These Freezer Chicken Tenders are perfect for meal prep. Make several batches ahead of time and stick them in the freezer. On a busy night, just pull them out, bake from frozen and have dinner on the table in 30 minutes!
*Originally published Jan 2015. Updated Feb 2018 & Feb 2021*
Hi Friends!
Allow me to introduce you to these Freezer Chicken Tenders. They’re of my favorite food prep recipes. Let’s talk about food prep for a minute, shall we? A lot of times when we think about food prep or meal prep, we’re focusing only on planning for the week ahead. But sometimes it can be just as helpful to spend a day making things to stock your freezer, (like these frozen chicken tenders) so that you can pull them out over the coming weeks when you have a busy night, don’t get around to food prep or find yourself just too tired to cook.
I first made these Freezer Chicken Tenders when I was stocking my freezer before my first baby was born. They were such a hit that I’ve made them over and over again since then and even made them several times for fellow new moms so they have a kid-friendly dinner on hand to prep for a whiny toddler while holding a screaming newborn.
Freezer Chicken Tenders
It’s easy to make several batches at once so you can stock your freezer and you can bake them straight from frozen so you don’t have to remember to thaw anything out! How long to bake frozen chicken tenders will depend on how thick they are!
What ingredients do you need?
- Chicken – boneless, skinless chicken breasts work best!
- Flour- to dredge the chicken before dipping. You can also use cornstarch
- Egg – to dip the chicken in to help the breadcrumbs stick
- Breadcrumbs – I use panko breadcrumbs but regular are fine too. You can sub crushed gluten-free cereal for a GF version.
- Seasonings – I usually use a mix of paprika and garlic powder. To change things up, try everything but the bagel seasoning, cayenne for spice or even a ranch twist!
I usually serve them with mac and cheese and some steamed veggies for a quick, hands-off meal!
Here’s the recipe…but remember, you don’t really have to measure. You can make as many batches as you like and you really just need enough flour to dredge them, enough egg to coat them and enough breadcrumbs to cover them. So don’t stress about measuring exactly!
How To Cook Frozen Chicken Tenders
PrintFreezer Chicken Tenders
These Freezer Chicken Tenders are perfect for meal prep. Make several batches ahead of time and stick them in the freezer. On a busy night, just pull them out, bake from frozen and have dinner on the table in 30 minutes!
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken tenders
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (i use whole wheat)
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne, optional
- 1 egg
- 3 Tbsp flour
Instructions
- Place the flour on a small plate, the breadcrumbs and seasonings on another and the egg in a bowl (poke the yolk and stir it around until mixed).
- Dredge each chicken tender in flour, then dip in the egg and then coat with breadcrumbs.
- Line the tenders up on a plate or pan and freeze for at least 2 hours.
- Remove from pan and place in a large ziploc bag. Remove as much air as possible and store in the freezer.
- When ready to eat, place a cooling rack on a large baking sheet and place tenders on the rack (or just place on a greased or foil-lined cookie sheet)
- Bake from frozen at 375 degrees for approximately 25 minutes or until tenders reach 165 degrees F.
Notes
To make these gluten-free, toss in gluten-free cornstarch and roll in crushed Rice Chex!
This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled and measurements don’t have to be exact.
I bake mine on a cooling rack and they come out nice and crispy- perfect for dipping in ketchup, bbq sauce or honey mustard sauce! Cooking times may vary depending on how thick your tenders are. You could also cut them into small pieces and make nuggets!
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
Get my free Table Talk email series where I share bite-sized nutrition information about carbs, protein, and fat, plus bonus information about snacks and sugar!
You’re so good. I really should do something like this to always have healthy meats to heat up in a pinch. Great and simple recipe, Lindsay! 🙂
thanks so much!!
Do you dredge them while frozen or thaw them out before dredging them and then refreeze them? I thought you were not supposed to refreeze meat after thawed unless it is cooked, so just hoping it turned out without you ever having to thaw them.
good point. I make these with fresh chicken tenders and then freeze. so they’re only being frozen once.
genius! way healthier than the kind that comes in a package – love this!
I am so psyched to hear that these came out crispy. I think I would have worried they wouldn’t, so I am glad you tried it out. A great idea Lindsay!
Thanks!!!
Great recipe! I love that you added the freezer touch. I wouldn’t have thought about freezing them.
Yep! I’m always looking for freezer-friendly ideas!
These look great, my kids would love them!
hope they enjoy!
This takes me right back to being a kid, in the best way! Oyster crackers are also excellent for breading 😀
yum! great idea!
Probably way more fattening, but Ritz crackers are a great breading! Buttery and flavorful.
These look great!
I love these. They are easy enough to prep ahead (not too many ingredients too!) and pop in the oven. I actually love chicken tenders, so these are perfect.
yay! enjoy!
These sound great and I love things I can make ahead of time. AND–I finally got on Pinterest (always late to the party) and just pinned this!
thanks friend!
I need these! I love chicken nuggets/tenders. Will be doing this before baby comes too!
woohoo! stock up, my friend!
I always get great ideas from your prepping posts, this one included!
so glad to hear it!
Thanks for sharing! These look amazing and I’ll have to make some!
I never thought of baking them on a cooling rack! That way you don’t get the one soggy side. Genius Lindsay.
yep! it’s a neat little trick! enjoy!
What a cool concept to freeze them ahead of time. Now you have me wondering if I could freeze tempeh or tofu “chicken” nuggets. I just may have to do some experimenting with that one! 😉
experiment away, my friend!
Perfect! Never thought to freeze breaded chicken ahead of time!
Love your simple, make ahead recipes. Keep em coming!
Cooking on a cooling rack is genius!!!!!
yes! helps them not get super soggy on the bottom!
These look pretty easy to make and I love that you can keep them in the freezer for busy days.
I LOVE having healthy meals stored in my freezer! Can’t wait to try these!
Those look great! I love that you can just cook them frozen. I hate running into the problem of wanting to make something to eat but then the meat I need is in the freezer. Awesome!
yep! that’s the best part. no thawing required!
Oooo, I’m adding this to my rotation of meals that I always double to stick in the freezer. My kids will love them!
woohoo! hope they’re a hit!
Is the cook time the same if you’re cooking them right away as opposed to freezing them? I’m making these for dinner tonight! Can’t wait to try them 🙂
They’ll cook faster. I’d check them at like 20 minutes!
this is such a great idea! Especially since I’m in college and I don’t have much time in between classes, this would be the perfect quick fix for dinner or lunch!
awesome! enjoy!
This is such a GREAT idea! I am definitely prepping these on Sunday!!
yay! hope you like them!
Such a great thing to have on hand during the busy week- I wish I had these right now, we’re going to soccer and I have nothing fixed for dinner when we return.
oh no! make some up and next time you’ll be prepared!
So simple, yet so perfect. Thanks for sharing!
These are amazing and I am so excited to try these. Our weeknights are crazy and I never have time to cook. These will be perfect.
yay! hope you like them!
Easy peasy! I love it when healthy made-from-scratch real food is this simple 🙂
me too!
I love the idea of making these ahead of time and sticking them in the freezer. I think I’m going to do that with the little girl I nanny for!! She LOVES chicken tenders/nuggets and always requests the store-bought freezer kind that aren’t the best for her. We’ve made some homemade with almond meal a few times but it is QUIT the process. Next time, I will make sure we have extra to freeze up!! 🙂
yes! it can be a little bit of a pain to make them, that’s why i like to make several batches at once since you’ve already got the stuff out!
Great idea! What is the calorie count per serving? Is 1 serving considered 1 chicken finger?
I don’t have the calorie count but you could put the recipe into my fitness pal to find out. A serving would probably be 2-3 chicken fingers
Definitely pinning this for later! 🙂
thanks friend!
I am a single guy w/o a lot of time and I never really do anything more than grill on the BBQ. But, I’ve made these twice now, once a small batch and once using six pounds of chicken and they always come out absolutely great! Once they’re frozen you can put 2-4 in baggies and then you’re ready for whatever comes up! I bought the big chicken strip packs from Costco and it took a while to make (and clean up!) cuz I am a klutz but it was fun and worth it! You can add spice or even a little heat to taste if you want to rev it up a little.
Where do you find whole wheat bread crumbs? I’ve looked for them at Harris Teeter with no luck and they usually have a wide variety of healthier options of things.
i buy whole wheat panko breadcrumbs at meijer.
Would the cooking time or temp change if I bake not frozen?
If i was doing them fresh i’d try 400 degrees for 15-20 min!
These are great!! Thank you cause I have been looking for something quick and easy for myself when my husband is at work. Do you think this recipe will work for making fish sticks also? I have a mammal meat, a sesame, a dairy and a hazelnut allergy, so that does not leave a lot of room for store bought items
i think it would probably work with fish as well!!
Making these a freezer meal is such a great idea! Makes weeknights super easy!
Have you tried cooking before freezing so that mealtime is just heat and go?
I never rate or comment on a recipe until I actually make it according to the posted ingredients and directions but somehow this one slipped by me. I’ve been making these for almost five years and we never tire of them. The recipe is foolproof! And, the recipe is super adaptable… use regular or seasoned breadcrumbs, change up the spices, I’ve even added Parmesan cheese (whizzed in the food processor a bit to make them a little more fine) which bakes up beautifully. Thanks for a great recipe!
Love this recipe. 2nd time making it!