These juicy, flavorful chicken tenders are marinated in pickle juice then breaded and baked in the oven or air fryer!
While I was on set doing the photography for my next cookbook in Charleston, I was chatting with the food stylist and Helene, my photographer about (what else) food and we got to talking about Chick-fil-A somehow and Abbie mentioned the secret to their amazing chicken is pickle juice. What!!? My daughter Madison LOVES pickles, and we go through jars of them each month and I always hate tossing the juice, so I loved the idea of reusing it.
Helene shared a recipe she often makes from The Southern Made Fresh Cookbook where she brines her chicken breast and pan fries them, I was inspired to try this when I got home! I didn’t follow the recipe from the book, but I did brine my chicken for 8 hours as instructed in her cookbook. Glorious results, I loved this so much I even created a short video! This is a recipe I will be making again and again!
How To Make Pickle Brined Chicken Tenders
Pickle-Brined Baked Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 12 (1 & 1/4 lbs) chicken tenders or skinless breasts cut into strips
- 1- 1/4 cup dill pickle juice, enough to cover the chicken
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 large egg white
- 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup seasoned panko
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Place chicken in a shallow bowl and cover with pickle juice (enough to cover completely). Marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours.
- After 8 hours, drain and dry the chicken completely on paper towels; discard marinade.
- Preheat oven to 425F. Spray a large baking sheet with generously with oil.
- Combine egg, egg white, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs and panko.
- Dip chicken in the egg wash, then into the breadcrumb mixture and shake off excess.
- Place the chicken onto the prepared baking sheet and spray the top generously. Bake in the lower third of the oven until the bottom is golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn and bake 6 minutes, until golden.
Air Fryer Directions:
- Preheat the air fryer to 400F. Spray the chicken on both sides with oil. Cook in batches in a single layer 5 to 6 minutes on each side.
My family thoroughly enjoyed this recipe. It all came together quickly and the ingredients are generally always on hand at our house as well, so we will enjoy this again!
I found this recipe in the Skinnytaste Air Fryer cookbook and was really excited to try it since I love dill pickles and many cooks swear by a salt water brine to get flavorful, juicy chicken. I followed it exactly as written for the air fryer. The meat of the chicken was definitely infused with flavor. And that, unfortunately, is the only nice thing I can say about how this recipe turned out. The chicken was dry. The breading lacked flavor and struggled to stay on when I flipped it. I know the problem wasn’t my chicken as I had a 3-lb package that I divided in half between two different recipes in the same weekend. The other recipe was Skinnytaste’s Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets, which my husband and I absolutely devoured. Those turned out moist, and the breading was flavorful. Aside from the pickle brine, the two other main differences are that olive oil is used instead of egg as the binder and the breading included parmesan cheese. I won’t be making this recipe again, but the chicken nuggets will be going into my regular rotation.
One of our favorites!!!
Love this recipe! A winner!
These are delicious! My entire family loved them, even the grandchildren! I air fried them they were nice and crispy
The chicke strips, not the grandchildren were air fried! 😂
Ridiculously easy. Kids love it. Winner winner, chicken dinner!
bro
yummy
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Comes out very good, hubby loves it so I make often and so easy. I use the oven.
This came out SO good!! I didn’t have panko on hand so I just used bread crumbs. The pickle juice is such a great punch of flavor! Sprayed with avocado oil and popped in air fryer for 5 min, flip, spray again and cooked for 4 min.
These are so easy and delicious! I’ve cooked them both ways, and definitely prefer them cooked in the air fryer. Who needs Chick-fil-A?
These are so delish. I will be making them at least once a week.
I’m thinking this maybe a silly question but, I always have half jars of different pickle juices in the fridge . Could you mix them to get the correct quantity or is it best to stick to one type. Thank you for a delicious sounding recipr
My fiancé said this is the only way he wants to eat chicken from now on 😁. Great recipe, thank you!
My favorite Skinnytaste recipe and that’s really saying something!!
Thanks Shari!
I started marinating these for dinner tonight. Our dinner plans have changed and we won’t be able to eat them until tomorrow night. Do i leave them in the pickle juice?
Take them out and pat them dry, they will be ready for tomorrow.
This. Was. Amazing. Pickle juice is the game changer. I accidentally marinated for WELL over 8 hours (three times over 😣) and it still came out great. Luckily my husband is obsessed with pickles so the extra flavoring was his favorite part. Also, I will mix my breadcrumbs from now on; far better taste and texture in my opinion. Thank you!!!
These turned out great. Very moist and tasty.
I made this for dinner tonight and was not sure what to expect! We loved them. Definitely will be making again. Followed other suggestions by heating pan as oven warmed up and baking in lower 3rd of oven at 450. So food!
I know this is probably a long shot but is there a way to do these dairy and yeast free? My husbands allergies don’t allow those but I love pickles and trying new things so if there were a way to make these for him to try that would be awesome!!
You could try using ground pork rinds in place of the breading. I do this for keto purposes.
I made these last night. They were tender and juicy on the inside and crispy crunchy on the outside. Just perfect! The brine was wonderful
Awesome recipe! Thank you! I skipped the egg but I am sure it makes it even richer.
the egg makes it 5 times better
Mild pickle flavor. Such a great recipe!
Can you make this with tofu or other vegetarian options?
These turned out so delicious. We bribed ours overnight. Will definitely make again.
We really liked this recipe! The chicken is SO tender and tasty.
My husband had a questioning expression when I said “pickle-brined”, but once he tasted it, he was won over. I made sweet potato fries to go with, and made the reviewer-suggested Come Back Dipping Sauce which was delicious with both the chicken and the fries!
Thank you, Gina. We are never disappointed with your recipes.
Very tasty! Loved earlier comments that were helpful:
1) brining 8 hours really ensures the pickle flavor
2) drying the chicken pieces after brining is a MUST
3) suggest adding a pinch of cayenne pepper to the breadcrumb mixture gives it a little kick
4) preheating the oven, and cooking at 450 worked for my oven
5) sliding the baking sheet in the oven while preheating helps crisp the chicken
6) don’t use parchment paper or foil, just cooking spray is good
7) spraying the top before and after flipping the chicken is a must, but don’t soak
8) cook times – 10 min, flip, six more – is just about right
9) Come Back dipping sauce was a winner (google…you’ll find lots of recipes)
Serve with sauce and coleslaw was a nice relaxed Friday night dinner.
We love these!! We make them low carb using Pork Panko and canned parm cheese. Delicious!
I bought a Ninja Foodi on Black Friday, and was so excited to use the air fryer. Sadly, I was disappointed in this recipe. The coating came off and I was left with pickle-y green chicken.🥲
Just made these with zesty pickle juice…gives them a nice kick even after only being brined for 4 hours. Kids thought I was nuts, but not after they ate almost all of them! Will definitely make again.
I made this last night and it was great! I was only able to bribe for 2 hours and it still had great pickle flavor. Next time I’ll definitely do it for longer. I also added cayenne pepper to the breadcrumb mixture and served with a honey mustard dipping sauce. Even my picky husband loved it! Will absolutely make again!
Incredibly great. A def. keeper. Used the Air Fryer, worked out perfectly. Thanks Gina!
Outstanding! This recipe really demonstrates the power of the air fryer. Based on another comment, I served with a waffle and syrup on the side. Great brunch. 🙂
Absolutely amazing! I made a non brined version for my son and it was not a patch on these, WOW !
Have you ever tried these using a more gluten free or Keto option instead of breadcrumbs?
gluten-free crumbs yes, keto no.
So good! I only got to brine for 5-6 hours but still pulled the pickle flavor out well! My toddlers loved them. Next time I plan to do nuggets too! Also we did them GF. Yum!!
I made these in my new Breville convection toaster oven.. Did 5 minutes per side at 425 degreees,
My tenders were well browned as I sprayed with oil and used toasted bread crumbs, I thought these were very good. I ate them plain, without anything on them. I think I would like them better in a sandwich considering the slight pickle taste they have.
Thanks Gina !
I made these in the air fryer and they were so good! Another Skinnytaste winner!
Can you clarify how much chicken breast or tenders to use?
Hi Kelli, it is 12 tenders or 1 1/4 lb breasts sliced.
Another Skinnytaste winner! We made these exactly per the recipe and they were delicious. Turning at 8min was too soon for my oven as the breading started to come off. Turned the rest at 10 mins and was more careful with my tongs. Next time I’ll probably turn my oven to 450 to make them get a wee bit crispier after seeing a comment mention 450 in the video. Can’t wait to make them again. I’ll be buying dill pickle brine from amazon to keep for this!
Do they have a pickle taste to them, my husband doesn’t like pickles?
Thanks
Obviously lol
Could these be prepped and frozen? Wondering if I could make a big batch to cook in my freezer and then just cook as needed? Guessing I would need to cook 25 mins??
I have not tried, let me know how it works out!
I have all your cookbooks and have several favorites in each. But hands down this recipe is mine and my husband’s favorite. I serve with Come Back Sauce on the side and a cold beer. Super recipe!!
My family loves pickles and this recipe made me the star of the night! I made them in the nuwave infrared oven. It only goes up to 350 so I cooked it for 12 minutes on each side. Thank you!
Have done this before and will do again, but I need more time for brining. And allows me to continue to avoid Chick-fil-A .
This is the first time I have left a review but also the first time that I have had a recipe come out exactly as described! These tenders were delicious!!! Hands down a winner! Will be making these again and again!
Thanks!!
What would happen if I brined them longer than 8 hours? I work FT and would like to brine the night before making them the next day after work? Would they be too salty?
That should be fine.
I always marinate over night. Makes the chicken so tender and adds more flavor!
These tenders were so good that even my picky 5 year old said they were my best chicken recipe yet! The whole family hobbled them up and we will definitely be saving all our pickle juice to make these a weekly meal.
Great!!
These are delicious! We threw a couple in Frank’s and served it with waffles.
What is the best way to store leftovers?
Any substutes for the eggs? My kids are allergic. Do you think buttermilk might work? TIA!
Sure, you can also lok into Aquafaba egg replacement.
Egg allergy here too- I use water, milk, or applesauce.
MOST DELICIOUS…. Also had Pickled Jalapeno Juice and marinated some in that… Wow what a kick. Thanks for the recipe
So easy and very delicious. Made these a few days and ago and they were a big hit with the BF. We’ve been trying a bunch of recipes and so far, this, the marsala chicken meatballs, and the stuffed turkey meatloaf are his favorites. Making the meatballs (again!) tonight. Thank you, Gina. BTW, loved the pics of your new home…I wish you and your family the best of times in your new home.
Thank you!
Thank you for this easy recipe. I love your recipes.
Every time I bake breaded chicken, the edges (any part that doesn’t make contact with the with the foil/pan) stay mushy and never brown. What am I doing wrong?
They are crispiest if you don’t use foil.
Wow these were so good in my new Air Fryer, I mean kind of blew my mind! Good luck stopping at one serving!
Another keeper recipe!!! My family loves Chick-fil-A and these tenders. Plus so easy to make and versatile….you can have anything as a side. Thanks GINA! I’m a huge fan!
Great!
We LOVED these!!! Great recipe. I love pickles and was excited to make this recipe. I will be making these again, often. I have a favorite dill pickle, Natures Promise Organic Dill Pickles, and I used that pickle juice for the brine. Amazing! Thanks for a great recipe my whole family loved!
loved them! super easy to make. very little prepping. convenient for after working all day. Kids thought they were fantastic. We love pickles and you definitely could taste the pickle brine.
Could these be made in the air fryer??
Yes! I will test the time soon
This is ok if you like green tinted chicken, and the breading fell right off, don’t know what I did wrong.
❤️ and recommend your recipes to everyone and you are my go to for recipes for the WW groups I run. Thank you so much for what you do.
I am going to do these this weekend and try a few things… Some breaded, some not – going to use my Nuwave Brio 10Q air fryer… I also wonder how olive juice would work or an olive/pickle juice mix?
I love making Skinnytaste recipes for myself and my family and this is one of our favorites! The chicken is so tender and the perfect amount of slight pickle flavor. I have used dill and bread and butter pickle juice and cones our great either way. Thank you for this recipe and the many others!!!
How would you do these in an air fryer? The chicken tenders recipe in my instructions says to do it at 350 for 12 minutes then 400 for 6 minutes, but I thought it might be less since these are tenderized by the brine.
I love pickles and I love these chicken tenders. So flavorful and tender. Using the lower third of the oven definitely made them crispier.
WICKLES PICKLES only way to go. Pickles are absolutely fantastic on sandwiches. Makes a grilled cheese seem like a bite of Heaven.
FYI, found a recipe for pickle juice on Pinterest. http://pinterest.com/pin/57280226494074245/?source_app=android
Nice! Thank you!!
My husband and I loved them! He ate them with Frank’s hot sauce, I ate mine on a salad!!! Guess we’re gonna have to eat more pickles!!! Thanks Gina
I marinated chicken breast for 3 days due to the usual mom craziness! I thought they would be too salty–after rinsing and patting dry, i cut into nuggets and I dipped right in the breadcrumb mixture skipping the egg dip. They cooked perfect in the bottom rack with the breaking sticking without a problem and browning nicely. 2 of my 3 kiddos loved them! Will be making again for sure. Thank you for another winner Gina!
Can these be cooked in an air Fryer?
This is delicious! I like the taste of pickles but generally despise the texture, so this recipe is perfect for me. A warning to those making it for the first time: Make sure to follow Gina’s instructions and drain the tenders on a paper towel after brining, or the breading will peel right off. The first time I made these I was in a rush and skipped that step and boy, did I regret it! I gave it another try tonight and did things properly and the breading stuck much better. It pairs nicely with the homemade ranch dressing recipe on this site. Thanks for sharing!
Im cooking these tonight. But I did notice the video said oven at 450. But in the recipe it said 425.. Which should I do
I did try this recipe and really liked the taste and tenderness of the chicken but the chicken did not brown — Not sure why. I even tried to broil but did not want to overcook the chicken. Any suggestions:
Spray some Pam or other cooking spray on top when you put it in the oven. COAT THEM AGain when you turn them.
I had the same problem. The chicken was tender, but the surface didn’t brown, so they ended up kind of soft and mushy. I think I’ll try it in the air fryer if there is a next time…or turn the oven temp up to 450.
So so so good!!! I air fried these instead of the oven and omg I could have ate them all!!!
What temp and time would you cook in the air fryer??? Thanks for your reply 🙂
The flavors in this recipe for some reason bring me back to being a kid at lunch at day-camp on chicken tender day. This recipe is so easy to make and so tasty. I always pair with 2tbsp of ketchup, a pickle and some kind of raw veggie – cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, mini cucumbers, etc.
Can these go in the air fryer? I made your other chicken nuggets in the air fryer and they were AMAZING!
Did you try them in the AF? I was thinking the same but wondering how long to cook (new to AF cooking).
These were delicious, so flavorful and EASY. If you don’t like pickles, don’t be afraid! My 16 year old daughter doesn’t like pickles and these slipped past her totally undetected! I plan to make these again and again.
I was very skeptical of this recipe and was scared I’d ruin a pound of chicken but they were amazing!
They’re so good! Some of the best tenders I’ve ever made and they taste just like Chick-fil-a, only difference is the texture. I’m sure these are much healthier too.
Can you make these in the air fryer?
I was wondering about that too! I’m just not sure how long they would take.
definitely follow the instructions about cooking on the bottom of the oven. I had two pans. The one of top did not brown as well.
A trick to curb the sogginess at the bottom: when heating your oven, out your cookie sheet inside the oven. Then, when ready to bake, take cookie sheet out, spray with oil, arrange tenders, spray again, slide in oven. Since your cookie sheet is already very hot the bottom will start crisping up right away! It works! Try it!
What a neat tip. Thanks. 🙂
I made your Italian Beef Hoagies the other day. I saved the brine from the pepperoncini peppers for this recipe (because we don’t eat many pickles). Both recipes were delicious!
Great!
Made this recipe the other night with turkey tenderloin and the whole family loved it. Really nice flavor. Will make this again with either chicken or turkey
Hello! I can’t wait to try this recipe! If I wanted to freeze a portion of them, at what point would you freeze them? Can’t decide if it would be best to do them after dipping in egg/breadcrumb mixture before baking or after baking? Thanks!!
I would freeze them after baking.
I made spicy dilly beans and had a ton of brine left after the jar was finished. I used that brine to marinate the chicken. Sooooo good. Garlicky and spicy because of the somewhat spicy brine, but not too much to be unpleasant. My 9 year old had seconds (whaaaat?)
I am looking forward to making this again soon!!
great!
I cant wait. The chicken is marinating as I write this. Everything I have made from your site has been fabulous. Thank you so much. And I am down 43 pounds and counting. Thank you Gina
Great job Lauren! 🙂
They were so yummy! These will become a staple in our house.
Made these and they are awesome. Super easy and quick. Let them marinate for 24 hours.
Great flavor. Mine were soggy though. Cooked at 425, the breading stuck to the pan and was wet. When I flipped it all the breading stuck. Any idea what went wrong? I used gf breadcrumbs and it was gummy.
I wonder how this would work on chicken drumsticks (I have those in the fridge right now…waiting for inspiration).
Whenever i make chicken fingers in the oven (including these ones) I can’t get them crispy. It always just ends up as soggy bread crumbs. What am i doing wrong??
These are soooo yummy. My girls and I loved them! One problem- when I turned them a lot of the breading came off. What did I do wrong?
me too… they were soggy…
These were amazing! Just as good a McDonalds, Chick-fil-a or Caines!
Mummy made them for me and I was very happy. Cost a lot of GBP thought.
10/10 would tendie again.
What is pandora?
What is panko?
Japanese bread crumbs
These were tasty. I had to cook longer to get a light brown crust.
Can you skip the egg and bread them straight from the marinade?
I haven’t tried, let me know if you do!
Similar question – what about using olive oil instead of egg (like your recipe for air fryer chicken nuggets)?
It should work!
These look amazing. Thank you very much for including the sp. I am a lifetime member of Ww and still track. Your recipes and two books are on my shelf and use them when making my weekly menu. Your Unstuffed cabbage soup is delish. Made a batch and share with neighbors.
Thanks Fran!
These are delicious! We’ve made them 3 times now and dinner was a success each time (and that is with a 5 and 6 year old). Thank you for the recipe. Keep ’em coming! I haven’t made anything that hasn’t been a recipe keeper.
Thank you!
Do u have a suggestion on pickle juice and how to get it -we love the recipe and I think I W I’ll make weekly but can’t eat pickles that fast –
Some above posted a link to recipe for pickle juice above. Maybe try looking for a recipe for it, then you don’t have to eat the pickles as often.
Sorry, that should have said someone posted a link to Pinterest for a pickle juice recipe.
Here is it: http://megadoseofd.blogspot.com/2016/06/homemade-pickle-juice.html?m=1
Making these for the third time in about 6 weeks. We now use the Famous Dave’s spicy pickles just because they’re our favorite. We double the recipe, too, because they’re that great. This is the only baked chicken recipe that has a consistency/crispiness that I like. They are just SO SO good!!!
Thanks Jessica! 🙂
have to made these, do they have pickle flavor
gina – do you remove the tendon from the tenders before you cook? thanks!
Sure
Yum.
I have made these several times and they are delicious. Easy, crispy, juicy, and flavorful.
Please add to Direction # 1 – Discard marinade after draining. I have personally witnessed someone who was going to save her marinade used on chicken for use another time. This practice is potentially dangerous.
Bacteria on chicken meat can be very high. It is destroyed through proper cooking temperatures. Bacteria is left in the marinade and can grow and multiply and be transferred to whatever it is used on next. Thanks.
done!
i tried this. I loved them, but my family not so much. I used hamburger dill pickle slices juice. my family all felt they were salty.
was worth trying.
Do they have a distinct pickle flavor? We don’t have a chick fil a, so I have nothing to reference lol I love pickles but the family does not. This looks amazing to me, but I don’t want to disappoint the family with dinner.
I just made them and am eating them now! I marinated mine for 5.5 hours and they taste pretty pickle-y. I’m not a huge pickle lover but I like these. But if they really hate pickles, they might be too strong for them.
do you think you could use jalepeno brine?
It would be spicy but sure!
I was wondering the same thing! Let us know if you try it with jalapeño brine
Is there anything else you can use for the brine…out of pickles at the moment?
I’d like to know this as well. I don’t keep pickles around all that often.
What seasonings do you recommend for plain breadcrumbs and plain Panko? That’s all I have on hand. Thanks!
salt, parmesan, dried parsley
I checked the ingredients for the seasoned breadcrumbs so I could adjust my plain ones. I added salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and fresh grated parmesan. I skipped the dried parsley because I didn’t think it would impart any real flavor – it’s more for looks.
I have to say I was skeptical when I first saw this recipe but finally decided to try it when i saw it on the most popular list for 2016. OMG, why did I wait so long? So easy and so yummy. They were also a hit with my college age son who is home for winter break.
What could I sub for the eggs?? I would love to make this for my daughter!!
Buttermilk!
Awesome recipe for chicken tenders! Such a good flavor and crunch from the bread coating.
For a dipping sauce I combined 1/2 cup Mayo, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire. 1/4 teaspoon chipotle pepper, and fresh ground pepper to taste. Let this sit in fridge for a couple of hours to blend flavors.
Yummy!
I just got an air fryer today and have these chicken tenders marinating… do you think I can make them in the air fryer? ????
I’ve never use one, let me know if you try it!
Any difference between using brine from sweet bread & butter v. dill?
These looks so good! My son is allergic to eggs. Any thoughts on what to use as a binder in place of the egg?
Low fat buttermilk works very well as a substitute for eggs.
Does it make a difference if you use the juice from the expensive fermented type of pickles?
What is the purpose of the extra egg white (one egg plus one egg white?). Can I just use 2 whole eggs?
These chicken tenders are AMAZING!!! The while family loved them, these will be in our regular dinner rotation for sure!
Do you think you could make a huge batch of these and freeze them?
Yes.
Video says 450, instructions say 425. I had to cook longer at 425 to get to a slightly golden brown. Will try 450 next time. Oven is accurate, i used bottom third.
Just made these for lunch, they were awesome – served with Franks Red Hot for dipping!
Sounds good!
Making these tonight with the tossed mushrooms side dish! Super excited!
Omg this was incredible!!!
First off let me say I liked these. They do remind me of Chick-fil-a. However, my kids didn’t like them nor did the neighbor’s kid. His dad is a franchise owner of Chick-fil-a so he gets that food a lot. I won’t make again as I don’t want to eat this all alone. Also, I had to dump a whole jar of pickles in the trash just for the juice. I don’t like dill pickles 🙁
Then don’t make them if you don’t like Dill. Or use a different kind of brine.
Is there any way to make this without egg? I’m allergic but I love pickles and would love to try this!
I’m so excited to try this recipe with my 2 and 3 year old son and daughter! Unfortunately, my son has an egg allergy. Do you have any suggestions or alternates to using the egg as a binder for the bread/panko crumbs?
Thanks again!
I have used low fat buttermilk as a substitute…works great.
We did really like this. I didn’t plan ahead and only marinated for 2 hours. The chicken was nice and tender, but there was no pickle flavor. I can’t wait to try it again overnight.
Made these tonight!! So quick easy and delicious!!!
I made this last week – it was SO GOOD!
The pickle flavor really stood out, in a great way. I made sure to dry the chicken tenders thoroughly before dipping them in the egg mixture, and the breading stuck very well. I used whole wheat unseasoned breadcrumbs, so I added some chili powder, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese and it turned out great. I served them with sriracha which went very well. Thank you so much for another great recipe! I almost exclusively look for new recipes on your site now because I know they’ll always turn out well.
So, I made this without any idea what to expect, and after one bite, I just stared at my chicken in disbelief, like WTF? THIS IS AMAZING! Seriously, this has instantly become a go-to recipe (especially when I need to cook for my picky nieces and nephews). I also added some paprika and a little chili powder to my panko for extra flavor. Yum.
This review made me laugh! Thank you for the joy of your honest commentary.
Does the acidity in the pickle juice start to “cook” the chicken (like seafood in ceviche) when you marinate it? Or is that an advantage, leading to shorter cooking time?
Cook time remains the same, it just gets juicier and tastier.
used homemade jalapeno brine/pickling liquid.. It was great with just a little touch of hot
I made these the other night and had a hard time getting the bread crumbs to brown as much as in the photos. Any suggestions? They were delicious nonetheless though!
Could it be your oven? All ovens are different and cook differently. In my case, the chicken fingers at the front of the pan browned beautifully and the ones at the back didn’t do so well. But that’s my oven’s fault, it’s overdue to be replaced lol. Next time I’ll just turn the pan halfway through. Or hopefully I’ll have a new oven by then haha. Oh – also, did you cook them on the lower third of the oven like the instructions mentioned? I find that helped a lot versus other chicken fingers I’ve made.
We are making these tonight. Does anyone have a recommendation for a low point side dish!? When I think chicken fingers, I think fries. We might make homemade oven baked fries, but other suggestions?
Gina, LOVE everything you post so I’m sure these are going to be amazing!
Any of my salads would work as would my skinny garlic parmesan fries or low fat baked onion rings. Enjoy!
Love this recipe! I brined mine in Wickles Pickles juice (they’re an Alabama spicy pickle brand) and I let them brine for two days. They turned out amazing! I’d recommend the spicy pickle juice to those who love pickles like I do.
Good to know!
These were very yummy but I found them to be dry. I cooked them for 8 minutes, flipped them and did another 6 minutes. I will try 6 and 6 next time. I would also add a bit more salt next time. I used homemade pickle juice… Maybe it isn’t as salty as store bought.
Yum! My husband and I made these AND the oven-fried pickles last night! Both were delicious! I will certainly make BOTH again – and will try the chicken tenders with sweet pickle juice next time (even though I prefer dill).
Gina, my kids loved this with ketchup! I even made it at my Passover Seder and used matzo meal for the breading. It was a hit!!
great!!
I made these yesterday and followed the recipe exactly – they came out great will def make again
So happy to hear!
I made these last night with the garlic/parm fries (spiralized). They both were soooooo good!!! The chicken does taste like chick fila chicken!!!
What do you mean by seasoned breadcrumbs and seasoned panko crumbs? What seasonings should be added?
They sell them seasoned in the grocery store, usually it says “Italian Seasoning bread crumbs”
Can you marinade and cook whole chicken breasts instead of tenders?
Yes!!
what side would you pair with these???
Endless possibilities! Quick cabbage slaw, oven roasted cauliflower, broccoli and cheese tots, summer macaroni salad with tomatoes and zucchini, low fat baked onion rings….
you have done it again!!! I made these last night for dinner. My husband, who is a Chick Fil A connoisseur, was skeptical when I told him they were just like Chick Fil A. He looked at me like I had 2 heads. Then he tasted one…… and I quote “Holy Cow, if you didn’t know it, you’d think these were from Chick Fil A !” haha!! So we cut them up over salad and it was outstanding. And he asked that this be in our rotation for dinner… thank you very much for another wonderful recipe!!! You make eating well SOOO easy!!!
Awesome!!!
I’m splurging tonight — making the tenders AND the oven fried pickles. Portion control is the key. Lunch leftovers tomorrow will again make me the envy of the office lunchroom and I will be sticking to my diet. Thanks to you Gina I am still down over 100 pounds and counting.
Good for you, I am so happy for you!!! Agree, portion control is KEY! Enjoy your leftovers Doug!
What did you use for dipping sauce?
This was amazing. What an incredibly unique flavor! Plus it turns out you can marinate them longer than 8 hours. I put my chicken tenders in the marinade one morning and didn’t cook until the next day because I came down with a freak stomach virus and couldn’t haul myself out of bed. I can’t wait to eat them for lunch all week!
So happy you enjoyed it!
How could I make these gluten free?
Thanks!!!
Use GF panko, or pulverize pork rinds for the breading.
I use pork rinds and parmesan cheese with the fried version so this way will be amazing!
you could use corn flakes instead of bread crumbs
Gluten free bread crumbs mixed with parm cheese made a great crust for me
These were amazing. The whole family loved them. This will be my new go to chicken finger recipe.
Does it matter what type of pickle juice (dill or sweet pickles) you use?
If you want the chik-fil-a version, use dill.
I need to create a hash tag, because I AM your biggest fan. 😉 Made these this week and wanted to say
TWO THUMBS WAY UP!
Can’t you just buy pickle juice somewhere though?
I am going on the hunt for DILL pickle juice. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SITE/RECIPES/AND MEAL PLANS
I just looked on Amazon, because I was wondering the same thing, and the answer apparently was YES! By the liter or even the gallon!
I just made my own brine! Google dill pickle brine to get the exact ratios. It’s vinegar, water, salt and some dill.
Is it OK to marinate the chicken for longer than 8 hours? I wouldn’t normally, but would rather cook it tomorrow. Thanks!
I’ve made these many times and you can marinate as long as you want or as little as an hour. If I’m able to plan ahead I’ll marinate for 24 hours.
Thanks! I was wondering also.
Delicious! They were even better the next day in a salad. My entire family loved them and told me to make it again!!
These were amazing!! I shared with everyone at work! I should have doubled the recipe. Even my picky 9 year old who will only eat fast food nuggets said they were awesome????
Quick question – I have the strips marinating in pickle juice now. I’m confused by your instructions that say to “Place the chicken onto the prepared baking sheet and spray the top generously.” Spray the top of the chicken? With what? The video doesn’t show you spraying anything on them before baking???
I appreciate your help! Can’t wait to try these!
Spray the pan and then the chicken with the cooking spray.
These were fantastic! Used a knock off chik-fil-a sauce which added calories but oh my-sooo good. May have been first time I hoped my picky eaters didn’t finish their dinners, but of course they did. Definitely another skinnytaste keeper! Thank you
Hi’ I put these in the WW calculator because I was going to have 1-1/2 servings. They come out to 4 sp a serving? Is that right?
These were really delicious!!! Thank you!!! I couldn’t do my WW journey withoht your recipes!
If anyone out there is craving more of the dill/pickle flavor – I ended up marinating for ~11 hours, since I made these on a weekday and couldn’t get home from work any sooner. They tasted DELICIOUS and just the right amount of pickle flavor. My boyfriend likes pickles enough, not a huge fan, but said these were the most delicious chicken tenders he’s tried. Highly recommend!
Made this last night and woah you were not kidding! Just like chick fil-a! I absolutely could not get the breadcrumbs to brown in the oven though, even though I sprayed them heavily with cooking spray 🙁
Hi Jen, To brown breadcrumbs or panko I find it’s best to toast them in a hot skillet and then let them cool before you bread whatever you are going to make. I don’t use any oil, but it’s REALLY important that you keep the crumbs moving in the pan or they will burn. I also can’t stress enough to not walk away because they will turn from golden to ruined in the blink of an eye. That being said, when I’ve used this method I’ve had good results with a crispy golden exterior each time. Hope this helps. Good luck! And thanks, Gina, for your wonderful recipes!
What sauce are you dipping it in?
Made these for dinner tonight. Yum!! Will definitely keep in the rotation.
Made these tonight, my family was not a fan because they could taste the pickle. I didn’t tell them I marinated them in pickle juice but they guessed it after one bite. 🙁
I on the other hand liked them.
Do you think you can bread them, and then freeze them uncooked, to use later? If so, would cooking time change? I suppose I could halve the recipe but just seems easier to brine all at once.