Healthy Chicken Tenders Recipes

Find healthy, delicious chicken tenders recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Homemade Chicken Tenders with Everything Bagel Seasoning over Salad

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Using everything bagel spice is a quick way to season and add extra crunch to breadcrumbs for chicken tenders. If you can't find any premixed, make your own by combining equal parts dried minced onion and garlic, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, salt and ground pepper (see Associated Recipes). This healthy chicken recipe tops a simple salad for an easy dinner that's ready in 25 minutes.
By Devon O'Brien

Chicken & Kale Soup

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This easy chicken and kale soup will keep you warm on a cold and rainy day or any day that calls for a simple, hearty soup. For convenience, you can make this soup with frozen kale without the need to thaw it beforehand.
By Julia Levy

Strawberry-Balsamic Spinach Salad with Chicken

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A quick blender vinaigrette does double duty as dressing for this strawberry spinach salad and, with the addition of ketchup and strawberry preserves, as a barbecue sauce for the tenders.
By Adam Dolge

Grilled Chicken Tacos with Slaw & Lime Crema

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In this easy and healthy chicken taco recipe, we top grilled chicken tenders with a crunchy and colorful vegetable slaw and a simple blend of sour cream, lime juice and cilantro. The chicken is cooked on a grill pan, so these crowd-pleasing chicken tacos make for a great 25-minute weeknight dinner year-round.
By Robin Bashinsky

Air-Fryer Chicken Tenders

These air-fryer chicken tenders will have you ditching the store-bought version in no time. Lightly flavored with Italian seasoning, these chicken tenders cook up extra crispy in the air fryer. We love them paired with honey mustard, but ketchup or ranch dressing will work well too.
By Adam Dolge

Baked Chicken Tenders

Tender chicken breast pieces are baked with a tasty bread crumb coating flavored with lemon and Parmesan cheese.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Mediterranean Wrap

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This wrap is stuffed with chicken tenders and couscous with a hit of lemon and a healthy dose of fresh herbs. Save any leftovers to wrap up for an easy lunch. Serve with: Mixed green salad and a glass of crisp white wine.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Goddess Veggie Bowls with Chicken

Dark green dinosaur kale contrasts with the warm tones of bell peppers and tomatoes in these hearty chicken and veggie bowls.
By Sara Haas, RDN

Thai Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce

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Spicy peanut sauce is the perfect match for these Thai-marinated grilled chicken strips.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cornflake Air-Fryer Chicken Nuggets

These crispy air-fried chicken nuggets are a quick kid-friendly dinner that parents will love too. The homemade nuggets are healthier than fast-food versions—and more flavorful, thanks to the cornflake coating. You can also cut the chicken into strips for air-fryer chicken tenders. Be sure to cook those 2 to 3 minutes longer, or until done.
By Adam Hickman

BBQ Chicken Tenders

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These crispy boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders stay crisp with only a light coating of oil—no deep-frying needed. Serve as an appetizer or try them for dinner with crunchy vegetables and dip on the side.
By Hilary Meyer

Quick Chicken Tikka Masala

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One of the most popular Indian dishes in the U.S. and the U.K., chicken tikka masala usually involves several steps including marinating and grilling the chicken before simmering in a curried tomato cream sauce. We've simplified it to a one-skillet dish and lightened it by increasing the vegetables, omitting the butter and using less cream. Serve with brown basmati rice and, for dessert, dates.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen
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Inspiration and Ideas

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Tenders
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Crispy, Parmesan-flecked chicken tenders dipped in marinara sauce is an easy dinner the whole family will love. Dipping them in a mixture of plain yogurt with chopped fresh basil would be tasty too. Serve with sautéed green beans and roasted sweet potato wedges.
Spring Green Soup with Chicken
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Sautéing chicken in a little oil first (rather than poaching in the broth) creates some browned bits in the pan (aka fond) that give this green soup a richer flavor.
Buffalo Chicken Wrap
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Cornmeal-Crusted Chicken Nuggets with Blackberry Mustard
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Tossing chicken tenders with cornmeal gives these chicken nuggets great crunch without deep-frying. Blackberries (or raspberries, if you prefer) combined with whole-grain mustard make for a sweet-and-savory dipping sauce. Serve with: Steamed broccoli and carrots.

All Healthy Chicken Tenders Recipes

Chipotle Chicken Satay with Grilled Vegetables

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Plan ahead before you prep the grill for this grilled chicken recipe: marinating the chicken in a mix of peanut butter, lime, and chipotle peppers results in tender meat and bold flavors.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Roasted Chicken & Vegetable Quinoa Salad

Mushrooms, carrots and onions are roasted with garlic and fennel seeds in this roast chicken and quinoa salad. Preparing the quinoa with a little less water than is typical makes it cook more quickly and keeps it fluffier‚ perfect for soaking up the sherry-vinegar dressing in this salad. Serve with garlic-rubbed toast.

Hawaiian Ginger-Chicken Stew

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This chicken stew has a bold ginger-flavored broth and provides a whole serving of dark leafy greens in each bowl. We tried it with frozen chopped mustard greens (available in large supermarkets) and it was even quicker to prepare and just as delicious. Serve with brown rice.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Honey-Mustard Chicken Tenders with Couscous & Carrots

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Thanks to the quick-cooking power of chicken tenders, this honey-mustard chicken dinner comes together fast and easily for a family-friendly weeknight meal. The baby carrots are cooked in a simple orange juice and butter sauce which is lovely drizzled over the chicken and couscous.
By Katie Webster

Plantain-Crusted Chicken Tenders with Mango Dipping Sauce

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Crushed plantains add flavor and flair to this chicken tender recipe. Using a rack to cook these baked chicken tenders ensures they get crispy on all sides without a soggy bit in sight.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Almond-Crusted Chicken Strips

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Give these oven "fried" chicken strips a try, and you may just find the perfect healthy swap for restaurant chicken fingers.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Boneless Buffalo Wings

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Even though boneless Buffalo wings are made with healthy white-meat chicken, they're usually deep-fried and drenched in hot sauce laced with butter. The solution: chicken tenders are dredged in seasoned whole-wheat flour and cornmeal, pan-fried in only a small amount of oil and then drizzled with a tangy hot pepper sauce. With a fraction of the fat, calories and sodium, these boneless wings are reason enough to throw a party.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Mâche & Chicken Salad with Honey-Tahini Dressing

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If fresh peas aren't available, thawed frozen peas make an excellent substitute. Look for tender mâche at farmers' markets and natural-foods stores.
By Ellen Ecker Ogden

Chicken with Black-Eyed Peas and Yellow Rice

Try this recipe when you've got a craving for old-fashioned soul food.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Coconut-Lime Chicken & Snow Peas

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Double the flavor, halve the work--simply by using the same tangy combination of coconut milk, lime juice and brown sugar for both poaching the chicken and dressing the salad. Crisp romaine lettuce, cabbage and snow peas add freshness and an irresistible crunch.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Honey-Mustard Chicken with Asparagus Farrotto

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Risotto gets a whole-grain upgrade by swapping in farro (a type of wheat) for the white rice. The farrotto adds a chewy bite and nutty flavor, plus 4 extra grams of fiber per serving.
By Adam Dolge
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