Honey Chipotle Chicken Tenders

By msippigrl

Panko coated chicken tenders are baked then dipped in a sweet and spicy sauce for a crispy, flavorful meal. Cut into smaller strips for wraps or sandwiches!

Ingredients

• CHICKEN:
• 7 to 8 skinless chicken tenders
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups plain Panko bread crumbs
• 2 large eggs, whisked
• CHIPOTLE SAUCE:
• Scant 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 canned chipotle pepper, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chipotle adobo sauce (the sauce that canned chipotle peppers are packed in)
• 1/4 cup ketchup (I use Hunt's)
• 2 teaspoons barbecue sauce (I used Original K.C. Masterpiece)
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 teaspoon garlic powder

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Set a wire cooling rack over a jellyroll pan then spray it with cooking spray.

In a medium non-stick saucepan, whisk together all the Chipotle Sauce ingredients. Set aside for now.

In 3 separate bowls, put the flour in one, whisked eggs in another, and Panko crumbs in the other one. Set aside.

Season chicken with a little salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in the flour, then dip into egg, and lastly coat with the bread crumbs. Place coated chicken tenders on the wire rack in the jellyroll pan.

Bake for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully flip the chicken strips over and bake for another 10 minutes, or until chicken is done and golden.

While the chicken strips are baking, bring the sauce mixture to a light boil over medium heat; then reduce heat to low/medium-low and let simmer to reduce and thicken slightly, whisking frequently.

When chicken strips are finished baking, dip chicken strips in sauce and serve warm. (Optional, after dipping chicken in the sauce, I placed them back on the rack and oven broiled for a couple of minutes then served.)

NOTE:
Dipping the chicken in the sauce will soften the Panko coating somewhat, so for a crispier coating you may opt to just spoon the sauce over the chicken at serving time.