The Wellness Care Blog: Freezer Chicken Tenders

These Freezer Chicken Tenders are perfect for meal prep. Make several batches ahead of time and stick them in the freezer. On a busy night, just pull them out, bake from frozen and have dinner on the table in 30 minutes!

Freezer Chicken Tenders with steamed peas and mac and cheese for dinner

*Originally published Jan 2015. Text and photos updated Feb 2018*

Hi Friends!

Allow me to introduce you to these Freezer Chicken Tenders. They're of my favorite food prep recipes. Let's talk about food prep for a minute, shall we? A lot of times when we think about food prep or meal prep, we're focusing only on planning for the week ahead. But sometimes it can be just as helpful to spend a day making things to stock your freezer, so that you can pull them out over the coming weeks when you have a busy night, don't get around to food prep or find yourself just too tired to cook.

I first made these Freezer Chicken Tenders when I was stocking my freezer before Squish was born. They were such a hit that I've made them over and over again since then and even made them several times for fellow new moms so they have a kid-friendly dinner on hand to prep for a whiny toddler while holding a screaming newborn.

Freezer Chicken Tenders

Freezer Chicken Tenders that you can cook from frozen.

It's easy to make several batches at once so you can stock your freezer and you can bake them straight from frozen so you don't have to remember to thaw anything out!

I usually serve them with mac and cheese and some steamed veggies for a quick, hands-off meal!

Here's the recipe…but remember, you don't really have to measure. You can make as many batches as you like and you really just need enough flour to dredge them, enough egg to coat them and enough breadcrumbs to cover them. So don't stress about measuring exactly!

Freezer Chicken Tenders

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Preparation 5 min Cook Time 30 min Serves 2-3 adjust servings

Freezer Chicken Tenders with steamed peas and mac and cheese for dinner

Ingredients

1 pound chicken tenders
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (i use whole wheat)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne, optional
1 egg
3 Tbsp flour

Instructions

Place the flour on a small plate, the breadcrumbs and seasonings on another and the egg in a bowl (poke the yolk and stir it around until mixed).
Dredge each chicken tender in flour, then dip in the egg and then coat with breadcrumbs.
Line the tenders up on a plate or pan and freeze for at least 2 hours.
Remove from pan and place in a large ziploc bag. Remove as much air as possible and store in the freezer.
When ready to eat, place a cooling rack on a large baking sheet and place tenders on the rack (or just place on a greased or foil-lined cookie sheet)
Bake from frozen at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until tenders reach 165 degrees F.

by Lindsay

I bake mine on a cooling rack and they come out nice and crispy- perfect for dipping in ketchup, bbq sauce or honey mustard sauce! Cooking times may vary depending on how thick your tenders are. You could also cut them into small pieces and make nuggets!