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Parmigiano and Herb Chicken Breast Tenders

This recipe is so versatile: serve these tenders hot or cold. Cold, pair them with pasta salad. Hot, they're good as is with a simple mixed green salad. Or, top the tenders with tomato sauce and cheese, and serve them with a side of spaghetti for an extra tender quick Chicken Parm.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: lunch/dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 5717.6
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main
  • Olive oil for frying
  • 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs beaten with 1/4 cup water
  • 2 cups Italian style bread crumbs
  • 1 cup shredded Parmesan
  • 6 sprigs or stems fresh thyme leaves stripped and chopped, 2 to 3 tablespoons
  • 6 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves finely chopped, 3 tablespoons
  • 2 handfuls chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • Chicken Parmigiano recipe follows
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small white onion finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 14 ounce can chunky style crushed tomatoes
  • 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup chicken broth or stock
  • A handful fresh basil leaves torn into small pieces
  • Coarse salt
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded provolone
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 1 pound spaghetti cooked to al dente

Equipment

  • 1 Nonstick Skillet or Frying Pan Large, for shallow frying
  • 1 Baking Sheet Nonstick, suitable for oven use
  • 3 Shallow Dishes For flour, egg wash, and breading mixture
  • 1 Tongs For handling hot chicken safely
  • 1 Oven Mitts

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place a nonstick cookie sheet in oven with a tin foil liner.
  2. Heat 1/2-inch oil in a large nonstick skillet or frying pan over medium to medium high heat.
  3. Season chicken tenders with salt and pepper. Wash hands. Place flour in a shallow dish. Beat eggs with water in a second dish along side the flour. In a third dish, combine the breading ingredients. Coat chicken in flour, then egg, then bread and cheese mixture. To keep your hands clean, ask for plastic gloves at the butcher counter. To ease your clean up, try using disposable tin pie tins for the flour, egg and bread crumbs.
  4. Cook chicken until deeply golden on each side, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to cookie sheet in preheated oven and finish off for another 5 minutes cooking time. Cook chicken 5 or 6 tenders at a time in a single layer, adding additional oil if necessary. If the chicken begins to brown too quickly lower heat slightly. Serve chicken hot or cold with green salad or, complete as a Parmigiano.

Notes

For optimal breading, employ a 'dry hand/wet hand' technique: use one hand exclusively for handling dry ingredients (flour, breading) and the other for wet (egg mixture). This keeps your hands cleaner and ensures an even coating. Closely monitor the oil temperature; it should be hot enough to sizzle but not smoke, preventing greasy chicken or burned crusts. Finishing the tenders in the preheated oven is crucial for cooking them through completely while maintaining a perfectly crisp exterior. Avoid overcrowding the skillet to keep the oil temperature consistent and allow for proper browning. Ensure fresh herbs and garlic are finely chopped for maximum flavor dispersion in the breading. These tenders are incredibly versatile, excellent on their own or easily transformed into a quick Chicken Parm.