Baked Panko Parmesan Chicken Strips

Yup.  You can make these. 

And they’re WAY healthier than store bought chicken nuggets, or the deep fried ones at your favorite restaurant. Because yes, they’re baked to crispy perfection!  I’ve had many requests for toddler friendly meals and this my friends is a great one.  But guess who loves them even more?  Adults!

It’s pretty much just a few simple steps to get your chicken coated, place them on a greased rack, and pop them in the oven.  You can really do this with chicken strips (as I did here), skinless breasts, or even cutting your chicken up into bite size pieces to make mini nuggets!  I like to use the strips because it makes a little less prep work for me, and we could all save a little time, right?

Serve these alongside your favorite dipping sauce.  I’m a straight up ketchup girl, but go ahead and get crazy with it! Because making chicken strips on a Thursday night is apparently my definition of crazy.  

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Baked Panko Parmesan Chicken Strips

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 pounds chicken tenders
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice about 2 lemons
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup panko
• 1/4 cup ground parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

• 1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray a cooling rack to place on top of baking sheet. (I like to use this method so that the chicken browns evenly all over. You can also simply place the chicken directly on the parchment paper and flip over halfway through cooking)
• 2) Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside.
• 3) In one bowl whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil. In another bowl mix together the panko, parmesan, and salt. Set up an assembly line starting with the lemon juice mixture, then the panko, and finally your baking sheet.
• 4) Take one piece of chicken and dip both sides in the lemon mixture. Allow excess liquid to drip off. Now place chicken in the panko bowl and using your hands, scoop the mixture until chicken is completely covered with the panko mixture. Tap off excess crumbs and place chicken on greased rack. Repeat this step with all the chicken.
• 5) Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes until chicken is fully cooked and the outside is golden brown. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce!