Baked Orange Chicken Tenders are on the dinner menu… and leftovers are headed straight into lunch boxes! This 30-minute recipe yields moist chicken tenders baked until crispy perfection and coated in the best DIY orange chicken sauce.
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Orange chicken, meet chicken tenders. Chicken tenders, meet orange chicken. Now that we’re all BFFs, it’s time to combine these two culinary classics into a single family-friendly, finger-lickin’ favorite: Baked Orange Chicken Tenders!
Ditch the deep fryer. Skip the freezer aisle. Toss the takeout menus. We’re going homemade all the way. Extra-crispy chicken tenders are baked to golden brown perfection then dunked in a DIY sauce starring a breakfast beverage favorite: Florida’s Natural Orange Juice.
Why You’ll Love Orange Chicken Tenders
- They’ll be on your table in 30 minutes or less!
- These tenders are crispy on the outside yet incredibly moist inside.
- Perfect for palates of all ages.
- Stars the best homemade orange chicken sauce.
- Baked not deep fried.
I’ve partnered with the fine folks at Florida’s Natural® Orange Juice to whip up this quick and easy recipe that’s perfect for palates of all ages. This California girl married a Florida boy, so I’ve been traveling to the Sunshine State for more than a decade. If there’s one thing I love about Florida, it’s the endless orange groves that produce the state’s finest fruit.
I’ve been a longtime fan of Florida’s Natural Orange Juice because it’s made from one single ingredient: 100 percent real Florida oranges. Florida’s Natural is also committed to Florida’s growers and is a farmer-owned cooperative. Those are big wins all around!
Pair that fresh citrus flavor with plenty of garlic and ginger, add some soy sauce and hoisin sauce to the setup, and you have the makings of the ultimate homemade orange chicken.
- Flour: Creates a barrier between the chicken and the batter for a crispier result.
- Eggs: Acts as the “glue” that holds onto the breadcrumbs.
- Orange juice: Florida’s Natural® Orange Juice is the base of all of my orange chicken sauces because it has the perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess. There’s also a splash in the batter.
- Panko breadcrumbs: For the perfect light and crispy coating.
- Chicken tenders: You can find pre-cut chicken tenders at most major grocery stores. Or you can easily make your own using a boneless, skinless chicken breast. Just slice the breast lengthwise into strips about half an inch thick.
- Cornstarch: This helps to thicken the sauce.
- Sesame oil and olive oil: Adds nutty, earthy flavor to the sauce.
- Garlic: Just 2 cloves, minced.
- Ginger: I almost always prefer to use fresh ginger when cooking. However, if you don’t have fresh ginger on hand, ⅛ teaspoon of ground ginger can be substituted.
- Orange marmalade: Gives the sauce its signature orange flavor.
- Hoisin sauce: Adds savory flavor to the sauce.
- Low-sodium soy sauce: I cannot stress enough how important it is to use low-sodium soy sauce in this recipe! Using regular soy sauce will result in an overly salty sauce.
How to Make Baked Orange Chicken Tenders
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and brush it liberally with olive oil.
- Set up your breading station. Add the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper to a large, shallow bowl, whisking to combine. Add the eggs and orange juice to a second large, shallow bowl, whisking to combine. Add the Panko breadcrumbs to a third large, shallow bowl.
- Bread the chicken. Rinse and pat the chicken tenders dry. Dip each tender in the flour, shaking off any excess, then into the egg mixture, shaking off any excess, and finally into the breadcrumbs, pressing them to adhere to the chicken. Place the coated chicken tender on the prepared baking sheet and repeat the breading process with the remaining chicken tenders.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
- While the tenders bake, prepare the sauce. Whisk together the orange juice and cornstarch. Set the mixture aside. Add the sesame oil and olive oil to a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes until golden brown. Add the orange marmalade, hoisin sauce, soy sauce and (optional) crushed red pepper flakes. Increase the heat to medium. Whisk in the orange juice mixture then bring the mixture to a boil and continue cooking the sauce, whisking occasionally, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove the chicken tenders from the oven, allow them to cool for 10 minutes then dip them, one by one, into the sauce. Transfer the coated chicken tenders to a plate and serve immediately.
Serve these sticky-sweet chicken tenders as a party appetizer, gameday snack or weeknight entrée, and find inspiration for all things orange chicken with additional recipes for Orange Chicken Meatballs and Crispy Orange Chicken Wings!
- Spray the top of the chicken tenders lightly with cooking spray before baking. This is optional, but it leads to a more golden brown color and crunch.
- Don’t want to heat up the oven? Grab your air fryer and pop the tenders in at 360°F for about 12 minutes or until they are cooked through.
- This homemade orange chicken sauce is fantastic on so much more than chicken! Whip up a batch to serve with pork tenderloin or roasted veggies.
Frequently Asked Questions
For the ultimate takeout-inspired meal serve these with fried rice, Chinese garlic green beans, chow mein noodles or garlic bok choy.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The best way to reheat chicken tenders so they’re crispy and don’t dry out is either in a hot oven (or in an air fryer!). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the tenders for about 15 minutes or until warmed through. To reheat using an air fryer, preheat it to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for about 4 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
- Parmesan Baked Chicken Tenders (Oven or Air Fryer)
- Baked Cheddar Dijon Chicken Tenders
- Baked Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken Tenders
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Disclosure: I’ve partnered with Florida’s Natural for an exclusive endorsement of Florida’s Natural® Orange Juice. This blog post is sponsored by Florida’s Natural®. All opinions are my own.
Ingredients
For the chicken tenders:
- Olive oil
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 1/4 lbs uncooked chicken tenders
- Cooking spray (optional)
For the sauce:
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 cup orange marmalade
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste (optional)
Instructions
Make the chicken tenders:
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and brush it liberally with olive oil.
- Add the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper to a large, shallow bowl, whisking to combine. Add the eggs and orange juice to a second large, shallow bowl, whisking to combine. Add the Panko breadcrumbs to a third large, shallow bowl.
- Rinse and pat the chicken tenders dry. Dip each tender in the flour, shaking off any excess, then into the egg mixture, shaking off any excess, and finally into the breadcrumbs, pressing them to adhere to the chicken. Place the coated chicken tender on the prepared baking sheet and repeat the breading process with the remaining chicken tenders. Spray the top of the chicken tenders lightly with cooking spray. (This is optional, but it leads to a more golden brown color and crunch.)
- Bake the chicken tenders for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating them once halfway through, until they are fully cooked. While the tenders bake, prepare the sauce.
Make the sauce:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice and cornstarch. Set the mixture aside.
- Add the sesame oil and olive oil to a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes until golden brown.
- Add the orange marmalade, hoisin sauce, soy sauce and crushed red pepper flakes (optional) and increase the heat to medium. Whisk in the orange juice mixture then bring the mixture to a boil and continue cooking the sauce, whisking occasionally, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove the chicken tenders from the oven, allow them to cool for 10 minutes then then dip them, one by one, into the sauce. Transfer the coated chicken tenders to a plate and serve immediately.
Kelly's Notes:
- Don’t want to heat up the oven? Grab your air fryer and pop the tenders in at 360°F for about 12 minutes or until they are cooked through.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The best way to reheat chicken tenders so they’re crispy and don’t dry out is either in a hot oven (or in an air fryer!). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the tenders for about 15 minutes or until warmed through. To reheat using an air fryer, preheat it to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for about 4 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
Disclosure: I’ve partnered with Florida’s Natural for an exclusive endorsement of not-from-concentrate Florida’s Natural® Orange Juice. This blog post is sponsored by Florida’s Natural®. All opinions are my own.
Had to leave a reply to comment on how tasty these were!! Loved them!! Here in the UK ‘orange chicken’ isn’t as much of a thing, I remember having it years ago when in the US in the mall… so seeing this recipe on Instagram made me have to give it a go. this is now a new favourite takeaway style chicken dish! Yum!!
Yay! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Clare!
Hi Kelly: I made these for a Super Bowl party this past Sunday and they were a big hit! I made lots of them once I was in the groove so we have delicious leftovers for lunch, snacks or meals.
Awesome! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Betty!
My kids loved these chicken tenders. We’ll be making them again for sure!
OK, I’m definitely not your average reader. I’m old, a bachelor, an enthusiastic but not natural cook & a Canadian. BUT…I can ‘t be the only person in the world who doesn’t know what a “chicken tender” is.
Tom no worries Sir. A chicken tender is any boneless skinless cut of chicken meat you prefer sliced lengthwise to be a chicken strip (tender). Although most people would prefer to use white meat (breast meat) for tenders. Your supermarket should have chicken tenders readily available but it may save a few cents in cutting your own.