Oven Baked Buttermilk Chicken
Tenderised in buttermilk and dipped in perfectly seasoned, crispy panko breadcrumbs. These healthier chicken tenders are egg-free and baked in the oven.
Ingredients
- 650 g pack chicken mini fillets or chicken breasts sliced into strips no more than 1 inch thick
- 284 - 300 ml buttermilk
- olive oil spray
FOR THE CRUMB COATING
- 200 g plain flour / all-purpose flour
- 120 g panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- ¼ - 1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper*
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic granules
- ½ - 1 teaspoon salt**
- a little black pepper
See notes for baby & toddler
Instructions
- Put the chicken strips into a medium lidded prep bowl or resealable food bag and add in the buttermilk. Turn the strips around until fully coated in the buttermilk. Chill in the fridge for minimum of 1 hour and max overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 200ºc/180ºc fan/400ºf/gas 6. Line an extra large baking tray/sheet, or two regular ones with baking paper. Then, in a large shallow dish, mix all the crumb ingredients together and stir well, then roughly level out. Then in turn take the chicken strips out of the buttermilk and put it into the crumb mix, pile on the crumb to cover and coat. I do about 5 at a time. The strips should be completely coated in the crumb. Lay the strips on the baking tray/sheet, leaving a slight gap between each piece.
- Spray generously with oil both sides of each tender (3 sprays both sides of each piece will get them the brownest and crispiest). Transfer to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.
TO AIR FRY
- Spray your chicken tenders all over with spray oil. You don’t have to use a lot but the more you use, the more golden they will go. Add them to your air fryer trays or basket in an even layer (you may have to do 2-3 batches depending on your air fryer). Cook at 200ºc/400ºf for 7 minutes, turn over and cook for another 5-6 minutes, until cooked through.
Notes
*depending on the age of your children and their tolerance to spice, adjust the cayenne pepper accordingly. ¼ teaspoon cayenne is super mild and suitable for all. The max 1 ½ teaspoons does have a nice but subtle kick.
**choose the level of salt that suits your family. See notes below if you have a baby or toddler.
Baby & Toddler
For younger babies, leave the crumb off a couple of chicken strips for them. To give older babies and toddlers salt-free chicken tenders, in step 3, hold back on adding the salt to begin with (and cayenne pepper, or some of it, if you like). Combine the other crumb ingredients, and stir well. Remove a heaped serving spoon of the panko mix and add it to another bowl. Then dip just your little one’s chicken strips in there. When you bake them, either add them to a separate baking tray/sheet or put an extra, small piece of baking paper that just fits them underneath so you remember which are theirs. You can then add the salt and cayenne pepper levels you want into the large bowl of the panko mix and carry on with step 3 for everyone else.
STORAGE
Can freeze, defrost and reheat in the air fryer at 170º/340ºf for 9-10 mins or in the oven at 180ºc/200ºf for 15 minutes on a lined baking tray. Make sure they are steaming hot in the middle before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 162.5gCalories: 451kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 33gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 809mgPotassium: 756mgFiber: 3gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 1434IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 247mgIron: 3mg
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