Goldfish Chicken Tenders are the ultimate kid-friendly snack meets the ultimate kid-friendly dinner! These tenders are baked crispy in the oven. But guess what? Adults love them too.
Mixing new ingredients into something familiar but something different is a great way to show kids how fun cooking can be. As a parent, this is a priority of mine in the kitchen.
These Goldfish Chicken Tenders are a perfect example.
We seem to have an endless supply of goldfish cheese crackers in our home. I find them all over. In the car. On the couch. On the floor. Once I found a goldfish cracker in my shower. So finding some cups of the super crunchy, cheesy crackers for some chicken tenders wasn’t hard. (I didn’t reuse the ones I found around the house though.)
All the other things you need for this recipe are pantry staples – flour, eggs, and of course, chicken breast fillet. While you could fry these, I prefer to bake them. The crackers get really crunchy and form a satisfying crust, and cleaning up is a lot easier when you bake them.
Unless you have an endless supply of goldfish crackers around your house like I do, you can also substitute shredded Cheez-Its, Ritz crackers, or any other crunchy crackers you have in your pantry.
Children love color
If you prepare colorful foods, your kids are much more likely to be into it. You love color!
These bright orange chicken tenders were a total delight for my kids. They had never seen anything like it and loved her for it. I suspect the presence of goldfish helped too, but I’m not sure.
Cooking the best chicken tenders
There are a few tips I can give you for making great chicken tenders.
- First, try to cut the chicken into even strips. They don’t have to be identical, but if you can try to make them at least the same thickness, they’ll cook evenly and won’t dry out.
- Second, involve your kids in the process of smashing the crackers. Put them in a ziplock plastic bag and let them pound away with their little angry fists. Or you can just crush them in the bag with a rolling pin or kitchen mallet. You want some inconsistency in texture; we don’t go here for goldfish meal!
- third party, take the time to bread the chicken tenders well. Dipping in seasoned flour will help the egg and crust stick to the chicken. And then really press on the crackers (or whatever your crust of choice is). Some crust will likely fall off during baking, so go heavy with that!
How to reheat leftover chicken tenders
If you have leftovers and need to reheat them, please, oh please, do not put them in the microwave. You turn into a sad, wet heap of oranges.
The quickest way to warm them up is in a pan over low heat with a little oil. This warms them through and preserves the crispy crust.
If you’re reheating a large batch, you can bake them a second time in the oven at 350F for about 8 minutes. until they are warmed through and crispy again.
The father adds: Make a sandwich!
These Goldfish Chicken Tenders make a surprisingly delicious sandwich. As in, I’ll probably only eat them in sandwich form if/when I make them for my family again.
I just loaded them onto a soft bun with mayonnaise, some shredded iceberg lettuce, and some banana peppers. The lettuce and peppers add a nice crunch and acidity to the sandwich. So delicious!
The children’s certificate
My kids thought it was an absolute stunner. My four-year-old kept saying, “Why do they have goldfish on my chicken?!” Meanwhile, my two-year-old, whose vocabulary is limited, kept saying, “It’s orange. It’s orange.”
Yes. it’s orange
And they washed these down!
Perhaps the most interesting report came from my wife, who was very skeptical that these would be any good. She tried one, blinked straight at me, pondered various other chicken tenders I’d made over the years, tried another bite. . . tried another bite. . . tried another bite. . . never admitted that she liked them. . . tried another bite. ETC.
More chicken recipes to try!
- Baked Chicken Parmesan
- Herbed chicken tenders with tomato sauce
- Sesame chicken fingers with a spicy orange dipping sauce
- Chicken Piccata
- Pamesan chicken
Goldfish Chicken Tender
For even crispier tenders, place a metal grid in the baking sheet and cook the tenders on top of the rack.
ingredients
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Non-stick spray, for sheet pans
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2 cups goldfish cheese crackers, mashed well
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1 cup all-purpose flour
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1 teaspoon of salt
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1 teaspoon of black pepper
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3 large eggs
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2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into strips about 2 inches long and 1/2 inch thick
- ADD DAD: Goldfish Chicken Sandwich
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1 6 inch bottom roller
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1 tablespoon mayonnaise
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1/2 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
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3 to 4 goldfish chicken tenders
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Pickled banana peppers
method
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Preheat oven to 350°F:
Line a baking sheet with foil and spray (or brush with oil) with nonstick spray.
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Crush crackers:
Place the crackers in a ziplock plastic bag and seal. Using your hands, a rolling pin, a mallet, or your kids’ hands, mash the goldfish as much as possible, but don’t turn it into flour. You want some inconsistencies in the form; it will provide better texture.
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Prepare the assembly line:
Find three medium sized bowls. Mix flour, salt and pepper in one. In the second bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the crushed goldfish crackers to last.
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Bread chicken:
Working with chicken pieces a few at a time, add to seasoned flour and brush well. Then shake off excess flour, add to eggs and brush well, and finally add to shredded goldfish. Press the goldfish down so they really stick and form a good crust.
Transfer the coated chicken to the baking sheet. Repeat until all of the chicken breasts are coated.
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Bake chicken:
Bake chicken breasts until cooked through, or until the thickest part of the chicken breasts reach an internal temperature of 165°F, about 20 minutes. You can also test one of the thicker ones by cutting it in half and making sure it’s cooked through.
What is the temperature of cooked chicken?CONTINUE READING:
There’s no need to flip these, but you can flip them halfway through if they’re browning too much on one side.
Serve tender warm with a vegetable and/or side salad and any dips like ketchup or BBQ sauce. My kids loved honey! You can also add the father and eat a sandwich!
How to reheat leftover tenders
You will likely have leftovers that will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. They heat up perfectly, but they get mushy if you reheat them in the microwave. Either heat them gently in a nonstick skillet over low heat until heated through, or place on a baking sheet and reheat until crisp, 7 to 8 minutes.
