poultry essentials: butter baked chicken tenders

37 Pinches 21 Photos
Wichita, KS
Updated on Nov 11, 2017

I had planned to work on this recipe using chicken breasts, stuffed with spinach and feta… Unfortunately, the only thing I had in my walk-in were chicken tenders… With that said, I changed the recipe, and I am quite happy with how it came out. Chicken tenders lovingly baked in a butter/lemon sauce, sprinkled with breading, and laying on a bed of spinach and feta… So yummy. So, you ready… Let’s get into the kitchen.

prep time 15 Min
cook time 40 Min
method Bake
yield 4 serving(s)

Ingredients

  • PLAN/PURCHASE
  • 1 cup saltine crackers, roughly crushed
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 pound chicken tenders, boneless, skinless
  • 4 tablespoons sweet butter, unsalted, melted
  • 1 large lemon, just the juice
  • - salt, kosher variety, to taste
  • - black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
  • SPINACH/FETA BED
  • 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
  • 1 tablespoon sweet butter, unsalted
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 10 ounces spinach, chopped
  • 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

How To Make poultry essentials: butter baked chicken tenders

  • Step 1
    PREP/PREPARE
  • Step 2
    Gather your Ingredients (mise en place).
  • Step 3
    Place a rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 375f (190c).
  • Step 4
    In a small bowl, combine the saltine crackers, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and a bit of salt & pepper.
  • Step 5
    Chef’s Note: There are a lot of topping mixtures that you could try. I worked with plain, and seasoned breadcrumbs. They can be dry or fresh; even different types of bread. In the end, I used a cup of crushed saltine crackers. I liked the extra bit of crunch they gave the dish; as opposed to breadcrumbs.
  • Step 6
    Add the melted butter and lemon juice to an ovenproof dish, then add chicken tenders, and coat with the butter/lemon mixture.
  • Step 7
    Chef’s Note: sprinkle the chicken with a bit of salt and pepper, but go easy on the salt.
  • Step 8
    Chef's Note: Since the chicken is cold, it will begin solidifying the butter… No worries, it will melt back when you place the baking dish into the oven.
  • Step 9
    Cover with the cracker/parmesan mixture.
  • Step 10
    Place into the preheated oven, and cook until the topping begins to brown, and the chicken tenders are cooked through, about 35 – 40 minutes.
  • Step 11
    Chef’s Tip: Keep an eye on the tenders, and if the topping begins to brown too early, cover the baking dish with a piece of aluminum foil, and continue baking.
  • Step 12
    SPINACH/FETA BED
  • Step 13
    While the chicken is happily baking away, add the butter and grapeseed oil to a pan, over medium heat.
  • Step 14
    When the butter is melted, give the pan a swirl to combine the butter and oil, and then add the chopped onion. Cook until the onions begin to soften and turn translucent, about 6 – 8 minutes.
  • Step 15
    Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 60 seconds.
  • Step 16
    Add the spinach to the pan, and combine with the onions and garlic.
  • Step 17
    Stir to warm through, about 2 – 3 minutes.
  • Step 18
    Take the spinach off heat, and the add the feta in chunks.
  • Step 19
    Chef’s Note: Fold the feta into the spinach, but do not overly mix. I like to see chunks of feta on the plate when serving.
  • Step 20
    PLATE/PRESENT
  • Step 21
    Remove the nicely browned chicken from the oven.
  • Step 22
    Add some spinach to a plate and place a few chicken tenders on top, and serve while still nice and warm. Enjoy.
  • Step 23
    Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

Discover More

Category: Chicken
Ingredient: Chicken
Method: Bake
Culture: American

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