Tortilla chip chicken tenders are fast and easy to make. The crunchy coating is made from crushed tortilla chips and pumpkin seeds ground in a food processor. This recipe is kid-friendly but adults love these too. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce for delicious finger-food!
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or use baking rack and set aside.
Crush a handful of tortilla chips into a bowl. Measure out 2 ½ cups worth.
Add the tortilla chips to a food processor or blender along with pumpkin seeds. (you can also skip this step for a full tortilla chip option - see notes section)
Blend on high for 10-20 seconds until crumbs form.
Pour the tortilla pumpkin seed mixture into one bowl. In another bowl, add the mayonnaise, milk, and barbecue sauce.
Dip one chicken breast fillet into the milk mixture, shake off excess.
Add the chicken fillet to the tortilla pumpkin seed mixture and coat on all sides.
Place chicken on a baking rack or baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Repeat until all chicken tenders are used. Lightly spray the tops of the chicken with cooking spray - I used avocado oil spray.
Bake 18 minutes, then flip and cook an additional 5-8 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked and reaches 165°F as an internal temperature when poked with a meat thermometer.Outsides will be crispy golden brown. Add to serving plates and enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
The pumpkin seeds add extra crunchiness and protein. But they are optional. You can also make this recipe using just tortilla chips. Here's how to do it:
Add crushed tortilla chips to a bowl. Use the back of a spoon to crush and grind them into crumbs.
You'll need about 3 ¼ cups of crushed tortilla crumbs. Use this as the coating mix. Keep the milk mayonnaise mixture the same.