Julie Clark
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Doritos Chicken Tenders
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A kid-friendly way to serve chicken! Doritos Chicken Tenders are full of cool ranch flavor. Perfect crunchy coating on chicken tenders for game day or any day.
My kids went through the “chicken strips” stage that most kids do. You know the one where all they want to eat is fried chicken, preferably dipped in ketchup or ranch dressing.
This Doritos Chicken Tenders recipe is a fun way to serve up a 30 minute dinner recipe the whole family will love, in a new, fresh way! So many of us have chip bags of crumbs in our cupboards. Use them up in this crispy chicken coating!
Ingredients Needed
- Chicken. To keep this recipe as kid friendly as possible, I used chicken tenderloins. Feel free to use boneless skinless chicken breasts if you’d like!
- Doritos. Cool Ranch Doritos give a familiar ranch flavor that midwesterners love, but nacho cheese Doritos work as well.
- Hot sauce. This is optional, but as I shared in our chicken stir fry recipe, my family likes a spicy heat, so we add it as often as possible. Leave it out if you’d like.
✨ See the recipe card for full ingredients and amounts. ✨
How to Make Doritos Chicken Tenders
- Prepare. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Spray a baking sheet lightly with cooking spray.
- Crush the Doritos. Place the Cool Ranch Doritos in a resealable storage bag and crush them using a rolling pin until they are crumbs. Pour the Doritos crumbs into a shallow dish.
- Prepare the dredging station. In a different shallow dish, add the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper. Whisk together until combined. In a third shallow dish, whisk the eggs together with the hot sauce for a little kick.
- Coat the chicken. Dredge each tender first in the flour mixture, then in the egg mixture, and finally press into the crushed chips, making sure each tender is fully coated and the chips stick evenly.
- Bake the chicken. Arrange the doritos chicken tenders on the prepared baking sheet pan. Bake for 15-17 minutes, flipping halfway, until crispy and cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 165°F (75°C). (For extra crispiness, bake them on a wire rack!)
Make it in the Air Fryer
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Place the tenders in a single layer in the basket and spray lightly with olive oil. Air fry for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C).
Serving Ideas
Dip the easy Doritos chicken tenders in ranch dressing, bbq sauce, pizza sauce, cheese sauce or mustard bbq sauce.
Serve with one of these:
Other Recipes to Try
Doritos Chicken Tenders
A kid-friendly way to serve chicken! Doritos Chicken Tenders are full of cool ranch flavor. Perfect crunchy coating on chicken tenders for game day or any day.
Servings 4
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 9 ounces Cool Ranch Doritos 2 cups crushed
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce optional
- 1 pound chicken tenders
- olive oil spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Spray a baking sheet lightly with cooking spray.
- Place the Cool Ranch Doritos in a resealable storage bag and crush them using a rolling pin until they are crumbs. Pour the crushed Doritos into a shallow dish. 9 ounces Cool Ranch Doritos
- In a different shallow dish, add the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper. Whisk together until combined. ½ cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- In a third shallow dish, whisk the eggs together with the hot sauce for a little kick. 2 large eggs, 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- Dredge each tender first in the flour mixture, then in the egg wash, and finally press into the crushed Doritos, making sure each tender is fully coated and the chips stick evenly. 1 pound chicken tenders
- Arrange the tenders on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15-17 minutes, flipping halfway, until crispy and cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 165°F (75°C).
Air Fryer Instructions:
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Place the tenders in a single layer in the basket and spray lightly with olive oil. Air fry for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C).
- Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce like ranch, chipotle mayo, or buffalo sauce.
Notes
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the recipe serving 4, with 1 serving being ¼ of the chicken. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. **
Nutrition
Calories: 403kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 1112mg | Potassium: 573mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 354IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 2mg
