Spicy Quinoa Chicken Tenders are juicy tenders wrapped in a crisp tasty outer coating of quinoa and savory spices.  These chicken tenders are baked using Mazola® Corn Oil, not fried, and do not taste a bit on the healthier side of things. September is quickly approaching and is National Cholesterol Awareness month which is perfect time to bring you these chicken tenders!  Why?  A clinical study showed Mazola Corn Oil reduces cholesterol 2x more than extra virgin olive oil. To learn more about this claim, see Mazola.com and to get the quinoa chicken recipe see below!

Why these Quinoa Chicken Tenders?

This Skinny Spicy Quinoa Chicken Tender recipe is gonna knock your socks right off, with its awesome juicy flavor, it's crispy crunch, it's nutritional value (it's packed with protein, and it's baked, not fried), and it's use of simple ingredients.

Why use Corn Oil?

Mazola Corn Oil is an all-purpose, cholesterol free cooking oil that is a smart heart-healthy* choice for your family. *See Mazola.com for more information on the relationship between corn oil and heart health. It has a variety of uses include baking, grilling, sautéing, stir frying, or mixing up a marinade or dressing.  I also really like the fact that it has a very mellow flavor that really blends well with the spices and flavors of this quinoa chicken tender recipe!

How to make Quinoa Chicken Tenders?

1. Preheat the oven to 425*F.
2. In a small bowl, combine all the spices together. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the bread crumbs and quinoa together. Set aside.
4. Rub a pinch of the spice mixture onto each side of the chicken, then dredge it in the egg whites, and lastly, the quinoa mixture. You will need to press the quinoa in to each chicken tender with your fingertips.
5. Place the chicken tenders on a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
6. Using a basting brush, lightly brush the top of each chicken piece with the coconut oil.
7. Bake on the middle rack for 13-17 minutes, until the chicken tenders start to turn golden brown around the edges. I sprinkle a pinch more of parsley on top before serving these nuggets warm. Enjoy them hot and dunked in my BBQ Glaze recipe!

How did I lighten up this quinoa chicken tender recipe?

• To lighten up my recipe, I swapped out the traditional breading used to bread chicken tenders with cooked fluffy quinoa.  Quinoa is a great alternative because.....
• I also used Mazola Corn Oil in place of butter and egg whites instead of eggs.  It is very well known that egg whites are much lower in cholesterol than their yolks are.  What many may not know is that Mazola Corn Oil has more cholesterol-blocking plant sterols than other cooking oils – four times more than extra virgin olive oil and one and a half times more than canola oil.  It's a two-way punch to a lower cholesterol chicken tender recipe!
• I also decided that a baked chicken tender can taste just as good as a fried chicken tender after perfecting this recipe, so saying that swapping the frying process for baking, was a good good idea!

Are ya sold yet? To be honest, the family wasn't.  There was a long pause on the other end of the phone when I told them what I was planning on making them for dinner.  Just silence.  You're gonna stick some quinoa on some chicken and call it a chicken tender and make me eat it?  Yup.

What if I told ya that they are my favorite chicken tender/finger/nugget I've ever had.

Big statement.  Bold statement.  True statement y'all.

Now are you sold enough to try them?

If you want to great finger food that's great with the little ones as well as the old ones, is healthy and easy to make, you've got to try this recipe.

Now go on with your bad self and get you some lighter chicken tenders y'all.... Bam!

Want more quinoa recipes?

• Slow Cooker Mexican Quinoa Dip
• GF Quinoa Breakfast Bars
• Caprese Quinoa Casserole

How about more chicken tender recipes?

Here are a few other poppable chicken recipes:

• Almond Crusted Chicken Tenders
• GF One-Pan Sticky Honey Garlic Chicken
• GF One-Pan Baked General Tso's Chicken
• GF One-Pan Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

Continue to Content

Quinoa Chicken Tenders

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Spicy Quinoa Chicken Tenders are juicy tenders wrapped in a crisp tasty outer coating of quinoa and savory spices.  These chicken tenders are baked, not fried, and do not taste a bit on the healthier side of things!

Print

Ingredients

• 2 pounds skinless chicken breasts, cut into chicken tender slices
• 2 cups of quinoa, cooked
• ⅔ cup gluten-free bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoon Mazola® Corn Oil
• 1 teaspoon parsley, chopped
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or less if you aren't into "spice"
• 2 in egg whites, a small bowl

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425*F.
2. In a small bowl, combine all the spices together. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the bread crumbs and quinoa together. Set aside.
4. Rub a pinch of the spice mixture onto each side of the chicken, then dredge it in the egg whites, and lastly, the quinoa mixture. You will need to press the quinoa in to each chicken tender with your fingertips.
5. Place the chicken tenders on a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
6. Using a basting brush, lightly brush the top of each chicken piece with the Mazola® Corn Oil.
7. Bake on the middle rack for 13-17 minutes, until the chicken tenders start to turn golden brown around the edges. I sprinkle a pinch more of parsley on top before serving these nuggets warm. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 4 Servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 402Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 198mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 52g