If you can’t get the kids out of the kitchen, then you might as well make them help. I am all for getting kids involved in the kitchen at an early age. The more they see the more they learn. It also makes them more aware of what they are eating and expanding their horizons. Whenever I have a child, they can be anything they want in this world but a picky eater. Hands on time with the kids is exciting. I have my niece with me in the kitchen every chance I get because it gives her a sense of being grown up while learning basic recipes and memories that will carry on until she is my age and in the kitchen.

Know what you’re feeding your kids. I am in no way a super healthy eater but I do believe in fueling a young growing body the best you can. I am totally turned off of fast food and wouldn’t dare eat McDonald’s chicken nuggets but the craving for them forced me to make my own. It’s such a simple snack that everyone loves so it’s always a go to. You can spruce it up with sauces or gravies or make it the star of a friend chicken entree. This is just a basic crispy tender ideal for kids made with chicken you trust. It sounds so good being able to pop pre-made chicken tenders in the oven and calling it a day but why not take an extra 10 minutes to make them yourself or with the kids and feel better about what you’re eating?

I really wanted to share this recipe for parents that try to tick to organic or unprocessed foods. I also bake the tenders so you reduce using any oil or fat which is just an added bonus because they taste better than fried. I fully support the growing trend and I’m here to tell you that it is not as expensive as you think. For an extra 2 bucks or so you could have much healthier chicken. Almost every grocery store carries their own brand of organic meats so you can usually catch a good deal. It’s time to replace those frozen”all natural meat” chicken tenders and nuggets!

I have shared my breading technique a zillion times throughout my recipes but in case you missed it…

1. Whisk 2 eggs together and add a teaspoon of salt and pepper.
2. On a large plate, add 1 cup of plain panko bread crumbs with a teaspoon each of
   1. onion powder
   2. garlic powder
   3. salt
   4. pepper
3. Place your chicken one piece at a time in the egg mixture, let excess egg drip off then coat in your breadcrumbs. 
4. Repeat and place all of your tenders on a baking dish with a wire rack so the bottoms don’t get soggy.

Place all of your tenders on the baking rack and pop into a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Check around 20 minutes to see if they are golden and crispy. Once they are to your desired crispiness, take out and let cook.