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pecan crusted chicken tenders creole dipping sauce
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5 from 9 votes

Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders with Creole Sauce

Pecan and Panko bread crumbs coating chicken tenders with a tangy creole dipping sauce. These are baked not fried and super delicious. Great for dinner, snacks, game day snacks! These tenders freeze really well!
Course Appetizer, Main Dish, Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 5 servings
Calories 547kcal
Author Eileen xo

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chicken tenders or chicken breasts

Buttermilk Marinade

Flour Mixture

Egg Wash

  • ½ cup low-fat milk
  • 2 egg whites or 1 egg, whisked

Pecan Panko Mix

Creole Dipping Sauce

Instructions

Prep the chicken

  • If using chicken tenders, they can be cut in half if they are very large. If using boneless chicken breasts, slice and pound them to about 1 ½ inches thick and slice into 2-inch strips. Set aside.

Make the Buttermilk Marinade

  • In a plastic sealable bag or large bowl, add buttermilk, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt. Mix well and add in the chicken pieces. Seal bag or cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least ½ hour to overnight. 

Assemble the Chicken Tenders

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or use a Silpat liner. 
  • Line three medium bowls up. 
    The first bowl is the flour mix. Add and mix well flour, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt.
    The second bowl is the egg mixture. Add low-fat milk and egg and mix well. 
    The third bowl is the pecan breading. Mix the ground pecans and panko bread crumbs to combine well.
  • Dip each chicken piece in flour mix, shake excess flour off the chicken. Next, dip into egg mixture, shake off excess egg. Last, dip chicken into pecan crumb mix. Then place chicken on prepared baking sheet. 
  • Spray tops of each breaded chicken quickly with non-stick cooking spray.  Place in oven on a center rack. Bake for about 10 minutes. Flip chicken, bake another 10 minutes. Chicken should be done.  Ovens temps and size of your tenders vary, check the chicken to ensure they are cooked through. 

Creole Dipping Sauce

  • In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, yellow mustard, stone ground mustard, horseradish, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and salt. Mix well and check seasonings, re-season if needed.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Can be made 3 days ahead. 

Notes

  • These tenders freeze really well. Make a double batch and freeze some for later. 
  • To heat frozen tenders, cover tenders in foil, reheat at 325 degrees until warmed through.
  • Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and portion sizes.

Nutrition

Serving: 3tenders | Calories: 547kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 846mg | Potassium: 537mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 195IU | Vitamin C: 1.8mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 1.7mg