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Marinated Baked Chicken Tenderloins

Marinated chicken tenderloins baked in the oven are a fast and easy family-friendly main dish perfect for busy weeknights. The marinade flavors the tender chicken tenders to perfection in just 30 minutes.

two baked chicken tenders with pasta

I’m constantly trying to find easy dinner recipes that are tasty and kid-friendly. (anyone else have a picky eater??) This is one of those winning recipes I turn to at least a few times a month.

The key to cooking chicken tenderloins is a good marinade to infuse flavor and keep that chicken moist and juicy!

The simple marinade pulls together quickly for easy prep and the chicken tenderloins bake in the oven so it frees up my time over cooking them on the stove. I also love that there is no breading on the chicken tenders like traditional chicken strips and they are a great source of protein as well!

Ingredients

This is one of the best chicken marinades I’ve ever made, it gives great flavor and tenderizes the chicken without burning it. Best of all it is a simple recipe that only needs a few basic ingredients you probably already have on hand!

  • extra virgin olive oil
  • soy sauce
  • lemon juice
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • garlic
  • salt & pepper
  • maple syrup
  • balsamic vinegar
  • chicken tenderloins

Instructions

  1. Place a large gallon ziploc bag in a bowl and add all ingredients.
  2. Seal the bag and turn or shake to blend the marinade and the chicken is thoroughly coated.
  3. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours, turning occasionally to redistribute the marinade.
  4. Preheat oven to 375 F and spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
  5. Place tenderloins evenly spaced in a single layer on baking sheet or shallow dish and bake for 16-18 minutes or until baked through.

Tips for best results

  • Marinate the chicken tenders for at least 25-30 minutes but an hour or two is ideal to really get maximum flavor.
  • If you don’t have tenderloins you can slice boneless skinless chicken breast into thirds or fourths to get roughly the same size tenders.
  • Leftovers are great chopped over the top of a salad!
  • You can use this marinade with chicken thighs and boneless skinless chicken breasts as well
two baked chicken tenders with pasta

Serving suggestions

This chicken tender recipe can be served with almost all side dishes. For an easy weeknight dinner I like to serve them with pasta I’ve topped with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon and then toss together a quick fresh salad with Italian dressing on the side.

You can also serve with roasted potatoes or vegetables, sweet potato french fries, Southern sweet potato casserole, rice, cheese and herb mashed potatoes, Italian broccoli, really the sky is the limit!

For the kids I like to serve these like chicken fingers with their favorite dipping sauces like copycat Zax sauce, honey mustard sauce, bbq sauce,  or homemade remoulade.

Storage

Store leftover chicken tenderloins in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

If you try this recipe please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!

Print
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two baked chicken tenders with pasta

Marinated Baked Chicken Tenderloins

  • Author: Melissa Riker
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 16 minutes
  • Total Time: 46 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: main course
  • Method: baking
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Marinated chicken tenderloins baked in the oven is a fast and easy family-friendly main dish. The marinade flavors the tender chicken tenders to perfection in just 30 minutes.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 pounds chicken tenderloins

Instructions

  1. In a gallon plastic bag or large bowl, combine all marinade ingredients.
  2. Add chicken tenderloins and marinate in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
  3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
  4. Lay chicken on the prepared baking sheet being sure to leave space between the tenderloins.
  5. Bake 16-18 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. *see note

Notes

Chicken tenderloins can vary in thickness. If your tenderloins are thin you may want to start checking them at 12 minutes, thicker tenderloins may take 20 minutes. Always use a meat thermometer to ensure chicken in cooked to 165 degrees F.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 335
  • Sugar: 7.8 g
  • Sodium: 703.2 mg
  • Fat: 16.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 11 g
  • Protein: 34.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 110.3 mg

Keywords: baked chicken tenderloin

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One Comment

  1. This is a terrific recipe. The chicken has a savory, fruity, salty, slightly sweet flavor that I really like. I followed the recipe exactly, except that I reduced the salt to 1/2 t. I marinated the chicken tenders for 4 hours. I’ll be making this again soon.

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