These Potato Chip Chicken Tenders are the crispiest baked chicken tenders you will ever make. Instead of plain breadcrumbs, the chicken is coated in crushed potato chips that bake up incredibly crunchy without any frying.
They are easy to make, fun to eat, and a great way to use up a bag of chips. Serve them with your favorite dipping sauce for a dinner the whole family will go crazy for! For another chicken tender recipe, try these honey mustard chicken tenders.
Quick
Beginner friendly
Quick Look: Potato Chip Chicken Tenders
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 👩🍳 Cook Time: 22 minutes
- 🕖 Total Time: 37 minutes
- 🍗 Servings: 3 servings
- ⚡️ Calories: 435 calories per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- 🔥 Cooking Method: Bake in oven at 400F
- 🛒 Main Ingredients: Chicken and potato chips
- ⭐️ Difficulty: Extremely easy! This is a great recipe for beginners.
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Ginny left this 5 star review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Easy and delicious!! My whole family loved it! Lots of flavor with a nice crunch!!”
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a crowd pleaser – potato chip chicken is a family favorite! My old babysitter, Alex, actually taught me this recipe for potato chip chicken tenders and my family has been making it ever since. Kids and adults alike will love this easy chicken recipe
- Crispy fried taste without any deep frying – Get the crispy coating of a fried chicken tender that you know and love without any deep frying. Thanks to the potato chip breading, this baked chicken is still nice and cispy.
- Perfect for meal prep – I like to make a big batch of these potato chip chicken tenders and enjoy them as lunches throughout the week. Reheat them in the air fryer and then enjoy them on a salad or in a wrap.
- Customizable – change up the flavor of chips in order to easily change up this recipe. Crush your favorite flavor of chips into crumbs and you’re ready to use them as a breading!
Looking for another chicken tender meal prep recipe? Try these honey sriracha chicken tenders.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s a quick look at the ingredients you need to make these potato chip chicken tenders.
- Chicken breast tenderloins – If you can’t buy chicken breast tenders, you can easily cut a full boneless skinless chicken breasts into tenders. Cut each chicken breast into thirds to create 3 smaller tender sized pieces.
- Wavy potato chips – Use any type of chips you like. You can also use the crumbly bits at the end of a bag of chips to make up your potato chip mixture.
- Large egg – whisk your egg to make an egg wash for the breading
- All purpose flour – to make this recipe gluten free, use a gluten free flour and gluten free chips for breading.
- Salt, black pepper, onion powder, dried parsley, dried dill – feel free to change up these seasonings as you see fit. If you want to make this potato chip chicken recipe spicy, add some smoked paprika and cayenne pepper. I often add some garlic powder to this blend as well.
Serve them alongside some crispy baked french fries for an entire comfort meal made in your oven!
How to make Potato Chip Chicken Tenders
Step 1: In a shallow bowl combine flour, salt, pepper, onion powder, parsley, and dill. Dip the pieces of chicken first into the seasoned flour.
Step 2: Then, beat the egg in a small bowl. Dip the chicken tenders into the egg mixture.
Step 3: Next, smash potato chips into small pieces until they are small enough to be a breading*.
Coat each tender in the crushed potato chips. Press the coating firmly onto the chicken with your hands. This helps the chips adhere and stay on during baking instead of falling off.
Step 4: Place each tender on the rack on the baking tray. Then, bake them in the oven at 400F for 22 minutes.
*The potato chips should be crushed into small, fine crumbs rather than left in large pieces. Fine crumbs stick to the chicken better and give a more even coating. The easiest way is to put the chips in a zip lock bag and crush them with your hands or a rolling pin.
Mad’s Expert Tips for the Best Potato Chip Chicken Tenders 🍗
- Crush the chips into fine crumbs. Smaller crumbs stick much better and give a more even, crispy coating. Put the chips in a zip lock bag and crush them finely before coating the chicken.
- Press the coating on firmly. After dipping the chicken in the crushed chips, press the coating onto the chicken with your hands. This helps it stick and stay on during baking.
- Use a wire rack on your baking sheet. Elevating the chicken on a rack lets hot air circulate underneath and makes the bottom of the tenders just as crispy as the top.
- Do not overcrowd the pan. Make sure the tenders have space between them on the baking sheet. Crowding them will cause them to steam instead of getting crispy.
I also like to make grilled buffalo chicken tenders for an easy meal prep dish.
Recipe FAQs
What kind of potato chips work best for chicken tenders?
Classic salted chips are the most versatile but flavored chips like sour cream and onion or barbecue add a fun twist. Avoid chips with a very light or airy texture as they will not give as much crunch.
Can I fry these instead of baking?
Yes! Fry in about 1 inch of oil over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. The coating will be extra crunchy.
How do I keep the potato chip coating from falling off?
Make sure to use the three-step breading method: flour, egg, then chips. Press the chips firmly onto the chicken after coating. Do not skip the flour step or the egg will slide off.
Can I make these gluten free?
Yes! Use certified gluten free potato chips and swap the flour for a gluten free flour blend or cornstarch.
Storage and reheating
If you don’t enjoy all of the potato chip chicken fingers at once, store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheat the tenders in an oven or toaster oven until warmed through. I also like to enjoy them cold on a salad.
Other Favorite Chicken tender Recipes
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
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Recipe
Potato Chip Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast tenderloins or chicken breasts
- 4 oz wavy potato chips
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp dried dill
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a wire rack on the baking sheet.
- If necessary, cut chicken breasts into tender size. Smash wavy potato chips into small pieces until they are small enough to be a breading. Scramble eggs together in a small bowl. In a shallow dish combine flour, salt, pepper, onion powder, parsley and dill
- Bread the chicken tenders by dipping them first into the flour, then in the egg, and finally coat them in the potato chip breading. Place each breaded chicken tender on the rack on the baking tray.
- Bake in the oven at 400F for 22 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool slightly before enjoying.
Recipe Notes
- Crush the chips into fine crumbs. Smaller crumbs stick much better and give a more even, crispy coating. Put the chips in a zip lock bag and crush them finely before coating the chicken.
- Press the coating on firmly. After dipping the chicken in the crushed chips, press the coating onto the chicken with your hands. This helps it stick and stay on during baking.
- Use a wire rack on your baking sheet. Elevating the chicken on a rack lets hot air circulate underneath and makes the bottom of the tenders just as crispy as the top.
- Do not overcrowd the pan. Make sure the tenders have space between them on the baking sheet. Crowding them will cause them to steam instead of getting crispy.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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