Healthier chicken tenders cooked in a simple delicious garlic butter sauce. The chicken tenderloins turn out so tender, juicy, succulent, and flavorful. A weeknight dinner ready in just 15 minutes! This one of the easiest and best chicken tender recipes.
Chicken tenders are so easy to cook. They are quick and easy to make, so I always make them on busy weeknights. My whole family loves them. Sometimes I take out my grill pan and quickly make these grilled chicken tenders. And when I’m craving crunchy restaurant-style chicken tenders, I either make the crunchy buttermilk fried version or the healthier oven-baked chicken tenders.
If I’m not making a large batch, I make them in the air fryer. And another favorite recipe is these unbreaded garlic butter chicken tenders that I make in a skillet. They turn out so juicy, tender, and the garlic and butter make these tenders so special!.
When you bake or grill chicken tenders, they can dry out quickly, leaving you with a bunch of tough, chewy chicken pieces. We’ve all been there: we were looking forward to a juicy, crispy tender but got a dry, disappointing mess instead.
But don’t toss those dry chicken tenders just yet! With a little creativity, you can transform those unappetizing pieces of poultry into something delicious. Here are 13 ways to make the most of leftover dry chicken tenders:
1. Chicken Salad
Chicken salad is a classic way to use up leftover chicken. Combine shredded dry chicken tenders with mayonnaise, celery, onions, grapes, and spices like salt, pepper, and paprika For extra flavor, try curried chicken salad with the addition of raisins, almond slivers, and curry powder Serve on bread, lettuce wraps, or crackers.
2. Chicken Pot Pie
Dry, shredded chicken is ideal for chicken pot pie fillings. Sauté onions, carrots, peas, and the shredded chicken. Make a simple sauce with butter, flour, chicken broth, and cream. Pour the filling into a pie crust and top with another layer of pastry. Bake until golden brown for a comforting chicken pot pie.
3. Chicken Enchiladas
Cover dry chicken tenders in green salsa or enchilada sauce, then put them in corn tortillas and cover them with shredded cheese. Put the enchiladas in a baking dish with the seams down. Add more enchilada sauce and cheese on top of them. Bake until hot and melty for a tasty Mexican-inspired meal.
4. Chicken Soup
Transform dry chicken into a nourishing soup by simmering it in chicken broth with vegetables like carrots, celery, onion, and potatoes. Season with salt, pepper, and herbs and serve with bread or crackers. The long simmering time will rehydrate the chicken and infuse it with flavor.
5. Chicken Fried Rice
Dry chicken tenders are ideal stir-fried into fried rice. Dice the chicken and stir-fry it in a wok or pan with frozen mixed veggies, rice, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Scramble in a couple eggs for extra protein and serve topped with scallions.
6. Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Chicken salad is always a hit in sandwich form. Shred dry chicken and mix with mayo, celery, onion, salt and pepper. Spoon the chicken salad onto crusty bread, croissants or wraps and top with lettuce, tomato and avocado for a satisfying handheld meal.
7. Chicken Quesadillas
Jazz up quesadillas by filling them with shredded dry chicken, cheese, peppers, onions, beans, corn and spices like cumin and chili powder. Grill the quesadillas until the tortillas are crispy and the cheese is melted for an easy Mexican-style dinner or appetizer.
8. Chicken Alfredo
Putting dry chicken in a creamy, cheesy alfredo sauce brings it to life. Add the chicken and garlic to a pan and cook them. Then add the fettuccine, Alfredo sauce, parsley, and Parmesan cheese. The richness of the sauce moistens the chicken beautifully.
9. Chicken Tacos
Mix lime juice, chili powder, cumin, and garlic together to make dry chicken for tacos more interesting. Serve the chicken in warm corn tortillas after cooking it in a pan until it’s hot all the way through. Add your favorite taco toppings, like cheese, guacamole, red onion, and shredded lettuce.
10. Chicken Casserole
A chicken casserole is a great way to transform dry chicken tenders into a one-dish meal. Combine cooked chicken with rice or pasta, cream of mushroom soup, veggies and cheese and bake until bubbly. The moisture from the sauce rehydrates the chicken.
11. Chicken Parmesan
Bread dry chicken tenders and sauté in olive oil, then top with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake until the cheese is melty and serve over pasta for a quick chicken Parmesan dinner. The marinara sauce adds enough moisture to make the chicken tasty again.
12. Chicken Stir Fry
Dry chicken comes back to life when stir-fried Asian style. Toss cubed chicken in soy sauce, sesame oil and cornstarch. Stir fry with frozen stir fry veggies, garlic, ginger and teriyaki sauce. Serve over rice for a fast and easy chicken stir fry.
13. Chicken Fajitas
Marinate dry chicken tenders in a mix of lime juice, cumin, chili powder and oil. Sauté the spiced chicken with bell peppers and onions. Serve in warm tortillas or over rice with all your favorite toppings like guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese and salsa for fajitas.
As you can see, with a little creativity you can whip up a variety of tasty meals using dry leftover chicken tenders. Don’t let a few dried out pieces of chicken go to waste. Simply rehydrate them in sauces and broths or shred and spice them up in your favorite dishes. With these 13 recipe ideas, you’ll look at dry chicken tenders as an opportunity – not a setback!
How to Make Chicken Tenders
- Add olive oil to a pan or skillet over medium-low heat. Then melt 1 tablespoon of butter.
- Add the chicken tenders, season with paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Season each side as you cook and cook for three minutes on each side.
- Clear a spot for the garlic, melt the rest of the butter, and then add the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds or until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Season with Italian seasoning, and cook for one more minute.
- To deglaze the pan, add 2 tablespoons of water and scrape off any bits that are stuck to the bottom. The good flavor is there.
- Add fresh basil or parsley leaves that have been chopped on top, and serve warm.
- Don’t overcook the garlic. As you cook, keep an eye on the garlic because it cooks very quickly (about 30 to 60 seconds). Burned garlic tastes awful.
- The chicken tenders cook very quickly, and if you cook them too long, they can become tough, stringy, and dry.
- Make sure to deglaze the pan with a splash of water before adding the sauce ingredients. That’s where the flavor is.
What are Chicken Tenders?
Chicken tenders are known as chicken mini fillets in the UK. Many people think that chicken tenders are just thin strips of chicken breast. But a chicken tender is a cut of meat found underneath and attached to the chicken breast, it’s the most tender part of the chicken breast even though it’s so small. Every chicken has 2 tenders, they’re moist and tender when cooked properly.
You can find chicken tenders sold separately from chicken breasts in supermarkets on trays, so you can buy a tray with 10-20 chicken tenders to grill up, fry, or bake.
They are also known as chicken strips, tendies, and chicken fillets.
So if you’re like me, and you prefer home cooked food, grab a tray of chicken tenders next time you go grocery shopping and make this recipe!.
- If you use frozen chicken tenders, let them thaw in the fridge overnight. A chicken breast that has been cut into thin strips can be used.
- Spread butter and olive oil on the tenders. Olive oil gives them a great flavor, but any neutral oil can be used instead.
- Garlic—a lot of fresh garlic! If you use jarred garlic, use 1.5 teaspoons of jarred garlic for every garlic clove.
- This dish needs salt, pepper, paprika, and Italian seasoning. I always make my own Italian seasoning blend because it’s cheaper, easier, and healthier than buying it at the store.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Hot Honey Chicken Tenders (AIRFRYER) #chickentenders #airfryer
FAQ
What to do with dry chicken tenders?
Rescue dry chicken with plenty of sauce These contain the moisture the meat is missing, so a quality sauce or gravy will cover a lot of your woes. In particular, a sauce that’s more sweet and bright will go well, because overcooking meat tends to bring out the salty flavors — sugar and acid help tone down that quality.
What can I do with chicken that is too dry?
Introduce some moisture to the meat by making a sauce to pour over it. Turn the chicken into an impromptu salad made with shredded meat. Add leftover chicken to a soup. Over low heat, add the chicken to a few tablespoons of water or broth and simmer for a few minutes to allow the liquid to penetrate into the meat.
How to soften up chicken tenders?
Slow cooking the chicken – Slow cooking your chicken is one of the greatest ways to achieve a tender piece of meat. The long cooking process allows for a tender and delicious chicken, giving the juices and flavor time to blend and fuse. You can choose to cook or smoke the chicken, depending on your recipe. Jan 16, 2023.
What is dehydrated chicken used for?
Remember that dehydrated chicken can be eaten straight as it is already cooked meat preserved by dehydration. It’s a great way to add more protein and flavor to your dishes without adding too many calories. Dehydrated chicken can be used in soups, stews, casseroles, pasta dishes, tacos, burritos, and salads.