Learn how to pan fry chicken tenders in just a few minutes! Pan seared chicken tenderloins is a great way to create healthy, juicy, and crisp tenders without breading and without eggs.
The timing and method worked perfectly for juicy, crispy-outside chicken of delight! I've already made chicken your way thrice and it's so easy and works every time. thank you! ~ Elizabeth
Pan fried chicken tenders with no breading are so good!
Dinner can't get much easier than pan frying chicken tenders in a skillet. Seriously. Our recipe makes absolutely delicious and flavorful chicken using basic ingredients with fantastic results and without a mess like breaded chicken tenderloins can make.
These are tasty enough to eat on their own with a side of potatoes and a fresh salad, plus they're light and healthy too. And they're healthier than the fried chicken tenders in the freezer aisle or from deep frying chicken!
To make the chicken extra fancy or for a special occasion, we like to make them with a pan sauce like we did in our chicken with creamy mustard sauce recipe.
You can use seared tenderloins in recipes that call for precooked chicken like our popular green chili chicken casserole, chicken salad, or our BBQ chicken bowls.
Why You'll Love Pan Seared Recipe!
- It's super simple! With basic ingredients, tenderloins give you a great base to build an amazing meal in no time. No dipping in flour or making an egg wash!
- They're healthy - these are made without flour or breading, which makes these gluten free and low carb too. These are made without eggs!
- Easy to customize- Depending on what your final meal will be, you can either make these the main dish or mix in seasonings that match your final meal
- Great for meal prep- Make up a large batch over the weekend and have chicken available all week or freezer some for later
- Super inexpensive compared to other chicken and protein options
What you'll need
* The ingredient quantities and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom! *
- chicken tenders, fresh (these are also called chicken tenderloins) - they're sold fresh or you can buy frozen chicken tenders and defrost them beforehand
- extra virgin olive oil - vegetable oil or your favorite high heat oil will work too, 50% butter mixed with olive oil, or ghee.
- finely ground sea salt
- course ground black pepper
- Optional seasonings- chicken rub, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, curry powder, herbs de Provence, dried basil, dried rosemary, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, etc.
- Optional dips- Ranch dressing, mustard, ketchup, blue cheese dressing
Master tip
If you are planning on using the cooked chicken as part of a dish, feel free to include extra herbs and spices that will help bring out the flavors. For example, if you're making a BBQ dish, add in some paprika and chili powder or your favorite spice rub. If you are planning on going Italian, consider either Italian seasoning or some basil and parsley. And if Mexican is on your mind, some cumin and cayenne will really add a flavor-punch to your dish!
Supplies
- 12" cast iron skillet- We highly recommend using a cast iron skillet, they do the best job of getting the chicken crispy and golden brown.
How to cook chicken tenderloins on the stove
Step 1: Pat the chicken dry on both sides with paper towels and cut off any extra fat if it's needed.
Step 2: Sprinkle one side of the chicken tenderloins with half of the seasoning.
Step 3: Heat your pan or cast iron skillet to medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Make sure you swirl the oil to distribute it evenly around the whole pan. Allow both the skillet and the oil to heat up. (this is crucial to your overall success, so don't rush this step!)
Step 4: Once the pan is hot, add the chicken tenders, seasoning side down. You'll cook the chicken for 3 minutes on one side or until the chicken starts to turn white on the edge and pulls away from the pan.
Sprinkle the remaining seasoning on the top of the chicken tenders while the chicken is cooking.
Step 5: Once your chicken is ready, flip it over. The chicken should be golden brown on the side you just cooked. Cook for 3 more minutes or until the tenderloins are cooked through to an internal temperature is 165F.
We highly recommend you use an inexpensive meat thermometer to ensure that the chicken doesn't get overcooked.
Garnish with fresh chopped herbs like fresh chopped parsley for color. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce on the side. Enjoy!
Helpful tips
- Be sure your pan is piping hot before you add the chicken tenders. This will make or break the crispiness of the final recipe.
- While we only used a couple of tablespoons of oil, feel free to add more oil to get more of that "fried" effect.
- As tempting as it may be to check on the progress, early flipping will cause them to lose the sear and the crispiness of this cooking method. Be patient!
- The drippings from the pan will be ridiculously flavorful! Take advantage of them by using a little chicken stock after cooking to scrape the bottom of the pan and make a pan sauce to serve over the chicken.
Seasoning ideas
Here are a few of our favorite ways to season the sauteed chicken tenders, beyond salt and pepper.
- Taco seasoning- skip the salt and pepper and sprinkle the chicken with taco seasoning. Use the chicken in chicken salads or sandwich wraps.
- Chicken rub - you can use a store bought rub or use our favorite homemade version for chicken or turkey. Coating the chicken in BBQ sauce is a great option.
- Blackened chicken - we followed this same method using our blackening seasoning and made blackened chicken tenders
- Italian seasoning - this is perfect for Italian inspired dishes like pasta. If you don't have Italian seasoning, dried basil, oregano, or rosemary are also tasty.
Common FAQ's
What's the difference between chicken tenders and chicken tenderloins?
First things first, chicken tenders and chicken tenderloin refer to the same type of cut from the chicken breast. You can use the terms interchangeably whether we're talkin' pan-fried chicken tenderloins or pan-fried chicken tenders.
Some people think of tenders or chicken strips as the pre-frozen cooked and breaded pieces, but they can also refer to the uncooked unbreaded pieces too.
Can you make tenders from boneless chicken breasts?
You can easily substitute boneless chicken breasts in place of chicken tenderloins. Simply just slice the chicken breasts against the grain at an angle into large strips.
More Chicken Tenderloin Recipes
- Air fryer chicken tenderloins (no breading)
- Air fryer chicken tenders with flour
- Baked chicken tenderloins
- Instant Pot chicken tenders
- Boiled chicken tenderloin recipe
- Air fryer frozen chicken tender recipe
- Blackened chicken tenders
- BBQ chicken tenders in air fryer
Pan Fried Chicken Tenders
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 11 minutes
How to pan fry chicken tenders so they're crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside. The pan fried chicken tenders without breading and without eggs is perfect sliced, chopped, or shredded for your favorite recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken tenderloins, raw
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or 50% butter/50% oil)
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the extra virgin olive oil to the pan.
- Pat the chicken on both sides with paper towels, cutting off any extra fat if it's needed.
- Sprinkle one side with half of the seasoning.
- Place the chicken strips seasoning side down in the skillet. Cook for 3 mins on one side or until the chicken starts to turn white on the edge and pull away from the pan. While the chicken is cooking, sprinkle the top of the chicken with the remaining seasoning.
- Flip the chicken over, the strips should be golden brown on the side you cooked.
- Cook for 3 more minutes or until the tenderloins are cooked through and the internal temperature should be 165F.
- After the chicken is cool enough to handle, slice, chop, or shred to add to your favorite recipe, or serve them as a main dish with your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you are planning on using the sauteed chicken tenders as part of a dish, feel free toinclude extra herbs and spices that will help bring out the flavors.Ideas include adding taco seasoning, chicken rub, or Italian seasoning.
- Be sure yourpan is piping hotbefore you add the chicken tenders or the chicken won't turn golden brown.
- Don't check the chicken until you've cooked it for 3 minutes on one side, this can also prevent the tenderloins from browning and crisping up.
- Cook the chicken until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 F when tested with a digital meat thermometer. The cooking time might vary slightly depending on your stove, the size of the tenders, and your pan.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 4Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 247Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 96mgSodium 229mgCarbohydrates 0gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 35g
The nutrional information is just an estimate and was calculated by an automated calculator. If you're on a restricted health program please manually calculate this information using the brands of ingredients you have since brands can vary.
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