Cheez-it Chicken Tenders are juicy chicken strips coated in a cheesy crust and baked to perfection in under 30 minutes.!
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I love how moist it is on the inside, golden brown and crunchy on the outside these tenders were. Just like my Crispy Fried Chicken Cutlets, every bite is flavorful and satisfying.
Why these chicken fingers work
Ready in just 30 minutes, these breaded chicken strips are the perfect main to serve for dinner like my Oven Fried Chicken Thighs. Serve this great recipe with your favorite side dishes and have dinner on the table in no time.
Coating your chicken in cheddar cracker crumbs and enjoy the Cheez-it flavor not just as a snack, but during dinner time too like these Buffalo Chicken Tenders! Talk about an easy way to get the kids lining up for dinner including their favorite snacks, without a fight!
Ingredients needed
- Chicken tenders: about 3 pounds
- Mayo: can be substituted for Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Butter: melted
- Crushed Cheez-It crackers: you could also use Cheese Nips or your other favorite cheesy cracker
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Bread crumbs: classic bread crumbs or use Japanese style panko for even more crispy exterior
- Spices: salt, Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper (optional)
- Dipping sauce: optional. Use one of your favorite dipping sauces, Ranch dressing or honey mustard work nicely.
How to make cheez it chicken tenders
- Step 1: Place crackers in the bowl of a food processor.
- Step 2: Process the crackers just enough to use them as a crumb, but don't over-process them. Pour crushed crackers into a shallow bowl.
- Step 3: In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients- cracker crumbs, grated cheese, bread crumbs and spices.
- Step 4: Carefully, add melted butter to dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Step 5: Use a basting brush to brush mayo on the chicken tenders. Coat both sides evenly.
- Step 6: Place the coated chicken in the crumb mixture and press firmly so the crumb coating sticks. Coat the other side. Repeat with each piece of chicken.
- Step 7: Spray a wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and lay it on a sheet pan. Place coated chicken tenders on the prepared baking sheet.
- Step 8: Bake coated tenders until golden brown. Serve with dipping sauce and enjoy.
Recipe Tips
- If you don't have a food processor, put Cheez-its in a Ziplock bag and smash with a rolling pin.
- Use full fat Cheez-its. If you use reduced fat Cheez-Its, your delicious Cheez-it chicken tenders will have a higher chance of drying out.
- Feel free to add other seasonings and spices to your breading mixture. Try using flavored Cheez-it's for a new Crispy Cheez-it Chicken Tender recipe.
Recipe Faq
Sure, if you want to make Cheez-It Chicken Breasts, you can. Just adjust the cooking time as necessary so they reach 165F internal temperature. You can make this with any cut of chicken, just use a meat thermometer to check temp. Chicken nuggets
would also be a great idea for the whole family!
Yep, place a single layer of breaded chicken into a preheated air fryer. Spray the tops with cooking spray and fry for 15 minutes at 400 degrees, flipping halfway through.
Try serving these with barbecue sauce, honey mustard, ranch dressing or classic ketchup. Additionally, you could have some hot sauce or buffalo sauce for dipping, if you like a little heat.
It can be easy to overbake your tenders keep an eye on them and use a meat thermometer to know when the internal chicken reaches 165F. Remove them from the oven then so they're safe to eat without drying out the chicken. If you find that the chicken tenderloins
are starting to brown on the outside but need more time cooking, cover the chicken with aluminum foil. You'll also notice some clear juices running out of the chicken tenders.
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Cheez-It Chicken Tenders
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups Crushed Cheese Nips or Cheez-It
- 3/4 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
- 2/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasonings
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper optional
- 6 tablespoons Butter melted
- 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
- 3 pounds Chicken tenders
- Ranch dressing optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Crush Crackers by placing them in a Ziplock bag and rolling over the bag with a rolling pin or by placing them in a food processor for 1-2 minutes (be careful not to over processor them).
- Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl and then add the melted butter in and mix well.
- Pat the tenders dry with a paper towel.
- Spray a wire cooling rack with nonstick spray and place on a cookie sheet
- Brush the mayo on the chicken tenders, be sure to coat both side evenly, then place the chicken in the Cheese crumbs mixture and press firmly to make sure the coating sticks.
- Put chicken tenders on a wire cooling rack (If you don't have one just place them on a baking sheet) This helps the heat to circulate all the way around the chicken to ensure crispness.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden in color and juices run clear.
- Serve with mashed potatoes, fries or your favorite dipping sauce!
I haven't made this yet but when I do. I'll be using buffalo flavored cheez-its
Has anyone tried this in an air-fryer?
Yay Patti! Its one of our favorites too!
It's amazing!
Making it for the 2nd time in 2 weeks and not for children, but for myself!
Sooooo good!
No its not spicy, the cayenne pepper is optional.
Does this recipe come out spicy? I'm making it for a 4 as and 6 year old.
I've never tried it Kathy but I would think it would work fine. The breading stays on nicely. Let me know if you try 🙂
Do you think you could bake these in an air fryer? This recipe sounds delicious can't wait to try it
I absolutely loved this recipe! The chicken tenders were very moist and I loved the salty crunch from the cheeze-its. I will diffidently bake this again! Thank you 🙂 🙂