze either way Stephanie depending which is easiest for you. It would be best to reheat in the oven of course to crisp them up but like many things that you freeze they are taste fine and are good but of course they always seem to taste a little better fresh out of the pan. What I would do is fry them up for one meal, eat part of them and freeze the rest. Then when you reheat them you will be able to compare which you like the best.
If you are looking for convenience then I say go ahead and freeze them they will be fine.
Another soda cracker question: Mine come with 2 stuck end to end with a perforated line to break them. Are 20 crackers 20 little squares or 20 rectangles -with 2 squares in them? Thanks! Can’t wait to try it!
Kaylee
Kenitalee it is 20 little squares. They usually are 1 3/4 in. sq.
Can you fry these chicken tenders in your air fryer ? Thank you
I have never fried them in there but if you can fry batter dipped things in your fryer then I would think you could do it just fine.
A pie pan also works well for rolling the chicken in the potato flake mixture. Keeps it contained a bit more than a plate.
Do the chicken tenders freeze well?
Yes Chris lay them on a cookie sheet or something like that separated then put in a freezer bag.
Can you bake the Chicken tenders? What temp and how long?
Yes at 450 degrees for 15 – 20 mins or until the chicken is no longer red in the center.
I was “window shopping” for a chicken recipe when I came across this, and I love it. I had made up an instant mash potato soup mix when I had to have soft food (tooth issues) and I used it. Worked great. Thank you for the inspiration!
Perfect! I need to use up some expired instant potatoes from my stockpile plus I need a recipe to replace store bought nuggets for my picky son. Win, win!
Instant potatoes are an excellent stockpile food IMO. Now I have another recipe to help me rotate through them. Thanks!
PS I also used instant potato flakes to thicken soups & stews. I keep it in a jar & scoop out a spoon or two as needed.
Michele you can also mix up some instant potatoes to use if you make homemade bread. Just add a half of cup or so to the recipe and it makes the bread so much fluffier and light.
Good morning!
I hope all is well. 😃 I was wondering if this chicken tender recipe will work in an Air Fryer. Thank you so much!🩷
It should Karen. If you fry other chicken recipes in there this should work too.
Thank you so much Jill! I haven’t tried chicken in the air fryer as I am just learning how to use it. I will let you know how it goes.
Blessings to you and all of the family.
Karen😍
You are welcome Karen and that would be great if you could pop in and let us know.