Baked chicken tenders can easily turn out dry and overcooked if you don’t take the proper steps to keep them moist and juicy. The chicken breast meat in tenders is lean and prone to drying out. Thankfully, there are several tricks you can use during prep, cooking, and serving to ensure your baked chicken tenders turn out perfectly moist and delicious every time.
Why do chicken tenders dry out when baking?
Chicken tenders dry out when baking for two main reasons:
- Overcooking – Chicken tenders cook quickly, so it’s easy to accidentally bake them for too long which dries them out.
- Lack of fat/moisture – Chicken tenders are low in fat. With no protective fat to keep moisture in, the lean chicken breast meat dries out easily during baking.
The oven’s dry heat environment also causes moisture loss. So you have to take proactive steps to prevent your tenders from drying out.
How to keep chicken tenders moist: Prep methods
Use these simple prep methods to help retain moisture in your chicken tenders before baking:
Marinate the chicken
Marinating the tenders in an acidic liquid like lemon or lime juice helps tenderize the meat. The acid slightly breaks down the proteins on the surface, allowing the tender to better retain moisture during cooking.
You can also marinate in buttermilk, yogurt, wine, vinegar or discern marinades. Let the tenders soak for 30 mins to an hour before baking. The longer time allows more moisture to penetrate into the meat.
Season well
Seasoning the tenders before baking helps boost flavor and retain moisture. Salt helps lightly season the meat and dissolve some proteins so they better absorb and hold moisture.
You can coat tenders in a dry seasoning rub too. Spices like garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili powder and cumin add great flavor. The layer of seasoning also creates a protective crust on the exterior to seal in meat juices.
Coat in a thin layer of fat
Brushing a thin layer of oil or melted butter on the tenders helps guard against moisture loss during baking. The fat basting essentially seals the outside of the meat to prevent it from drying out. Olive oil, avocado oil, melted butter or ghee all work well.
How to keep chicken tender moist: Baking tips
Use these baking methods and tips to promote juicy, tender chicken:
Don’t overcrowd the baking sheet
Too many tenders crowded close together causes them to steam and dry out. Leave at least 1 inch of space around each tender to allow proper air circulation and direct bottom pan contact.
This allows the chicken to get nicely browned and caramelized rather than steaming.
Use a wire cooling rack
Baking the tenders elevated on a wire rack promotes air circulation all around for even cooking. The tenders cook from the hot air rather than having prolonged direct pan contact which dries them out.
Bake at a high temperature
Chicken needs a high heat to properly brown and cook through before drying out. Bake at 450??F or higher to quickly seal the exterior and cook through the inside before moisture has a chance to escape.
Brush tenders with pan juices
Basting the tenders with the cooking juices halfway through baking keeps the exterior moist and shiny. Use a cooking brush to coat the tops with any butter, oil or juices pooling in the pan.
Spray with broth or water
Misting the tenders with chicken broth, water or a nonstick cooking spray provides extra moisture just like basting. The moisture helps transfer heat efficiently for fast, even cooking.
Tent foil over tenders
Tenting foil over the baking sheet during the last 5-10 minutes traps steam and heat to keep tenders extra moist without softening the crispy exterior.
How to keep baked chicken tender moist: Serving methods
Use these serving tips to keep your baked chicken tender as moist as possible after cooking:
Let rest 5-10 minutes
Letting the baked tenders sit 5-10 minutes before cutting allows juices to redistribute through the meat. Slicing into chicken immediately causes the juices to run out.
Serve with sauce
Serving chicken tenders with a sauce provides extra moisture and flavor. Sauces like barbecue, ranch, blue cheese, honey mustard, etc help prevent a dried out after-meal.
Keep warm before serving
If you won’t be serving the chicken right away, tent it with foil and keep warm in a low oven until ready to serve. This stops the tenders from overcooking and drying out.
Don’t refrigerate before serving
Avoid refrigerating baked chicken tenders if serving within 2-3 hours. The cold fridge draws moisture out of the hot chicken, causing it to dry quickly.
Moist Baked Chicken Tenders Recipe
This simple recipe uses a few tricks to produce incredibly moist, juicy baked chicken tenders:
Ingredients:
- 1 lb chicken tenders
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp each salt, garlic powder, paprika
Steps:
- Marinate tenders in buttermilk for 30 mins.
- Drain and pat dry chicken. Toss in oil and seasonings.
- Bake at 450??F for 12-15 mins until browned and 165??F internal temperature.
- Rest 5 minutes before serving with desired sauce.
The buttermilk marinade tenderizes the meat and provides a tangy flavor. The oil coating seals in moisture while the spices add flavor and crust. High heat baking cooks the tenders quickly without drying. Finally, the short rest redistributes juices before serving sauced.
Conclusion
It’s easy to end up with dry baked chicken tenders if you don’t take the right measures. But using simple prep and cooking methods really helps keep the chicken tender and juicy from start to finish. The keys are sealing in moisture with fat, preventing overcrowding and overcooking, and letting the chicken rest properly before cutting. Follow these tips and you’ll never have to deal with dried out baked chicken tenders again.