Looking for an easy dinner the whole family will love? These Pan Fried Chicken Tenders are perfect for a quick weeknight dinner in less than 20 minutes and healthy because they’re made without breading or deep frying.

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Forget the take-out or frozen pre-packed meals. You can make these delicious and healthy Pan Fried Chicken Tenders on those busy weeknights when you’re short on time. This is a healthier chicken tenders recipe because it’s made with breading or deep frying. If you’re looking for a breaded version, check out these Gluten-Free Chicken Strips.

What’s great about this recipe is that it could literally work with anything like this Instant Pot Mac and Cheese, Instant Pot Cacio E Pepe, Instant Pot Baked Potatoes, or even rice along with your favorite vegetables. I personally love making a main meal or side dish in the Instant Pot, while cooking something quick in a skillet to have both dishes cooking at once to save time.

About the Ingredients

This easy recipe is just 6 ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen. They’re a healthier option because they’re pan fried without flour, breading or Panko, but they have so much flavor.

Chicken tenders: Find chicken tenders from the grocery store that are already cut into chicken strip size
Cooking oil: Use a cooking oil with a higher smoke point to pan fry the chicken like avocado oil or olive oil
Marinade: This simple combination of soy sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper gives these homemade chicken tenders a lot of flavor with just a few ingredients

Step by Step Directions

These are the best chicken tenders and so easy to make. Just be sure to watch the cooking times as it can vary depending on the size and thickness of the chicken.

In a large bowl, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and remaining ingredients. Mix with the chicken tenders so the marinade fully coats all the pieces.
Cover and let sit for 3-5 minutes for a quick marinade.
On the stove top, heat a large pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the remaining olive oil to the skillet.
Add chicken to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until the chicken is golden brown on both sides and thoroughly cooked on the inside. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees F. Repeat as needed to cook remaining chicken.
Serve with your favorite sides and dipping sauces.

Chicken Tenders No Breading — 1. Gather ingredients together

Substitutions and Variations

Chicken: Use chicken strips, chicken cutlets, or chicken fingers instead of chicken tenders. They are all pretty much the same white breast meat. Or use skinless and boneless chicken breasts, and cut pieces into chicken tender sizes (about 1 or 1.5 inches wide) and pound them with a meat mallet to even thickness. Chicken thighs can also be used if you want darker, more tender meat
Soy Sauce: Use Tamari (gluten-free soy sauce), ponzu sauce, Coconut Aminos, or even Worcestershire sauce. Use about half the amount so one tablespoon in this recipe and add 1/2 tablespoon of water. Or you could omit the soy sauce altogether
Marinade: Omit the soy sauce, and add Italian seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning or even cayenne pepper or Cajun seasoning to suit your taste. Just be sure to reduce to salt if the seasoning blend you’re adding already has salt in it. You could even add a squeeze of lime juice or lemon juice for a little citrus flavor
Mexican Flavor: Omit the soy sauce and garlic powder, add 1 tbsp oregano, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/4 tsp white pepper along with the salt and pepper. This is a huge hit in our home and we serve it up with tortillas, shredded Mexican cheese, cilantro, diced onions, and diced tomatoes
Italian Flavor: Omit the soy sauce, add 1 tbsp Italian seasoning, 1/4 tsp paprika and keep the garlic powder, pepper and salt. Serve it up with your favorite pasta

Serving Ideas

Pair these Pan Fried Chicken Tenders with your favorite sides, such as:

Potato wedges
Tater tots
Baked potatoes
Mac and cheese
Salads
Oven roasted vegetables
Stir fry vegetables
Tortillas to make tacos or burritos
Rice or cauliflower rice

Dipping Sauces

Serve up these chicken tenders with your favorite dipping sauces, such as:

Honey mustard sauce
Buffalo sauce
BBQ sauce
Ranch dressing

Storage

Store any leftover chicken in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the chicken in an air fryer for 1-2 minutes to heat up, or heat up in a skillet over low-medium heat.

Meal Prep

Make a double batch and use the leftover chicken tenders for lunches or dinners during the week. Pair with salads, pastas, tortillas, or rice for a healthy meal. I personally pair these chicken tenders with homemade Mexican rice for my teenage son to take to school pretty much every week.

FAQs

Can I use frozen chicken tenders?

Yes, just be sure you thaw them thoroughly first so you can use the seasoning and marinade before cooking the chicken.

Can I use chicken nugget to make this?

It depends. Some chicken nuggets are essentially the same as chicken tenders, which is the boneless skinless chicken breasts that are cut into finger-friendly sizes to make them easies to pan fry, grill, fry or bake.

However, some chicken nuggets are ground chicken meat that’s then shaped into chicken nugget sizes and have added wheat flour and other ingredients to keep the shape together when cooking. Be sure to check the ingredients on the label. You want to use whole chicken pieces of chicken breast or tenderloins cut into chicken tenders or chicken strips rather than nuggets made with ground chicken for this recipe.

Why is soy sauce in this recipe?

The soy sauce gives this chicken tenders recipe a slight umami flavor with a balance of salt and a touch of sweetness. I personally use Tamari (gluten free soy sauce) as a marinade for many of my non-Asian recipes like this Instant Pot Beef Chili because it adds that hint of umami.

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