Whip up these family-friendly Baked Hummus Crusted (surprising, I know...but so good) chicken tenders in less than 30 minutes.
As I was doing a little clean-up in my Recipe Index the other day, a theme started to become clear. It seems that I have a thing for hummus. And not just hummus used for dipping carrots in or spreading on sandwiches, though those kinds are some of my favorites, but hummus used in unexpected and unconventional ways.
It all started when I spread hummus on fish, topped with crispy breadcrumbs and baked until golden brown. And then came the ever-irresistible Mini Avocado & Hummus Quesadillas, followed up by Hummus Linguini with Zucchini.
Clearly I have a thing for this chickpea-packed dip and its many uses.
So, it only seemed natural to bump up the flavor of crusted chicken tenders by whisking some hummus (use your favorite kind...mine happens to be Sabra) into the egg dip before dredging the chicken in crispy panko breadcrumbs. A sprinkle of paprika mixed in with the hummus and fresh parsley stirred into the breadcrumbs made everything even better.
The ultimate test, as always, was the dinnertime taste-testing session with my kids. After all, baked crispy chicken tenders are really just a healthier version of chicken nuggets. They polished off every last piece of their portions and then moved onto what would have been my husband's portion if he hadn't been traveling for work. (Silent fist pump.)
Crispy chicken is great for dipping, and the hummus just begs for a dollop of tzatziki sauce (Greek yogurt, cucumber and garlic) on the side. Though I have to tell you that Dijon mustard worked for me in a pinch. Hummus and Dijon? Yeah, I know. But it worked!
Other recipes with chicken tenders:
Cookin' Canuck's Grilled Chicken Tenders with Chipotle Lime Yogurt
Cookin' Canuck's Chicken Tenders with Cherry Ginger Glaze
Reluctant Entertainer's Creamy Salsa Chicken Tenders
Climbing Grier Mountain's Grilled Chicken, Mango & Avocado Quinoa Salad
Food Faith Fitness' Mexican Baked Chicken Tenders
Baked Hummus Crusted Chicken Tenders Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour or regular pastry flour
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons hummus
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs preferably whole wheat
- 3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 ¼ pounds about 8 chicken tenders
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet lined with foil. Coat with cooking spray.
- Place the whole wheat flour in a medium bowl. In a shallow container, whisk together the egg, hummus and paprika. In a separate shallow container, combine the panko breadcrumbs, parsley, salt and pepper.
- Working with one chicken tender at a time, dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off the excess. Next, dip in the egg mixture until the chicken is coated. Lastly, roll the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture, completely coating the outside.
- Transfer the chicken tenders to the prepared wire rack.
- Lightly coat the chicken tenders with cooking spray. Bake until the chicken is just cooked through and the breadcrumbs are starting to brown, 5 to 6 minutes per side.
- Serve with tzatziki sauce or plain yogurt mixed with paprika.
Notes
Nutrition
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de_dietrich
Great recipe, I really like this one 🙂
Alison
I made this the other night - it was SPECTACULAR! We made it on the grill instead of the oven since the winter is finally over here in New England. I plan to make it regularly! Might try it on white fish too. It really kept in the juices too and made the chicken much more moist than usual.
Thank you for the recipe!
Renee - Kudos Kitchen
I have a thing for hummus too but don't think I would have ever thought to whisk it with eggs and use is as a base for coating chicken. Brilliant!
Angie | Big Bear's Wife
What a fantastic idea! I wouldn't have ever though to add the hummus to the "batter" for chicken tenders!