How To Make Naked Chicken Tenders – Lean & Delicious Protein

 

I used to work as a personal Chef for an American Family on a Manor Estate in the U.K. I worked for them for about ten years or so. It was a job that I really enjoyed.  One of the perks was that I had my own country cottage to live in that was situated on a corner of the Estate.

I cooked three meals a day for the family, as well as ladies' luncheons, dinner parties, etc. Normally, unless they were entertaining, I would not cook at the weekend. I did have to make sure that I left enough food pre-cooked in the refrigerator for them to be able to rustle up a meal for themselves over the weekend.

One of the things I always made was a plate of Naked Chicken Tenders.  Chicken tenders, simply seasoned and cooked in a skillet with very little fat.  Ready to add to salads, or sandwiches, to use as a part of a main meal or to enjoy as a snack with a dip or spread.

 

They loved them.  In fact, I used to make a plate full of them earlier in the week as well as the Mrs. loved to have them for snacking on.  Chicken tenders, marinated in some seasonings and a tiny bit of oil, then pan fried quickly to perfection.

They do need to marinate in the seasoning mix for about half an hour at the very least, but once marinated they cook up in about 12 minutes tops, depending on their size. Obviously larger ones will take a bit longer.

You can also do chicken breast strips this way if you wish, but the chicken tenders come out much more tender and juicy and have less tendency to dry out if you over-cook them. If you follow my timings however, they will be cooked perfectly. I promise you!

Quick, easy, delicious and no fuss, no muss, chicken tender perfection.

 

WHAT YOU NEED 

TO MAKE NAKED CHICKEN TENDERS

Five simple ingredients. That's all. No more. No less. Quick, easy, delicious!

• 1 pound of chicken tenders, trimmed (see photo below as well as the written instructions)
• 1 TBS light olive oil, or your favorite cooking oil
• 2 TBS Ranch seasoning mix
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground Chipotle pepper or chili powder

  

You can use whatever kind of oil you prefer in the marinade. I like to use light olive oil for all of my marinades and cooking. It has all the same properties as extra virgin olive oil, but is not as intense a flavor so it will not mess with the integrity of any dish you use it in.

Make your own Ranch Seasoning: Whisk together 1/2 cup dry buttermilk powder (available online), 1 TBS dried parsley, 2 tsp dried dillweed, 1 tsp freeze dried chives, 1 TBS garlic powder, 1 TBS onion powder, 1 tsp fine sea salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This will keep for up to 2 months. Use as is for a seasoning mix, or whisk together 1/4 cup of this dry seasoning with 1 cup (220g) of mayonnaise, 1/2 cup (60g) of sour cream and 1/2 cup (120ml) of milk to make ranch dressing. You can also use it to season other things like popcorn, stir a bit into a baked potato to make stuffed baked potatoes, etc.

 

HOW TO COOK NAKED CHICKEN TENDERS

These are very easy and quick to cook. The longest part of the recipe is the marinating time. Obviously the longer you marinate them the more flavor they will have, but you can marinate them for as little as 30 minutes if you are in a hurry.

1. Trim all of your chicken tenders by removing the tendon and discarding it. Put them into a container.
2. Whisk together the oil, pepper, seasoning mix and chipotle/chili powder. Pour this over the chicken tenders and stir everything well together until the chicken tenders are all coated.
3. Put the chicken tenders into the refrigerator to marinate, for at least half an hour. The longer you marinate them, the more flavor they will have.
4. Heat a large nonstick skillet (with a cover) over medium high heat. You can spritz it with a bit of cooking spray if need be.

 

1. Remove the chicken tenders from the refrigerator and add to the hot pan, in a single layer. Leave, without touching, for four minutes. Flip over and cook for a further 2 minutes, again, without touching.
2. Cover with a lid and turn off the burner. Leave to stand for 6 minutes.
3. They should now be perfectly cooked and seasoned. You can check the inner temperature. It should read 165*F/74*C. The juices should run clear.
4. Serve as is with salad, or rice, potatoes, pasta or as a snack with your favorite dip.
5. Store any leftovers in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator. (Eat within 3 to 4 days maximum)

 

HOW TO TRIM CHICKEN TENDERS

Chicken tenders are one of those things that are really delicious and easy to cook and use. They do have a tough tendon running through them however.  I always ALWAYS remove this as it can make them tough. Removing it is very easy.

• Place the tender, top side up, on a cutting board, with the pointy end facing you. Using a piece of paper towel, firmly grasp the white end of the tendon between your pincher fingers.
• Using a sharp knife at a 30 degree angle, trap the tendon between your knife and the cutting board. 
• Slowly, holding the tendon firmly, wiggle the knife back and forth to reveal more of the tendon, and get a better grip on it. 
• Once you have a solid grip on the first inch or so of the tendon, you should be able to hold it firmly and slide the angled knife against the board to cut the tendon out without damaging the meat.
• You can also watch a video on how to do it here on YouTube. She uses a fork and a piece of paper towel.

 

 

SOME OTHER QUICK CHICKEN TENDER RECIPES WHICH

YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY

FIERY CHICKEN TENDERS WITH BLUE CHEESE DIP - These tasty buffalo tenders get their flavor from a buttermilk soak, using buttermilk lightly flavored with hot sauce. Rolled in a seasoned flour and lightly pan-fried to perfection. Served with a lush homemade blue cheese dip.

CHICKEN TENDER NACHOS - Low Carb, Low GI and diabetic friendly. Perfectly seasoned chicken tenders are given the nacho treatment. These are loaded with Tex Mex flavors. From the spicy coating mix, to the cheese, to the crunchy mix of toppings you choose to load them up with!

 

 

Pin This Recipe to Your Dinner Boards on Pinterest and Remember to FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST,    FACEBOOK, or INSTAGRAM

That way, you can be assured that you are always up to date with my fresh content as soon as I post it. You can also sign up to receive a weekly newsletter from Grow. 

Yield: 4 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Naked Chicken Tenders

Prep time: 35 MinCook time: 12 MinTotal time: 47 Min

Tender and juicy, these cook quickly and end up perfect every single time.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of chicken tenders, trimmed (see photo above)
• 1 TBS light olive oil, or your favorite cooking oil
• 2 TBS Ranch seasoning mix
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground Chipotle pepper or chili powder

Instructions

1. Trim all of your chicken tenders by removing the tendon and discarding it. Put them into a container.
2. Whisk together the oil, pepper, seasoning mix and chipotle/chili powder. Pour this over the chicken tenders and stir everything well together until the chicken tenders are all coated.
3. Put the chicken tenders into the refrigerator to marinate, for at least half an hour. The longer you marinate them, the more flavor they will have.
4. Heat a large nonstick skillet (with a cover) over medium high heat. You can spritz it with a bit of cooking spray if need be.
5. Remove the chicken tenders from the refrigerator and add to the hot pan, in a single layer. Leave, without touching, for four minutes. Flip over and cook for a further 2 minutes, again, without touching.
6. Cover with a lid and turn off the burner. Leave to stand for 6 minutes.
7. They should now be perfectly cooked and seasoned. You can check the inner temperature. It should read 165*F/74*C. The juices should run clear.
8. Serve as is with salad, or rice, potatoes, pasta or as a snack with your favorite dip.
9. Store any leftovers in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.

Notes

You can use any seasoning you like with these. Any of the Kinder seasonings work well. Dry rubs work well also. Use your favorite seasonings to taste and you are sure to have something really delicious!

All rights reserved The English Kitchen

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @marierayner5530 on instagram and hashtag it #TheEnglishKitchen

This content, written and photography, is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.

 

Thanks for visiting! Do come again!! 

 If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing to/following me on Grow? You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right-hand side of the screen.