Healthier chicken tenders cooked in a simple delicious garlic butter sauce. The chicken tenderloins turn out so tender, juicy, succulent, and flavorful. A weeknight dinner ready in just 15 minutes! This one of the easiest and best chicken tender recipes.
Chicken tenders are so easy to cook. They are quick and easy to make, so I always make them on busy weeknights. My whole family loves them. Sometimes I take out my grill pan and quickly make these grilled chicken tenders. And when I want crunchy chicken tenders like they come at restaurants, I either make the healthier oven-baked chicken tenders or the crunchy buttermilk-fried ones.
If I’m not making a large batch, I make them in the air fryer. And another favorite recipe is these unbreaded garlic butter chicken tenders that I make in a skillet. They turn out so juicy, tender, and the garlic and butter make these tenders so special!.
Chicken tenders can dry out quickly in the oven or on the grill, leaving you with a bunch of tough, chewy pieces of chicken. We’ve all been there – excited to dig into a crispy, juicy tender only to end up with a disappointing dried out mess.
But don’t toss those dry chicken tenders just yet! With a little creativity, you can transform those unappetizing pieces of poultry into something delicious. Here are 13 ways to make the most of leftover dry chicken tenders:
1. Chicken Salad
A classic way to use up extra chicken is to make chicken salad. Shred dry chicken tenders and mix them with mayonnaise, celery, onions, grapes, and spices like paprika, salt, and pepper. For a spicier version, add raisins, almond slivers, and curry powder to curried chicken salad. Serve on bread, lettuce wraps, or crackers.
2. Chicken Pot Pie
Dry, shredded chicken is ideal for chicken pot pie fillings. Sauté onions, carrots, peas, and the shredded chicken. Make a simple sauce with butter, flour, chicken broth, and cream. Pour the filling into a pie crust and top with another layer of pastry. Bake until golden brown for a comforting chicken pot pie.
3. Chicken Enchiladas
Cover dry chicken tenders in green salsa or enchilada sauce, then put them in corn tortillas and cover them with shredded cheese. Put the enchiladas in a baking dish with the seams down. Add more enchilada sauce and cheese on top of them. Bake until hot and melty for a tasty Mexican-inspired meal.
4. Chicken Soup
Transform dry chicken into a nourishing soup by simmering it in chicken broth with vegetables like carrots, celery, onion, and potatoes. Season with salt, pepper, and herbs and serve with bread or crackers. The long simmering time will rehydrate the chicken and infuse it with flavor.
5. Chicken Fried Rice
Dry chicken tenders are ideal stir-fried into fried rice. Dice the chicken and stir-fry it in a wok or pan with frozen mixed veggies, rice, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Scramble in a couple eggs for extra protein and serve topped with scallions.
6. Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Chicken salad is always a hit in sandwich form. Add dry chicken shreds to a bowl with mayo, celery, onion, salt, and pepper. Put the chicken salad on crusty bread, croissants, or wraps. Then, add lettuce, tomato, and avocado on top for a filling snack.
7. Chicken Quesadillas
Jazz up quesadillas by filling them with shredded dry chicken, cheese, peppers, onions, beans, corn and spices like cumin and chili powder. Grill the quesadillas until the tortillas are crispy and the cheese is melted for an easy Mexican-style dinner or appetizer.
8. Chicken Alfredo
Dry chicken comes alive when coated in a creamy, cheesy alfredo sauce. Sauté the chicken in a pan with garlic and toss with fettuccine, Alfredo sauce, parsley and parmesan. The richness of the sauce moistens the chicken beautifully.
9. Chicken Tacos
Spice up dry chicken for tacos by marinating it in a mix of lime juice, chili powder, cumin and garlic. Cook the chicken in a skillet until heated through and serve in warm corn tortillas. Top with all your favorite taco fixings like shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole and cheese.
10. Chicken Casserole
A chicken casserole is a great way to make a one-dish meal out of dry chicken tenders. Put cooked chicken, rice or pasta, cream of mushroom soup, vegetables, and cheese in a baking dish. Bake until the cheese melts. The moisture from the sauce rehydrates the chicken.
11. Chicken Parmesan
Bread dry chicken tenders and sauté in olive oil, then top with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake until the cheese is melty and serve over pasta for a quick chicken Parmesan dinner. The marinara sauce adds enough moisture to make the chicken tasty again.
12. Chicken Stir Fry
Dry chicken comes back to life when stir-fried Asian style. Toss cubed chicken in soy sauce, sesame oil and cornstarch. Stir fry with frozen stir fry veggies, garlic, ginger and teriyaki sauce. Serve over rice for a fast and easy chicken stir fry.
13. Chicken Fajitas
Marinate dry chicken tenders in a mix of lime juice, cumin, chili powder and oil. Sauté the spiced chicken with bell peppers and onions. Serve in warm tortillas or over rice with all your favorite toppings like guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese and salsa for fajitas.
As you can see, with a little creativity you can whip up a variety of tasty meals using dry leftover chicken tenders. Don’t let a few dried out pieces of chicken go to waste. Simply rehydrate them in sauces and broths or shred and spice them up in your favorite dishes. With these 13 recipe ideas, you’ll look at dry chicken tenders as an opportunity – not a setback!
How to Make Chicken Tenders
- Add olive oil to a pan or skillet over medium-low heat. Then melt 1 tablespoon of butter.
- Add the chicken tenders, season with paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Season each side as you cook and cook for three minutes on each side.
- Clear a spot for the garlic, melt the rest of the butter, and then add the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds or until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Season with Italian seasoning, and cook for one more minute.
- To deglaze the pan, add 2 tablespoons of water and scrape off any bits that are stuck to the bottom. The good flavor is there.
- Add fresh basil or parsley leaves that have been chopped on top, and serve warm.
- Don’t overcook the garlic. As you cook, keep an eye on the garlic because it cooks very quickly (about 30 to 60 seconds). Burned garlic tastes awful.
- The chicken tenders cook very quickly, and if you cook them too long, they can become tough, stringy, and dry.
- Make sure to deglaze the pan with a splash of water before adding the sauce ingredients. That’s where the flavor is.
What are Chicken Tenders?
Chicken tenders are known as chicken mini fillets in the UK. Many people think that chicken tenders are just thin strips of chicken breast. A chicken tender, on the other hand, is a piece of meat that lies under and is attached to the chicken breast. Even though it’s small, it’s the most tender part of the chicken breast. Every chicken has 2 tenders, they’re moist and tender when cooked properly.
In grocery stores, chicken tenders are sold on trays separate from chicken breasts. You can buy a tray with 10 to 20 chicken tenders to fry, grill, or bake.
They are also known as chicken strips, tendies, and chicken fillets.
So if you’re like me, and you prefer home cooked food, grab a tray of chicken tenders next time you go grocery shopping and make this recipe!.
- If you use frozen chicken tenders, let them thaw in the fridge overnight. A chicken breast that has been cut into thin strips can be used.
- Spread butter and olive oil on the tenders. Olive oil gives them a great flavor, but any neutral oil can be used instead.
- Garlic—a lot of fresh garlic! If you use jarred garlic, use 1.5 teaspoons of jarred garlic for every garlic clove.
- This dish needs salt, pepper, paprika, and Italian seasoning. I always make my own Italian seasoning blend because it’s cheaper, easier, and healthier than buying it at the store.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Hot Honey Chicken Tenders (AIRFRYER) #chickentenders #airfryer
FAQ
What to do with dry chicken tenders?
Rescue dry chicken with plenty of sauce These contain the moisture the meat is missing, so a quality sauce or gravy will cover a lot of your woes. In particular, a sauce that’s more sweet and bright will go well, because overcooking meat tends to bring out the salty flavors — sugar and acid help tone down that quality.
What can I do with chicken that is too dry?
Introduce some moisture to the meat by making a sauce to pour over it. Turn the chicken into an impromptu salad made with shredded meat. Add leftover chicken to a soup. Add the chicken to a few tablespoons of water or broth over low heat. Simmer for a few minutes to let the liquid soak into the meat.
How to soften up chicken tenders?
Slow cooking the chicken – Slow cooking your chicken is one of the greatest ways to achieve a tender piece of meat. The long cooking process allows for a tender and delicious chicken, giving the juices and flavor time to blend and fuse. You can choose to cook or smoke the chicken, depending on your recipe. Jan 16, 2023.
What is dehydrated chicken used for?
Remember that dehydrated chicken can be eaten straight as it is already cooked meat preserved by dehydration. It’s a great way to add more protein and flavor to your dishes without adding too many calories. Dehydrated chicken can be used in soups, stews, casseroles, pasta dishes, tacos, burritos, and salads.