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Chicken tenders with garlic butter is one of the best chicken tender recipes. Made with garlic, butter and spices on skillet. Juicy and easy chicken dinner made in 15 mins!
Table of Contents
Chicken Tender Recipes
I love chicken breasts, especially chicken tenders because they are the tenderest portion of the chicken breast.
What is a chicken tender?
They are the long strips of meat attached to the underside of chicken breasts.
Every chicken has two tenders. They are often detached from chicken breasts and sold separately as tenderloins.
They are commonly used for making chicken strips, chicken fingers or chicken fillets, breaded and deep-fried or baked in the oven.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Baked Garlic Cheddar Chicken Strips
Garlic Butter Pork Chops
Dorito Crusted Chicken Bites
How to Make Chicken Tenders?
This is one of the best breast tender recipes, made in a skillet with spices, garlic butter, salt, lemon juice and herb.
While I love them deep-fried, skillet cooking produces juicy and amazing results. I love a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet for this recipe.
The perfect heat to cook tenders is high heat. This is an easy chicken tenders recipe and perfect for lunch or dinner.
DO NOT overcook because the texture will turn dry and tough.
Cooking Tips
To make your chicken juicy and tender, follow the tips below:
Use a cast-iron skillet because it heats up evenly and retains the heat well.
Cook the tenders on high heat so they are seared to brown on the outside while retaining the juice inside.
Add lemon juice to the chicken to make them extra juicy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Eat the Tendon (ligament) Attached to Tenders?
There is a tendon attached to the breast tender. They are like little white ligament at the end of the piece of chicken.
I usually trim it off with a knife or a pair of kitchen scissors before cooking. It’s slightly chewy in texture and it’s tasteless.
Avoid pulling off the tendon by hand as stripping away the entire tendon will make the chicken tender fall apart.
Can I Use Chicken Breasts to Make This Recipe?
Absolutely! Tenders are part of the chicken breasts but they are sold separately.
Chicken tenders with garlic butter is one of the best chicken tender recipes with garlic, butter and spices on skillet. Juicy and easy chicken dinner made in 15 mins!
4.50 from 1294 votes
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By Bee Yinn Low
Yield 3people
Prep 5 minutesmins
Cook 10 minutesmins
Total 15 minutesmins
Ingredients
1lb.chicken tenders
1teaspoonsmoked paprika
3dashes cayenne powder
4tablespoonsunsalted butter(room temperature)
3 - 4clovesgarlic(minced)
1teaspoonbottled Italian seasoning(Simply Organic or McCormick brand)
salt(to taste)
1/2tablespoonlemon juice
1tablespoonchopped parsley
lemon wedges
Instructions
Season the chicken tenders with smoked paprika and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
Heat up a cast-iron skillet (preferred) on high heat and add 3 tablespoons of butter. As soon as the butter melts and starts to sizzle, add the chicken tenders. Cook uninterrupted for 1-2 minutes, then turn over and start cooking the other side.
Push the chicken tenders to the side of the skillet. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter follow by the minced garlic on the empty space on the skillet. Add the Italian seasoning on top of the chicken tenders and stir to combine well with the chicken and garlic.
Add salt and lemon juice and continue to cook the chicken tenders until they are slightly charred on the both sides. Add the chopped parsley, stir to combine well. Turn off the heat and serve immediately with lemon wedges. Squeeze the lemon juice on top before serving.
Notes
Watch the cooking video on this page for step-by-step guide.
Course: Chicken Recipes
Cuisine: Western
Keywords: chicken tenders
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Garlic Butter Chicken Tenders (The Best!)
Amount Per Serving (3 people)
Calories 311Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Fat 19g29%
Saturated Fat 10g63%
Cholesterol 137mg46%
Sodium 179mg8%
Carbohydrates 1g0%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 32g64%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
The best tenderizer though, is a salted yogurt marinade. The salt has the same effect as in a regular brine, but the lactic acid in the yogurt further tenderizes the meat. A 15-minute marinade with one cup of yogurt and one teaspoon of salt makes for the most tender chicken breasts imaginable.
In summary, the difference between chicken fingers and chicken tenders lies in the cut of the chicken and the way they are prepared. Chicken fingers are made from the inner fillet of the chicken breast, while chicken tenders come from the pectoralis minor muscles located beneath the breast.
Also known as chicken fingers, chicken goujons, chicken strips or chicken fillets, tenders are chicken meat prepared from the pectoralis minor muscles. These strips of white meat are located on either side of the breastbone, under the breast meat (pectoralis major).
Ever notice how the chicken in stir fries at your favourite Chinese restaurant is incredibly tender? It's because they tenderise chicken using a simple method called Velveting Chicken using baking soda. It's a quick and easy method that any home cook can do, and can also be used for beef.
Marination: Marinating chicken before cooking is a popular technique used to enhance flavor and tenderness. Restaurants use marinades made from a combination of acidic ingredients (such as vinegar, citrus juice, or yogurt) and flavorful herbs and spices.
Unlike chicken breasts, chicken thighs and drumsticks actually become more tender the longer they cook. That's because of their makeup. Dark meat has an abundant amount of connective tissue, which dissolves into gelatin as the meat cooks, rendering it juicy and tender.
Velveting chicken is a perfectly healthy meat preparation method since the core ingredients are cornstarch and oil, each of which is perfectly fine for you to eat. So, velveting can deliver delicious, tender meat without sacrificing quality when it comes to taste or health.
Chicken fingers (also known as chicken goujons, tendies, chicken strips, chicken tenders, or chicken fillets) are chicken meat prepared from the pectoralis minor muscles of the animal. These strips of white meat are located on either side of the breastbone, under the breast meat (pectoralis major).
While fried chicken tender can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet, it's important to be aware of the potential drawbacks. Consuming excess fried chicken fingers or tenders may lead to higher cholesterol and sodium levels, increasing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
Tendons are essentially like straps that attach muscle to the bones of the chicken. This connective tissue is very strong. When you cook it, the tendon firms up and contracts, making it slightly tougher than the surrounding meat, which is why some chefs choose to remove it before cooking.
Chicken fingers were first made in Manchester, New Hampshire at the Puritan Backroom in 1974. At least they did coin the name chicken tenders. A lot of other restaurants offering the dish in various parts of the country called them chicken strips, chicken fingers, chicken tempura, or chicken goujons.
Brine. Like a marinade, a brine helps chicken breast soak up as much moisture as possible before cooking. It only requires three ingredients: water, salt, and a pinch of sugar.
Getting a good sear through medium high heat, then reducing the heat to LOW and COVERING the chicken while it cooks. The butter, oil, and chicken juices create a super flavorful liquid that acts as a way to steam the chicken at a low temperature, ensuring that it is moist & tender on the inside.
If you're on a time crunch and hoping to tenderize your chicken cutlets or other thinly sliced meats in a hurry, go with wet brining. Whereas an oversaturated saltwater brine might make your cut less filet-like, a baking soda wet brine expedites the tenderizing process and limits the potential for oversaturation.
Oils help the meat retain its moisture while cooking, resulting in a juicier finished product. Acids, whether you're using fruit juice or vinegar, help break down the dense protein, tenderizing the meat.
Introduction: My name is Dr. Pierre Goyette, I am a enchanting, powerful, jolly, rich, graceful, colorful, zany person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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