Cheez-It Chicken Tenders

Chicken tenders on a baking sheet with ranch dressing and a bite out of one.

Cheez-It Chicken Tenders are juicy chicken strips coated in with a cheesy crust and baked to perfection in under 30 minutes.!

Course Entrees

Cuisine American

Keyword Chicken, chicken tenders

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 38

Servings

Calories 589kcal

Author Wendie

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!

Notes

You can substitute the mayo for sour cream or greek yogurt.

This recipe can easily be cut in half, but they make delicious leftovers!

My chicken tenders were larger if your using smaller ones the cooking time may be quicker always use an meat thermometer to make sure it reaches 165 degrees.

Reheat leftovers in the microwave or heat in an oven or air fryer to get the crispy coating back.

Air fryer instructions

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.

Nutrition