Tortilla Encrusted Chicken Tenders coated with seasoned crushed tortilla chips and served with salsa. An easy, family weeknight dish!
Tortilla Encrusted Chicken Tenders
I love this fun tex-mex twist on chicken tenders! It’s perfect with a Mexican corn salad or a black bean salad. Chicken tenderloins are easy to cook for weeknight dinners because there’s not much prep. They are already cut to the perfect size so all you have to do is bread them and bake or air fryer. If you want more ideas for chicken tenders, try my Air Fryer Chicken Tenders, or these Pickle Brined Chicken Tenders.
This recipe got two thumbs up from my family. They are easy to make, and take less than 30 minutes – perfect for weeknight cooking! I crushed the tortillas in a ziplock bag and left it a little course for texture. The squeeze of lime on top and salsa for dipping, adds a fun Mexican-American twist to chicken tenders.
How do you get the breading to stick to the chicken tenders?
How To Keep Breading From Falling Off Chicken
- Pat the chicken dry.
- Dredge in flour.
- Dip in beaten eggs.
- Coat in the crumbs, pressing the crumbs with the back of a fork.
- Carefully transfer to a baking sheet.
More family-friendly chicken recipes:
- Chicken Nuggets
- Baked Buffalo Chicken Nuggets
- Pickle Brined Baked Chicken Tenders
- Buffalo Chicken Strips
- Sesame Encrusted Baked Chicken Tenders
Tortilla Encrusted Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ pound chicken tenderloins
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or gluten-free flour*
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 3 1/2 ounces crushed tortilla chips*
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Olive oil spray
- 1/2 lime, cut into 4 wedges
- chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
- 1/2 cup jarred salsa, for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Season chicken tenders with 3/4 teaspoon salt. Place flour on a shallow plate and egg in a medium bowl. Place tortilla chips, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, garlic powder, cumin, and pepper on another shallow plate.
- Dredge each tender lightly in flour, then egg (shaking off excess), then chip mixture. Lightly spray sheet pan with olive oil, place tenders on pan and spray the top with olive oil. Bake about 8 to 10 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
- To serve: Place 2 tenders on each plate, garnish with cilantro. Serve with 1 lime wedge and salsa for dipping.
AIR FRYER Directions:
- Spray the chicken on both sides with oil. Air fry in batches as needed in a single layer 5 to 6 minutes on each side.
