Sesame Chicken Tenders

Crispy chicken tenders are always a family favorite. These no-fry chicken tenders get a little extra crunch from the sesame seeds, but don’t dry out in the oven thanks to a sour-cream-based marinade.

This dish is also freezer-friendly. Mix up the marinade, pour it into a ziplock bag, add the chicken and freeze. As the chicken defrosts, it will marinate at the same time.

I used my “measurement by subtraction” technique to figure out the amount of bread crumbs I actually used in this recipe. It might be easier to add extra to the dish, just to have something to work with; the leftover bread crumbs will be discarded at the end.

Makes 4 servings

20 oz boneless skinless chicken breast
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons celery seed (optional)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup sesame seeds

Slice chicken into strips or tenders of roughly equal size.

Mix marinade ingredients: sour cream, lemon juice, celery seed, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and garlic. Pour over chicken in a glass dish and cover (or add to a freezer bag with chicken in it.)

Marinate chicken at least 8 hours.

Cover a baking sheet with foil and brush with a bit of olive oil to reduce sticking. Combine bread crumbs and sesame seeds in a shallow dish (I use a pie plate). Dip chicken strips into bread-crumb mixture and roll to coat on all sides. Place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake at 350 for 18 to 25 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken strips.