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.
It can be difficult to make simple ingredients taste good quickly on busy weeknights. My Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenderloins 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 sit back and put your tired feet up.
Making this Parmesan garlic chicken is simple and effort-free. It’s great for serving a crowd of hungry guests or kids! This juicy chicken also pairs well with many different side dishes like green beans, broccoli, or a fresh salad and crusty bread.
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!
Ingredients
- Chicken tenderloins – Tenders are cut from the side of a chicken breast. They are more tender. They do have tendon that runs through them. It is easy to cut out with kitchen shears. Alternatively, you can cut chicken breasts to this same shape.
- Mayonnaise – Mayo is the binder to hold on the cheese. Since it has egg in it as it cooks the cheese will adhere to the chicken.
- Parmesan cheese – You can use freshly shredded Parmesan or pre-shredded. Grated cheese can be worked in a pinch, but it isn’t my top choice for this recipe.
- Garlic powder – Regular garlic powder or roasted garlic powder both work well. You can use fresh minced garlic if you prefer.
- Salt – We’ve been using Real Salt lately, but kosher salt also works well. You don’t need much extra salt since Parmesan is naturally salty.
See quantities and the full recipe in the recipe card.
How To Make Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenders
Step One: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with olive oil cooking spray. Mix together the mayonnaise, ¼ cup of cheese, garlic, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
Step Two: Place the chicken in the bowl and stir until it is coated in the Parmesan sauce.
Step Three: Lay the pieces of chicken on the baking sheet in a single layer. Spoon any extra creamy sauce on top.
Step Four: Add the rest of the cheese on top of the chicken. Bake the chicken for 25-30 minutes until the internal temperature is 160.
Optional Step Five: If you want the chicken to be golden brown, broil it for 2-3 minutes. This will brown up the cheese.
Top 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.
Variations
- Seasoning – Try adding Italian seasoning, black pepper, or onion powder to boost the flavor of this easy recipe. For a bit of heat, add some crushed red pepper flakes.
- Breasts – If you prefer to use boneless skinless chicken breasts, you may. Just cut them into strips and proceed with the rest of the garlic parmesan chicken recipe.
- Thighs – You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
Storage
Let the chicken cool down after cooking it, then place the chicken tenderloins in an airtight container 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. 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.
Reheating
A quick way to reheat the tenders in the microwave is to put them in a microwave-safe container and heat it for a minute or two.
You can also lay the chicken tenders on a baking sheet and heat them in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Once they are warm all the way, you can eat them.
Common Questions
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.
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 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 the tender chicken, 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.
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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Video
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. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- 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 in a single layer.
- Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese.
- Bake for 15-25 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.
Notes
Nutrition
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Originally published on November 3, 2017. Revised and republished on September 12, 2025.
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!