Parmesan Chicken Tenderloins

These parmesan chicken tenderloins deliver maximum crispiness and flavor in a mini form that everyone loves. An easy dinner that’s ready in 30 minutes!

Kid friendly recipes? Yep, we’ve got them. But our kid friendly recipes are loved by adults, too. I mean, we’ve gotta eat it too, right? Making all the different meals on the same night can really be a pain, so we make what everyone likes! For some other ideas check out or Beefy Tomato Soup filled with beef and pasta in a creamy tomato broth or these BBQ Meatloaf Muffins, another mini recipe that kids love!

Everyone Loves These Chicken Tenderloins!

These Parmesan Chicken Tenderloins are always a hit for dinner. Whether you’re feeding the kids or the whole family – or just yourself. They’re mega crispy without frying, just saucy enough that won’t make the breading soggy…topped with melted mozzarella cheese.

It’s the perfect meal, really. You can pair this chicken dinner with a salad or a simple vegetable dish, or on top of a big plate of spaghetti. From young kids up to our parents who are in their 80’s, there’s no one that doesn’t love this dinner.

Key Ingredients

We’ll go over the basic ingredients that you need here, but for the complete list of ingredients scroll to the recipe card below.

• Chicken Tenderloins: You can also use chicken breast that you cut into strips, use whatever you have on hand. What we love about using tenderloins is that you get the crispy, cheesy coating all around a smaller surface area.
• Marinara Sauce: Grab your favorite brand at the store or make your own.
• Mozzarella Cheese: It wouldn’t be chicken parmesan without mozzarella cheese. You can use shredded or sliced.
• Breadcrumbs: Plain breadcrumbs or seasoned. Panko will get you an extra crispy exterior, but regular breadcrumbs are also fine.
• Parmesan Cheese: Get the best quality that you can find, usually it’s in the produce or deli section of the store, or by a block and grate your own.

How To Make

Just the basic steps here with photos so that you can see how crispy and crunchy these chicken tenderloins get in the oven! For complete instructions, scroll to the recipe card below.

• Bread the chicken: Dip the tenderloins in egg and then into a breadcrumb and parmesan cheese coating. Place onto a baking sheet and spray with olive oil cooking spray.
• Bake: Bake the breaded chicken at 425 degrees, flipping over and spraying with oil in between cooking until browned and crispy.

• Add sauce and cheese: Spoon some marinara sauce over each tenderloin and top with mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven for another 3 to 4 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

How Do You Get Oven Baked Chicken Crispy?

As you can see in the picture above, these baked chicken tenderloins are super crispy. For crispy, oven baked chicken, you have to start by getting your oven to the right temperature. We like 425 degrees for this recipe, it’ll cook the chicken through while keeping the coating brown and crunchy.

Next you need to get a good oil cooking spray, the kind that finely sprays real oil. You can use a non-stick cooking spray, too but we really like the real oil sprays for the best flavor and texture.

If you’re really looking for extra crunch, you can place a wire rack over a baking sheet. This allows the air to circulate underneath the chicken so there’s no soggy bottoms.

Can You Make This Chicken Ahead Of Time?

The best way to make this chicken recipe ahead of time is to make the breaded chicken (no sauce or cheese) and then remove from the oven and let cool. When you’re ready, place the chicken on a baking sheet (spray with cooking spray first) and then bake for 5 minutes in a 425 oven to warm the chicken back up. Then top with sauce and cheese and bake until melted.

You can also cook the breaded chicken tenderloins, let them cool and then freeze them for another day. Take them out of the freezer and bake frozen at 425 degrees, adding a few minutes to the cooking time. Then top with sauce and cheese, return to the oven for 3-4 minutes and then serve.

How To Serve

We do try and get a vegetable on the table for dinner when we can, most of the time that works but sometimes we’re just grabbing these babies from the fridge and throwing them in the microwave. But when we have time, here’s some of our favorite side dishes that go perfectly with this chicken:

• Pasta: Plain ol’ spaghetti with sauce or, Penne Vodka or Baked Ziti
• Salad: Try our Homemade Caesar Dressing)
• Vegetables: Shaved broccoli with pine nuts, steamed vegetables, roasted vegetables or raw veggies from the fridge!
• Rice: Our Spicy Mushroom Rice is a great choice, or Cilantro Lime Rice

Looking For More Easy Chicken Recipes?

• Chicken Francese
• Asian Baked Chicken Legs
• Baked Marsala Chicken Wings
• Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets (oven instructions, too!)
• Chicken Fried Rice

Parmesan Chicken Tenderloins

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.9 from 16 reviews

• Author: Dan
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Parmesan chicken tenderloins deliver maximum crispiness and flavor in a mini form that everyone loves. An easy dinner that’s ready in thirty minutes!

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 pound chicken tenderloins
• Salt, pepper and garlic powder (for seasoning the chicken)
• 2 eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon milk or water
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, (regular or panko for extra crispy coating)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce (plus extra for serving)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (can also use sliced mozzarella)
• Fresh or dried parsley for garnish

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Season both sides of the chicken tenderloins with the salt, pepper and garlic powder.
3. Beat the eggs together in a bowl with the milk or water. Mix the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese together in another bowl. Dip a chicken tenderloin into the egg mixture first, letting the excess drip off and then into the breadcrumbs, pressing to adhere to the chicken. Place the breaded chicken on a baking sheet that’s been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and repeat with the remaining chicken.
4. Spray the tops of the breaded chicken with olive oil cooking spray and bake for 7-8 minutes. Turn the chicken over and bake for another 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
5. Remove the chicken from the oven and spoon some of the sauce over each piece. Top with mozzarella cheese and return to the oven for another 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted.
6. Sprinkle the tops of the chicken with fresh or dried parsley and serve.

Recipe Notes

Store: Store leftover chicken in a single layer in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Freezing: You can freeze the breaded chicken tenderloins (after baking, let cool and store in freezer bags) and then bake them in a 425 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.  Then top with sauce and cheese and return to the oven for another 3-4 minutes.

• Category: Dinner
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American