Ranch Chicken Tenders (Make Ahead Freezer Meal)

There is no need to buy frozen chicken tenders from the store when you have homemade ones right in your freezer ready to cook when you need them. These baked Ranch Chicken Tenders are easy to make ahead and taste so much better than the ones you’ll find in the frozen food aisle.

It’s nice to know what ingredients are in your chicken tenders. You’ll feel confident feeding these to your kids without any hidden fillers. With just 5 ingredients, this is as straightforward as it gets.

And chicken tenders aren’t just for kids. These babies are crispy on the outside yet tender on the inside making the kid inside all of us happy!

Ranch Chicken Tenders Recipe:

Ingredients needed:

• 3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cut into strips
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup flour
• 1 Tbsp. dry Ranch seasoning
• 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs

Assembly instructions:

1. Start by cutting the chicken into strips. You want to cut against the grain.
2. Next, beat the eggs in a small bowl with a fork. 
3. Stir the ranch seasoning into the flour in a medium bowl.
4. Dredge the chicken strips in the beaten eggs, then in the flour mixture, back into the eggs, and finally, in the breadcrumbs.
5. Place the breaded chicken in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and set the tray flat in the freezer.
6. Leave for several hours or overnight and then transfer the strips to a large resealable freezer bag.
7. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Thaw.
2. Preheat oven to 375°.
3. Place the breaded chicken tenders on a greased cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping at the halfway point. Be sure that the chicken has an internal temperature of 165° (use a meat thermometer to check).

By freezing the chicken flat on a cookie sheet first before putting them in a bag, you ensure that they don’t stick together. This also enables you to take just a few pieces out at a time to cook as needed.

Serve with Ranch dressing, honey mustard, or plum sauce for dipping.

Variations:

Sprinkle some shredded Parmesan cheese into your breadcrumb mixture.

Use Panko breadcrumbs mixed with the regular breadcrumbs (about half and half). This will increase crunch and texture. Add a minute or so of extra baking time. 

If you want to make the chicken tenders more golden, spray with cooking oil and set the oven to 450° or broil for the last 2 minutes of the cooking time.

What should I serve with baked chicken tenders?

• french fries
• sweet potato fries
• zucchini fries (are you noticing a theme here?!)
• oven-roasted potatoes
• buttermilk biscuits
• coleslaw

Check out these other kid-friendly foods for your freezer:

• Corn Dog Mini Muffins (great for school lunches or snacks)
• English Muffin Pizzas
• Ham and Cheese Roll-Ups
• Beef and Bean Burritos (great for after school!)

Find more make-ahead lunch recipes along with printable shopping lists and labels in our Lunch Freezer Meal Plan.

Print

Ranch Chicken Tenders

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

 

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken, chicken strips

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 291 kcal

Ingredients

• 3 chicken breasts boneless and skinless, cut into strips
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 cup flour
• 1 Tbsp. dry Ranch seasoning
• 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

1. Slice the chicken into strips.

2. Beat the eggs in a small bowl.
3. Stir the ranch seasoning into the flour in a medium bowl.

4. Dredge the chicken strips in the beaten eggs, then in the flour mixture, back into the eggs, and finally, in the breadcrumbs.

5. Place the breaded chicken in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and set into the freezer.

6. Leave for several hours or overnight and then transfer the strips to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Cook from frozen.

2. Preheat oven to 375°.

3. Place the frozen breaded chicken tenders on a greased cookie sheet.

4. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping at the halfway point. Be sure that the chicken has an internal temperature of 165° (use a meat thermometer to check).

5. Or cook from in the air fryer. Preheat to 380° and add chicken tenders given them lots of room. Cook for 15 minutes, flipping once.

Recipe Notes

Tip: If you want to make the chicken tenders more golden, spray with cooking oil and set the oven to 450° or broil for the last 2 minutes of the cooking time.