Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenders
These Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenders are juicy and tender on the inside, golden and crispy on the outside, seasoned to perfection, and covered in a rich, creamy Parmesan cheese sauce.
Chicken is always a great choice for main meals, if you ask us. It’s affordable, and it pairs well with all kinds of flavors, particularly creamy sauces.
This recipe combined crispy, golden, breaded chicken tenders with a creamy Parmesan sauce to create a dinner that has everyone yelling, “Winner, winner.”
Pair them with our Amish mashed potatoes, lemon butter green beans with Parmesan and garlic, and maraschino cherry cake for a delicious meal.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Basic Ingredients: Everything you need for this recipe is in your kitchen or at your local grocery store.
- Easy: This recipe only takes a few simple steps and about 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Customizable: You can easily adjust the recipe to make it your own.
- Great for Meal Prep: The chicken tenders can be frozen for future meals. Then, just make the sauce when you’re ready.
Key Ingredients
We’ve made this list to help you save time on your next trip to the grocery store. You can find the full amounts needed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Chicken Tenderloins: These are easy to coat and fry, and cook up tender and juicy.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps make the coating even crispier.
- Milk: Milk ensures the seasoned flour coating sticks to the chicken.
- Seasonings: A blend of garlic salt and smoked paprika gives the tenderloins an aromatic, smoky flavor.
- Heavy Cream and Chicken Stock: These create the creamy base for the sauce.
- Seasonings: A blend of minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes gives the sauce a classic flavor with a kick of heat.
- Lemon Juice: Lemon juice adds a bright, tangy citrus note to the sauce.
- Parmesan Cheese: Parmesan adds an earthy, nutty flavor and thickens the sauce.
Variations
- Chicken: You can use chicken breasts or thighs, cut into strips. Shrimp would also be a nice variation.
- Mild: Omit the red pepper flakes for a mild version.
- Extra Spicy: Add red pepper flakes to the chicken batter in addition to the sauce.
How to Make Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenders
This is a quick overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. You can find the full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Create a dredge station with a dish of seasoned flour, a dish of milk mixed with 1 tbsp of the flour.
- Dip the chicken in the flour. Then, dip it into the milk mixture and into the flour again.
- Fry in batches in a large pan with hot oil until golden and place on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Melt the butter. Then, whisk in the flour. Whisk in the chicken broth until smooth.
- Add the rest of the ingredients except the Parmesan. Then, bring to a bubble and let it thicken.
- Add the Parmesan and stir until combined. Serve alongside the tenders for dunking or pour over the top. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Whisk the milk and flour mixture until smooth to avoid lumps.
- Pat your chicken dry before coating it to ensure everything sticks properly.
- To avoid a gummy coating, dredge the chicken just before frying, ensure your oil is fully preheated, and work in batches to keep the oil hot.
- DO NOT let your cream sauce boil. It will break.
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenders FAQs
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
To ensure your fried chicken tenders are crispy, preheat your oil thoroughly before frying. In addition, coat the chicken just before frying and don’t crowd the pan. This ensures the coating won’t get gummy before frying and that it crisps immediately.
Give the tenders a gentle shake between each dredge. This ensures you get an even coating without clumping.
Refrigerate these tenders for up to 3 days in an airtight container. For longer storage, freeze them for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag.
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📖Recipe
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenders
Equipment
- Large frying pan or deep skillet
- Medium skillet (for sauce)
- Shallow bowls (2) for dredging
- Whisk
- Tongs
- Paper towel-lined plate or wire rack
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Instant-read thermometer (recommended)
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 pounds chicken tenderloins
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups light oil vegetable or canola for frying
Garlic Parmesan Sauce
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 3 teaspoons sugar
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken
- In a shallow dish, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, garlic salt, and smoked paprika.
- Lightly dredge each chicken tender in the flour mixture. Set aside.
- In a second shallow dish, whisk together milk and 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture.
- Dip the floured chicken into the milk mixture.
- Dredge the chicken back into the flour mixture for a second coating. Set aside on a plate.
Fry the Chicken
- Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F.
- Working in batches, carefully add chicken to the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan.
- Fry for 2–3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate or wire rack to drain excess oil.
Make the Garlic Parmesan Sauce
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes to form a roux.
- Slowly whisk in the chicken stock until smooth.
- Whisk in heavy cream, sugar, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes.
- Bring to a gentle bubble and allow to thicken slightly (about 3–5 minutes).
- Stir in grated parmesan cheese until melted and smooth.
Finish
- Dunk chicken tenders into the sauce or spoon sauce generously over the top.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Double dredging creates an extra crispy coating.
- Maintain oil temperature at 350°F for best texture.
- Freshly grated parmesan melts smoother than pre-shredded.
- Add additional red pepper flakes for extra heat.
- The sauce thickens as it cools.
Disclaimer
Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.
