Baked buffalo chicken tenders are delicious for game day or weeknight meal! They are made with panko, seasonings, and served drizzled with buffalo sauce and gorgonzola cheese.

Serve them with our 4-ingredient guacamole recipe.

What are Baked Buffalo Chicken Tenders?

This buffalo chicken recipe is made by dipping chicken tenderloin strips in the panko crumbs, egg wash, then back into the crumbs for the crispiest coating. Similar to our crispy chicken bites recipe!

Then the tenders are quickly seared on the stovetop and finished baking in the oven. They are served with a drizzle of buffalo sauce and gorgonzola cheese for the perfect spicy and creamy combination.

Serve the crispy tenders with Greek yogurt onion dip, crudite platter, or roasted sweet potato wedges. These “boneless buffalo wings” will become one of your favorite recipes for game day.

Ingredients

You can find the ingredients to make this easy game-day meal at your local grocery store.

  • Panko breadcrumbs: Panko bread crumbs are best because of how they adhere to the chicken and make them crispy.
  • Seasonings: This recipe uses paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. You can add your favorite spices as well.
  • Eggs: Use large, fresh eggs and whisk them up with a fork in a small bowl.
  • Chicken tenders: You can buy a pack of chicken tenderloins from the grocery store.
  • Butter: Unsalted butter is best for this recipe.
  • Buffalo sauce: Choose your favorite buffalo sauce to drizzle on the tenders.
  • Gorgonzola cheese: Buy crumbled gorgonzola cheese to top your tenders with.
ingredients for buffalo chicken tenders

How to Make Baked Buffalo Chicken Tenders

The steps to make these chicken tenders are easy and absolutely worth it!

Prepare the breadcrumbs and egg mixtures: Toss the breadcrumbs with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a large square bowl or baking pan. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl.

breading and egg wash for chicken

Coat the chicken: Coat the chicken tenders in the breadcrumb mixture, then in the egg, then back in the crumbs.

chicken tenders in a skillet

Sear & bake the chicken: In a hot skillet, sear the tenders, turning once, until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet. Bake the chicken tenders until cooked through.

chicken tenders with buffalo sauce

Prepare the spicy buffalo sauce: Combine the melted butter and buffalo sauce. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken and top with crumbled gorgonzola cheese.

Recipe Tips

Use these tips and tricks to make the best homemade buffalo chicken tenders.

  • Use panko breadcrumbs. Panko bread crumbs are best because they stick to the chicken better than regular breadcrumbs. Plus they create the most crispy coating.
  • Keep them crispy after baking. After cooking, place the chicken tenders on a wire rack to allow them to cool, so one side doesn’t become mushy.
  • Dip them in something creamy. Dip the chicken fingers in ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing and serve with carrots and celery sticks.
  • Use parchment paper. Lay parchment paper on the baking sheet before baking the chicken, so they don’t stick to the pan. This also makes for a much easier cleanup.
  • Substitute for chicken tenders. If you can’t find chicken tenderloins at the grocery store, you can slice boneless skinless chicken breasts instead.

Variations

It’s easy to make these spicy chicken tenders any way you want them. Here are some ideas to get started.

  • Hot sauce: Make homemade buffalo sauce or use another type of sauce like barbecue or teriyaki.
  • Chicken: You can also use bone-in chicken legs or drummettes if you prefer.
  • Seasonings: Use your favorite spices in this recipe, like garlic salt or ranch seasoning.
  • Cheese: Don’t like gorgonzola cheese? Try blue cheese or even feta cheese as a topping.
buffalo chicken tenders recipe

How to Make Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Tenders

You can easily make these chicken tenders in your air fryer instead of cooking them on the stovetop and then baking them.

To cook them in the air fryer, dip them in the breadcrumbs and egg mixture as written.

Place them in the air fryer basket in a single layer and cook until they reach 165°F on the inside. You may need to turn them over halfway through cooking to ensure both sides are cooked evenly.

How to Serve 

Serve these crispy chicken tenders with veggie platter, buttermilk green goddess dressing, and with other game day food or appetizers such as:

Storing Tips 

Refrigerate: Keep leftover chicken fingers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Reheat: Reheat the chicken tenders in 30-second increments in the microwave until heated through.

Freeze: You can freeze these buffalo chicken strips and save them to eat later. They’re the perfect make-ahead dish for an after-school snack or game day.

Allow them to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and then heat them in the microwave. You can also heat them straight from frozen in an air fryer.

baked buffalo chicken tenders

FAQs

Why are my buffalo tenders too dry? 

If you notice that your buffalo chicken tenderloins are too dry, it’s possible they were cooked too long. To ensure they don’t overcook or undercook, use an instant-read thermometer.

Can I make buffalo chicken tenders less spicy? 

Yes, you can make this dish spicy or not spicy at all. Just use a different kind of sauce rather than traditional buffalo sauce. Try barbeque or teriyaki.

Do I need to bake buffalo chicken tenders as well as fry them? 

You don’t need to bake the tenders as well, but in this recipe, it keeps the chicken moist and finishes cooking them without drying them out.

More Game Day Recipes

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
buffalo chicken tenders

Baked Buffalo Chicken Tenders

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Katya
  • Prep Time: 30 min
  • Cook Time: 30 min
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Main
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Buffalo chicken tenders are delicious for game day or weeknight meal! They are made with panko breadcrumbs, and seasonings, and served drizzled with buffalo sauce and gorgonzola cheese.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  • 45 large eggs
  • 2 lbs. chicken tenders
  • 2 Tbsp. melted butter
  • 6 Tbsp. buffalo sauce
  • Gorgonzola cheese, for serving
  • Avocado oil, for cooking

Instructions

  1. In a shallow dish, toss breadcrumbs with paprika, garlic powder, onion, powder, salt, and pepper. Beat eggs in a separate bowl.
  2. Coat chicken tenders in crumbs shaking off excess, then in the egg, then back in the crumbs. Place on a plate.
  3. In a heavy-duty large skillet heat oil over medium heat. You’ll need enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Cook tenders, turning once, until golden, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer in a single layer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cook the next batch, adding more oil to the pan as needed.
  4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bake the tenders for 8-10 minutes or until the internal temperature registers 165F. 
  5. Combine the melted butter and buffalo sauce. Drizzle sauce over chicken tenders and top with crumbled gorgonzola cheese. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Panko: Regular breadcrumbs do not stick to the chicken as well as the Panko. I do not recommend a substitute.
  • Buffalo sauce: Drizzle as much sauce as you like to control the spiciness. For a different spin, try barbeque or even teriyaki sauce.
  • Gorgonzola cheese: Feel free to leave out the cheese altogether or use blue or feta cheese instead.
  • Serving: These tenders serve well with additional buffalo sauce on the side or a creamy dip such as ranch dressing.
  • Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Tenders will not be crispy when reheated.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 tenders
  • Calories: 542
  • Sugar: 3 g
  • Sodium: 1823.3 mg
  • Fat: 23.9 g
  • Carbohydrates: 34.3 g
  • Protein: 42.8 g
  • Cholesterol: 219.8 mg