Crunchy Buttermilk Oven Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Dip

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Golden, cornflake-crusted chicken tenders that crunch like the fried kind but bake on one sheet pan in about 20 minutes. The buttermilk soak keeps the chicken juicy and mild, the coating is seasoned with nothing spicier than sweet paprika, and a two-ingredient honey mustard dip pulls the whole plate together. A weeknight dinner kids actually ask for again.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb chicken breast tenders (or breasts cut into 1-inch strips)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1.5 tsp salt, divided
• 3 cups cornflakes
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 3 tbsp butter, melted

• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard

Instructions

1. In a bowl, stir the buttermilk with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, add the chicken tenders, and turn to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes while you set up everything else (or cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours).
2. Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack on top if you have one; lightly grease the rack or foil. A rack gives an all-over crunch, but straight on the greased foil works too.
3. Put the cornflakes in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin or your hands into coarse crumbs (small flakes, not powder). Pour into a shallow dish and mix in the flour, paprika, garlic powder, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and the melted butter until the crumbs look evenly damp and sandy.
4. Lift each tender out of the buttermilk, let the excess drip off, then press it firmly into the crumb mixture on both sides so the coating sticks. Lay the tenders on the prepared rack or sheet with about an inch between them.
5. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the coating is deep golden and an instant-read thermometer in the thickest tender reads 165°F. No flipping needed on a rack; if baking directly on foil, turn them at the 12-minute mark.
6. While the chicken bakes, stir the honey and yellow mustard together in a small bowl. Let the tenders rest 3 minutes, then serve warm with the dip alongside.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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