Oven Baked Chicken Tenders No Breading

How Long to Cook Chicken Tenders in Oven at 400

You may have made Frozen Chicken Tenders in Air Fryer before at this temperature, but these aren’t processed. Yes for a quick after school snack these are fine but we are all trying to eat healthier with fresh meat and I bet you will be surprised at how much you love these without breading at all.

We started this journey by making Air Fryer Chicken Tenders No Breading and those were a huge hit. I realize that not everyone loves cooking in small batches in a countertop appliance so we went with a sheet pan this go around. We all have access to an oven after all.

Oven Fried Chicken Tenders

Timing is of course going to vary according to how large yours are. If you are using Chicken Tenderloins they will likely take less because they are a bit thinner and smaller than others. Start with the first 2 steps of 20 minutes total flipping and check.

• Preheat the oven to 400 F. In a bowl, mix olive oil, salt, granulated garlic and dried herbs.
• Season the chicken tenders in a bowl with this mix, toss thoroughly to coat each piece.
• If desired, cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for half an hour or bake immediately.
• Line a baking pan with parchment or foil.
• Lay out the tenders in a single layer.
• Bake for 10 minutes on one side.
• Turn the chicken strips over to the other side and spread the BBQ sauce on them.
• Bake for another 10 minutes.
• Turn the tenders over again and coat the chicken with the remaining sauce on that side.
• Bake for another 7-10 minutes (depending on thickness).

Season with salt and pepper again if you like and here you have a quick and easy chicken recipe!!

Reheat Chicken Tenders in Oven

If you do have leftovers we have tips on Reheating Chicken Tenders in Air Fryer if you prefer that method. It takes a little less time but more importantly it will crisp the outside and get rid of that kinda’ weird ick that develops in the fridge as it sits for a few days. Baked you would;

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. This temperature range will help ensure that the chicken heats through evenly without burning.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil to prevent them from sticking and to make cleanup easier.
3. Place the pieces in a single layer making sure to leave a little space between each tender to allow for even heating.
4. To prevent them from drying out, you can cover them loosely with aluminum foil. This will help trap moisture.

Reheat for about 6-10 minutes, or until they are heated through. Remove foil halfway thru if you want them to get crispy on the outside. Can add more sauce or season with Italian seasoning on top to bake on at the end.

Barbecue Chicken Tenders in Oven

BBQ sauce isn’t the only choice to add flavor. I do love teriyaki as well for an Asian flare, sweet and you can add heat with some red pepper flakes. Of course you could leave as is just with seasonings and instead serve these “plain” with a few of our popular Dipping Sauce for Chicken Wings instead.

Frozen Chicken Tenders in Oven

If you are starting right out of the freezer the only difference is I would cover the top for the first 20 minutes with foil so they can steam. Still flip over halfway thru that cook time but remove for the last remaining 10 minutes to crisp. The biggest difference with this is that there will be a bit more liquid in the pan as they defrost. Another option is, this is How Long to Boil Chicken Tenders that works well.

If you find that these are a hit at your house too there are a few other ways to cook them like our deep fried Beer Battered Chicken Tenders. With a light breading they have a lot of flavor and get super crunchy which is a fun new way to enjoy this same protein.

Another option which kids seem to get a huge hit out of is to crush chips or crackers for the coating like we did with our Cheese It Chicken Tenders. Jump to recipe and let us know what you think.