How to Make Cheese It Chicken Strips in the Oven
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These cheez-it crusted chicken tenders are perfectly crispy on the outside and oh-so juicy on the inside. A delicious, high protein addition to any meal that's ready in less than 20 minutes. They're great for meal prep too!
Why This Recipe Is Amazing
I don't like to play favorites with recipes (they're like children.. I love them all!) however.... these cheez-it chicken tenders rank pretty darn high! Not only are they deliciously cheesy but they're so freaking FAST to make!
I make mine in the air fryer but you can also bake them. Although, if you don't have an air fryer yet I'd HIGHLY recommend getting one! I've tested out a few over the years and am currently using an Instant Pot 6qt Vortex air fryer which I love!
But back to the chicken tender recipe with cheez its: amazing is an understatement, really. We have them at LEAST once a week and I also frequently make them for meal prep then use them on salads and in wraps throughout the week. Pro-tip: cheez it chicken tenders also make a FAB omelette filling. Try it!
I like to serve these with a side of homemade Chick-Fil-A sauce either some air fryer frozen french fries (if I'm feeling exhausted after a long day) or air fryer sweet potato fries (if I've got energy left!)
Ingredients You'll Need
- Cheez-Its. You can honestly use any cracker or chip here. Cheez it chicken tenders are a fave of mine but you could also make pretzel chicken tenders, Dortios chicken tenders, etc! Or you can totally just use bread crumbs too!
How To Make This Recipe
First, you're going to want to take your Cheez its and turn them into "bread crumbs". To do this I place mine in a blender and pulse it a few times. I like my cheez its to be pretty finely ground. Make sure there are no big chunks- they won't stick super well to the chicken tenders. Place this on a plate or shallow bowl and set aside.
Slice your chicken breast into strips.
Now, crack your egg into a bowl and whisk it with a fork.
Then, dip your chicken tender into the egg first then place on top of your ground cheez its. Roll the chicken around to ensure it's covered with cheez it crumbs fully. Set it aside.
Repeat this coating process with the remaining chicken.
How To Cook Cheez It Chicken Tenders In The Air Fryer
This is my preferred way to cook cheez it chicken! First, preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees F. If your air fryer doesn't have a preheat setting you can set it to the desired temp and let it run for ~5 minutes.
Once preheated spray the air fryer basket with non-stick spray and place chicken tenders inside. Be sure these aren't touching, you don't want to overcrowd the basket. If you make a lot of chicken tenders or have a smaller air fryer you might want to do 2 batches!
Cook your cheez it chicken tenders in the air fryer for a total of 15 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
How To Cook Cheez It Chicken Tenders In The Oven
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with a spill mat (I love these silicone baking mats from Amazon!) or parchment paper.
Lay your chicken tenders onto the baking sheet. Make sure they don't touch.
Bake them for a total of 15-20 minutes, flipping once walkway through. Oven temps can vary a lot so check them at 15 and 20 minutes. If you're not sure if they're done you can insert a meat thermometer (such a lifesaver!)and check the temp. Chicken should reach 165. (Checkout this safe minimum cooking temperatures- I use it all the time!)
Now enjoy!!!!
Recipe FAQs
Can I make these into cheez it chicken nuggets?
Absolutely! To make chicken nuggets VS chicken tenders you'll just cut smaller pieces of chicken. You may need to reduce the cooking time by a few minutes to compensate for the smaller size.
Can I freeze cheez it chicken tenders?
Totally! You can make your own homemade frozen chicken tenders my baking these and then freezing them. They will stay good for ~3 months. Just take them out when you're ready to enjoy!
How do you reheat chicken tenders?
I like to use my air fryer to reheat these. Pop them in for ~3 minutes at 400 degrees if they've been in the fridge and closer to 6 minutes if they've been in the freezer.
You can also reheat them in the microwave (~1 minute). I wouldn't recommend the oven. It will likely over cook them.
Expert Tips
- When coating your chicken tenders dedicate one hand as the "wet" hand and one was the "dry" hand. Use the "wet hand" ONLY when you're dipping the chicken in the egg and placing it on the plate of cheez it crumbs. Then SWITCH hands to the dry hand to flip the chicken and coat it in the cheez it crumbs. This helps to keep your crumbs from getting all clumpy!
- Feel free to get creative with these! Try pretzels, Dortios, or really any cracker or chip!
Other Recipes You'll Love:
-
Easy Air Fryer Orange Chicken
-
Easy Air Fryer Sausage & Peppers
-
Easy Instant Pot Carne Asada
-
Cheesy Hamburger Soup [Instant Pot + Stove Top]
If you love this recipe be sure to leave a star rating on the recipe card and a comment below!
Want to learn more about intuitive eating and finding food freedom so that you too can feel comfortable enjoying ALL foods without guilt, stress or anxiety and in ways that feel good? Get started by taking this quiz which will give you a personalized workbook to stop dieting and get started!
XOXO
-Colleen
Ingredients
- ~2 cups Cheez it crackers
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 egg
Instructions
Place your cheez it crackers into a blender and pulse it a few times. Make sure there are no big chunks. Place this on a plate or shallow bowl and set aside.
Slice your chicken breast into strips.
Now, crack your egg into a bowl and whisk it with a fork.
Dip your chicken tender into the egg first then place on top of your ground cheez its. Roll the chicken around to ensure it's covered with cheez it crumbs fully. Set it aside.
Repeat this coating process with the remaining chicken.
Air Fryer Cooking Instructions
Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees F. If your air fryer doesn't have a preheat setting you can set it to the desired temp and let it run for ~5 minutes.
Once preheated spray the air fryer basket with non-stick spray and place chicken tenders inside. Be sure these aren't touching, you don't want to overcrowd the basket. If you make a lot of chicken tenders or have a smaller air fryer you might want to do 2 batches!
Cook your cheez it chicken tenders in the air fryer for a total of 15 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
Oven Cooking Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with a spill mat (I love these silicone baking mats from Amazon!) or parchment paper.
Lay your chicken tenders onto the baking sheet. Make sure they don't touch.
Bake them for a total of 15-20 minutes, flipping once walkway through. Oven temps can vary a lot so check them at 15 and 20 minutes. If you're not sure if they're done you can insert a meat thermometer (such a lifesaver!)and check the temp. Chicken should reach 165. (Checkout this safe minimum cooking temperatures- I use it all the time!)
Now enjoy!!!!
Notes
- Feel free to use any sort of cracker or chip in place of the cheez its!
- If you want to make chicken nuggets just cut your chicken into smaller pieces. You'll likely want to reduce the cooking time by a few minutes to compensate for the smaller size.
- To reheat cheez it chicken tenders pop them in the air fryer at 400 degrees for 3 minutes (if coming from the fridge) and 6 minutes (if coming from the freezer). Or microwave for ~1 minute.
- You can keep these cooked cheez it chicken tenders in the freezer for ~3 months. Or in the fridge for 1 week.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 278 Total Fat: 11.7g Saturated Fat: 2.4g Cholesterol: 111.5mg Sodium: 427mg Fiber: 0.8g Protein: 27.6g
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How to Make Cheese It Chicken Strips in the Oven
Source: https://colleenchristensennutrition.com/cheez-it-chicken-tenders/