Baked Firecracker Chicken Tenders
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Super easy Baked Firecracker Chicken Tenders with the most amazing sweet and spicy Asian sauce – plus they’re so much healthier than the fried version!
Want more recipes to try? My Chipotle Chicken, Spicy Parmesan Shrimp Pasta, and Chicken Satay Skewers with Spicy Peanut Sauce are just a click away!
Heyyyyyyyyyyyyy friends. How’s the weekend treatin’ ya?
Gone too fast? I know what you mean.
All week long I fill little colored sticky notes with lists of things I really need/want to get done on over the weekend and then all of a sudden it has come and gone and I find myself scratching my head thinking… what on earth just happened??
A few good things did happen this weekend however.
1) spend an afternoon wandering (lost) around Ikea – our favorite store on earth
2) make a batch of life-changing cookies (coming soooooon!)
3) first trip to buffalo wild wings – oh yeah. that happened.
Overall, I’d call that a weekend well-wasted.
Okay now about these chicken tenders. First thing you’ve gotta know is how crispy-tender-juicy they are and they are NOT FRIED. I just love saying that. They’re baked, not fried and as a true connoisseur of chicken tenders, I do not miss the usual fried ones.
And I’m serious about that connoisseur title – at 7 years old I never wanted pancakes from iHop, just chicken tenders and fries please!
True story. Sixteen years later…
Still a true story.
Annnnnywhoo. The sauce. Let’s talk about ooey gooey sticky sweet and spicy sauces that make you want to cry they are so wonderful.
Actually that pretty much covers it. No talking needed!
And I swear that sauce-splash was candid ^^^ – I did not strategically create it to draw attention to the firecracker-ness of these chicken tenders.
More Recipes to Try
- Bang Bang Chicken Skewers – the ultimate summer grilling crowd-pleaser packed with bold, smoky char and finger-licking flavor.
- Honey Sriracha Chicken – sweet, sticky, and packed with a fiery kick that rivals your favorite takeout spot.
- Spicy Honey Lime Chicken Wings – this is sure to be your go to game-day wing recipe baked to crispy perfection and drenched in an addictive sweet-heat glaze.
When you make this recipe, snap a photo and tag me on social – I love connecting with you and seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Baked Firecracker Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ½ inch thickness
- 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
- 3 eggs
- 3 tablespoons water
- ⅓ cup flour
Sauce
- ⅓ cup Frank’s hot sauce , (this brand really makes the sauce!)
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes , (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 and grease a large baking sheet with nonstick spray. Slice chicken breasts into 1-inch wide strips. Add flour and chicken strips to a large zip-lock bag, seal, and shake to coat chicken.
- Place panko in a bowl. In a second bowl whisk together eggs and water. Dip flour-coated chicken pieces into the egg mixture to coat, then toss in the panko crumbs (make sure to coat well) and place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken.
- Bake chicken for 15-25 minutes until golden-brown and cooked through. While chicken tenders are baking, prepare the sauce. In a medium sauce pan combine all sauce ingredients. Stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes, then reduce to low and allow to simmer until ready to use.
- When chicken is finished cooking, use tongs to toss chicken tenders in the sauce. Serve warm with ranch dressing if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thank you for posting this recipe. I followed it as written. It turned out to be very tasty. The sauce had just the right amount of heat. I will be making this again.
So glad you were able to enjoy it! 🙂
We like hot, I use a Tbsp of crushed red chilli peppers, couple of chipotles, and a tsp of cayenne. Was to sweet for me so I don’t add the white sugar.
These need to be flipped halfway through baking, otherwise the bottom of the chicken ends up super soggy.
Amazing. They crew loved it. Served with steamed rice.
AMAZING!!! these are the best “hot” chicken tenders I’ve ever had.. followed recipe as stated, only cutting the crushed red pepper down to just a pinch. They are delicious right out of the oven, or on a bun as a sandwich, or chopped up in salad. My family loves them.
This was delicious and easy. I used a pkg of chicken Tenders. The was was spicy, the sugars toned down the heat making it pleasant for me, but not hot enough for my husband. I added a little bit of butter for ‘richness’. I covered the sheet pan with non-stick foil.
I placed them under the broiler for a few minutes to create some brown spots.
Look appetizing on the serving platter. I served with a little blue cheese dressing and celery sticks. Will do again.
Looks like you infused Korean firecracker with Japanese katsu and subbed the fryer for an oven.I am not sure why one must simmer the sauce,I will be adding it at the tail end of baking.