Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenders Recipe
With just Five Ingredients and Five Minutes of prep time, these baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenders will be your new easy dinner. This is our favorite easy Chicken Tenders Recipe.
Five Minute Prep to perfect chicken! Low Carb, Keto, Gluten-Free.
It can be difficult to make simple staples taste good quickly. MyBaked Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenders Recipe does just that. With a five minute prep time, you can pop them in the oven and help kids with homework, get a couple of chores done, or just sit back and put your tired feet up.
These healthy baked chicken tenders are also a great kid-friendly option! Or if you want some heat in a chicken tenderloin recipe try my Blackened Chicken Tenders!
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How To Make Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenders
Making this parmesan garlic chicken is super simple and really doesn’t take much effort at all. It’s great for serving to a crowd of hungry guests or kids! Everyone will eat every last bite in record time. Take a look at the video at the top of this post to see simple it is:
First Step: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Second Step: Mix together the mayonnaise, ¼ cup of cheese, garlic, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Place the chicken in the bowl and stir, so it’s all coated. Lay the pieces of chicken on the baking sheet.
Third Step: Add the rest of the cheese on top of the chicken.
Fourth Step: Bake the garlic parmesan breaded chicken for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is all the way cooked.
Fifth Step: If you want the chicken to be golden brown, broil it for 2-3 minutes. This will brown up the cheese.
Expert Tip: If you decide to broil the chicken, it’s important not to cook it too long and keep a close watch. It can burn really quickly in the broiler. Plus, if it cooks too long, it can dry out some.
Mayo? Do I have to use Mayonnaise in Garlic Parmesan Chicken?
Mayo is my favorite condiment ever. It takes almost any savory dish and kicks it up a notch. It is my go-to for making anything dairy-free creamy. That delicious emulsified oil can replace cream in many recipes.
You cannot taste it in this recipe. Really. But if you are adamantly opposed to using mayonnaise I’ve had readers use yogurt or sour cream successfully.
Can I Sub in Chicken Breasts?
Chicken tenderloins are my favorite meat for quick dinners. They cook fast and don’t require cutting or trimming first. Since chicken doesn’t have a ton of flavor on its own you can incorporate them in hundreds of ways.
I’m able to get them for about .50 more per pound than chicken breasts. Since they are a better cut of poultry this price difference is worth it to me. But if you prefer to use chicken breasts you can. Just cut them into strips and proceed with the rest of the garlic parmesan chicken recipe.
If you prefer you can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
What Temperature Do Chicken Tenderloins Need to Cook to?
Chicken should be 160 degrees F. before it’s consumed. As the chicken bakes, once it reaches 158 degrees, you can remove it from the oven and let it rest for around 5 minutes. This gives it time to finish raising the temperature to 160 degrees F as it sits.
When it comes to chicken (or any meat really), you don’t want to overcook it. I know it sounds like a good idea to cook it until it’s hotter in theory, but you will end up with a dry and flavorless meal if you do. As long as it’s prepared to 160 degrees F., it’s safe to consume, and you don’t need to worry.
Can cooked chicken be pink?
Yes, sometimes chicken that’s fully cooked will have a slight pink color in the center. As long as it’s not raw and you are positive that it reads the correct temperature, it’s okay to eat. Undercooked chicken can make you very ill, so it’s always a good idea to check the temperatures when making any type of chicken dish.
How many servings does this make?
These keto chicken tenders make 8 servings. Typically, you will end up with around 3 maybe 4 tenderloins per person. So if you are feeding a large crowd, you may need to make a double or even triple batch. Additionally, you can easily half the ingredients if you don’t need to make as much. It’s an easy recipe to adjust as needed.
What should I serve with this?
This is one of those recipes that goes with almost anything. Serve it with some roasted veggies like garlic broccoli, oven-roasted green beans, or cauliflower. You could also pair it with some mashed cauliflower, cucumber tomato salad, or some keto garlic bread.
This garlic parmesan chicken also goes excellent with zucchini fries, onion rings, and other side items like that as well. You could even serve it with a Caesar salad and some fresh fruit too. You can’t go wrong with pretty much anything you decide to make with this chicken dinner idea.
How do you store garlic parmesan chicken tenders?
Let the chicken cool down after cooking it, then place the chicken tenderloins in a container with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the fridge. This garlic chicken will last 3-4 days, and it’s incredible for leftovers.
You can also freeze the chicken too. I like to flash freeze it on a baking dish for around 2 hours, then take the pieces and put them in a freezer bag. Then they won’t stick together, and you can just grab out the pieces that you want.
How do you reheat keto garlic parmesan chicken?
You can quickly reheat the keto chicken tenders in the microwave by putting it in a microwave-safe container and heating it for a couple of minutes. I recommend heating it in 1-minute intervals because it warms up pretty quickly when you are just heating a few.
You can also lay the chicken tenders on a baking sheet at heating them in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Once they are warm all the way, you can eat them.
Can I use the sauce in other ways?
This recipe has the same topping I use on my Garlic Parmesan Zucchini. It is a family favorite and I knew it would also be great on chicken. My kids gobbled this up.
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Five Minute Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds chicken tenderloins
- 3/4 cup mayo
- 3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Combine the mayo, 1/4 cup of the cheese, garlic, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Put the chicken on a large baking sheet. I put parchment on mine to save on the cleanup.
- Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. It should read 160 on a meat thermometer. I try to take it out at about 158 and let it rest for a few minutes.
- Optional: Broil for 2-3 minutes to brown the cheese. Watch the chicken closely if you are broiling so it doesn't burn.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Here are a few of my other favorite Keto Chicken Tenders Recipes:
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders with Ranch Dip
Cumin Rubbed Chicken with Black Bean & Corn Salsa
Greek Chicken with Feta and Dill
Creamy Tomato Chicken & Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Ham & Cheddar Chicken Skillet Dinner
Originally published on 11/3/2017. Revised and republished on 2/6/2020.
Has anyone tried cooking these in an air fryer?
Yes!!! Amazing!
How long in the air fryer and what temp?
How many in a serving based on your nutritional information? I was thinking maybe 2-3???
That depends on the size of your chicken tenders. Just count how many and divide by 8. It should be 3-4 per serving.
Can I sub the shredded parm. for grated parm. Trying to use what I already have in the fridge. I would assume I would just have to use less than 3/4 of parm. ?
Yes. When I use grated cheese I do use the same amount but you can use less if you want.
So delicious!! Everyone loved it!
Only question is how many tenders make a serving on your nutrition facts?
Made this tonight and it was a hit!!!! Even my picky eater liked it! And my son who has liver disease has to really watch what he is eating…. everything in this recipe is super healthy for him! He liked it so much he asked me to make another batch for his lunch tomorrow!
I made this for my family tonight and they devoured it! I loved how quick, easy and delicious it was! This will be on a regular rotation for us! Thank you!!
Mine didn’t look like the picture at all. They never browned. Tasted good though. I totally followed the recipe. ???!
Next time move them to the top rack of the oven or broil at the end for a minute or two. Ovens can vary a lot.
This recipe is so easy and very delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Mine didn’t look nearly as pretty as the picture – in fact, it didn’t look very appealing at all – but it made up for it in taste! I was wary because I don’t eat mayonnaise, but it was great. The chicken was so soft and juicy. Thank you for the delicious recipe!
This recipe is now my family favorite dish. Fantastically Delicious with every bite ! It’s a 5 Star dish. The chicken is moist, the cheese adds a wonderful flavor and I topped this dish off with Green Onions. Yummy !
I generally don’t eat mayo but this was super delicious!!!
This recipe is delicious and I’m not a fan of using mayo in cooking, so was going to use sour cream instead, except I was out of sour cream so used mayo after all and for the first time ever I liked “hot” mayo. I lined my baking sheet with parchment and sat the chicken tenders on a rack – they cooked through without needing to be turned. I added about 1/2 tsp of hot sauce to the mix which gave it a tasty zing. It could’ve used more hot sauce though, so before eating it I sprinkled a good splash of hot sauce right on top of the cooked tenders which was even more delish.
Thanks for the heads up about the oil. My solution worked great. I lined a large sheet pan with 1/2 rimmed edge. Then placed cooking racks on top of the foil. The tenders did not have to be turned and were cooked completely with the oil dripping away from the meat. Love this recipe.
Is it going to be the same cooking time when using 1 pound of tenderloins instead? And is using grated Parmesan ok for this recipe or is using shredded Parmesan better?
Yes, the cooking time should stay about the same. I would check them 5 minutes sooner just in case. You can use grated cheese.
So happy to find this. Easy as 123 and very tasty. Me too, I can’t imagine it w/o the mayo. Not all mayo contain eggs, so people have options. Thanks so much.
This looks like the easiest thing in the world to make and by the comments it must be delicious! Im going to try it this evening. Thank You!
I’m definitely going to try these in the oven. But I live my air fryer and wondering if anyone has tried this in an air fryer? If so, how did they turn out? Did it make a mess in the fryer?
*I love, not live my air fryer. 😂
I would love to make this recipe for a friend who is suffering from her 4th relapse of chronic Lyme disease. BUT she is on a gluten free, sugar free, DAIRY free diet, so what could I sub for the Parmesan cheese? Her husband is doing his best, but… a little flavor in your food is a good thing! (snicker)
A good sub for cheese in this recipe would be nutritional yeast. It has a cheesy taste without having dairy.
Never heard of nutritional yeast …I live in a rural area – where would I find this?
Juanita, you can get Nutritional Yeast via Amazon. We get Braggs Nutritional Yeast from our Walmart.
Has anyone tried this in the grill?
I think the coating would burn and/or stick to the grill. You could grill the chicken most of the way and then coat it and finish it off on a grill mat.
I would think if you put tinfoil in the grate you’d be fine.
I have made this using ranch instead of mayo, used to make it quite often. Yum
Can chicken breast be cut up and used for this?
Yes