I admit it. I make a lot of the same things, over and over again for dinner. It really (no, really) isn’t because I want to. It is because my kids are on the picky side and don’t typically like new foods.
Or too flavorful of foods.
Or spicy foods.
Or foods with a lot of vegetables.
You get the idea.
My oldest is good about trying new things and sometimes he actually likes them. (Go Lucian!) But my middle son is super tough. One thing all my kids will eat is chicken tenders. Recently I decided to try something a bit new and use corn flake crumbs to give them an extra crunch. It brought me back a bit to childhood when my mom would make baked chicken and coat them in corn flakes. I loved that chicken! And since all my boys love ranch dressing, I thought a packet of ranch dressing and their favorite cheese, Parmesan, would go over well for flavor.
What I didn’t realize was just how crunchy and well, not mushy, these chicken tenders would end up. And surprisingly, it was my husband who devoured them and commented several times on how much he loved them. (This is saying a lot from the guy who likes dark meat.) I served them with a simple fresh spinach salad and garden vegetable. I added little ranch on the side for dipping sauce for the kids.
- 1½ pounds chicken tenders (or chicken breast cut into wider strips)
- 3 cups corn flakes
- 1 (1 ounce) packet Hidden Valley Original Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
- ⅛ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- salt and pepper to taste (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In large gallon sized zipper storage bag, add corn flake crumbs. Seal and crush to desired size.
- Add ranch dressing mix, parmesan cheese and salt and pepper (if desired) to corn flake crumbs. Seal again and shake to mix.
- In small bowl, beat egg.
- Dip chicken tenders in egg before placing in food storage bag with coating mixture.
- Add chicken pieces and seal bag. Shake the bag to evenly coat chicken. (I did this step with a few pieces at a time.)
- Place chicken on parchment paper or silicone baking sheet lined baking pan. (You can add leftover coating in the gallon bag to the top of the chicken).
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 15-25 minutes or until juices run clear or an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. (Time will depend upon the thickness of the chicken.)
My middle son is still very leery of actually eating them, even after eating a few bites. But I’m hoping they will grow on him!
Either way, these tenders are crunchy but baked and not fried and have a nice flavor. They are a quick and easy dinner to get on the table, even on a busy weeknight.
That folks is a winner, winner chicken dinner.
Sandra VanHoey says
April 14, 2014 at 11:11 amWe have fussy kids here too so you can bet I just printed this one out. Thank You!
Julie Wood says
April 14, 2014 at 12:18 pmThe corn flakes and the Hidden Valley Ranch dressing really give these chicken tenders at great flavor. I am going to make these. I really like your recipe and can not wait to see how they taste.
nicole dz says
April 14, 2014 at 1:13 pmgreat idea! Must better option! Would be great with some fresh stemmed veggies!
Kristen says
April 14, 2014 at 2:32 pmI’m definitely going to try this. I’m pretty sure the adults in my family would really like these too!
ellen beck says
April 15, 2014 at 12:27 amThis looks good and sounds good and easy and fat- it covers all of the bases !
Lily Kwan says
April 15, 2014 at 1:36 amThis recipe looks very tasty. Thanks for sharing!
Robin Wilson says
April 15, 2014 at 7:00 amThose definitely do look crunchy! My mom used to make chicken like this when I was little, but I have never tried it. I know how it is to have picky eaters!
vickie couturier says
April 15, 2014 at 7:28 amthat looks easy enough and good too,,cant wait to try it out,thanks
Jean says
April 15, 2014 at 7:50 amYum – these sound delicious and they would be popular with my girls. I know what you mean about picky eaters. Neither of my daughters will eat spicy things, but we love spicy food, so I often end up with the dreaded two meals scenario.
Emilie says
April 15, 2014 at 7:47 pmThat happens here more often than I care to admit!
Jennifer @ Mom Spotted says
April 15, 2014 at 11:04 pmYum! These look delicious!
Betsy Barnes says
April 16, 2014 at 7:18 pmGreat recipe! I have heard of using corn flakes like this, but never tried it. Your photos looks so good, going to make it soon! 🙂
Sarah L says
April 19, 2014 at 1:05 amExcellent photos and yummy recipe. I like crunchy and spicy.
Christy Anderson says
April 21, 2014 at 9:16 pmThis looks delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Melissa Burgert says
April 30, 2014 at 1:07 amThese look really good! Definitely a way to spice up chicken since chicken can be bland and boring.
RICHARD HICKS says
April 30, 2014 at 7:56 pmI love chicken tenders and I have to try this recipe out. Bet they are out of this world!
Gianna says
April 30, 2014 at 9:53 pmI love crunchy chicken!
Priscilla S. says
May 6, 2014 at 4:23 amI’m always looking for new, easy chicken recipe. This sounds delicious!
Diane Elizabeth says
May 9, 2014 at 11:44 pmMy youngest is my pickiest eater, but he loves chicken and uses ranch on almost everything. I’ll have to give this a try, thanks for sharing!
anna pry says
May 19, 2014 at 1:54 pmi’ll try this next time, my hubby and daughter like ranch flavor and i enjoy crisp breading so it should be a winner for us
Sarah Hayes says
May 29, 2014 at 11:55 pmwe love corn flakes and ranch so this would be a big hit here. goes great with quinoa!
Elisabeth says
June 29, 2014 at 7:20 pmI tend to make the same meals over and over again too. I’ll have to try this out!
Rosie says
August 5, 2014 at 11:13 amThere’s no hiding that the crunch crunch crunch is corn flakes, but they do look and sound delish!!! I want them now!!! Easy to make and I want to try this recipe!
Beth R says
February 12, 2015 at 6:15 pmI love that these come out crunchy. That is my one complaint with some chicken tender recipes. I love the crunch
Em Mahr says
June 24, 2015 at 6:11 amThis sounds delicious! I think I’d add a bit of cayenne to give it a bit of spice.