Name: Marinated Baked Chicken Tenderloins
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 46 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil; 3 tablespoons soy sauce; 3 tablespoons lemon juice; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 3 cloves); 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; 3 tablespoons maple syrup; 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; 2 pounds chicken tenderloins

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Marinated chicken tenderloins baked in the oven are a fast and easy family-friendly main dish perfect for busy weeknights. The marinade flavors the tender chicken tenders to perfection in just 30 minutes.

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I’m constantly trying to find easy dinner recipes that are tasty and kid-friendly. (anyone else have a picky eater??) This is one of those winning recipes I turn to at least a few times a month.

The key to cooking chicken tenderloins is a good marinade to infuse flavor and keep that chicken moist and juicy!

The simple marinade pulls together quickly for easy prep and the chicken tenderloins bake in the oven so it frees up my time over cooking them on the stove. I also love that there is no breading on the chicken tenders like traditional chicken strips and they are a great source of protein as well!

Ingredients

This is one of the best chicken marinades I’ve ever made, it gives great flavor and tenderizes the chicken without burning it. Best of all it is a simple recipe that only needs a few basic ingredients you probably already have on hand!

extra virgin olive oil
soy sauce
lemon juice
Worcestershire sauce
garlic
salt & pepper
maple syrup
balsamic vinegar
chicken tenderloins

chicken tenderloins marinating in plastic bag

Instructions

Place a large gallon ziploc bag in a bowl and add all ingredients.
Seal the bag and turn or shake to blend the marinade and the chicken is thoroughly coated.
Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours, turning occasionally to redistribute the marinade.
Preheat oven to 375 F and spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
Place tenderloins evenly spaced in a single layer on baking sheet or shallow dish and bake for 16-18 minutes or until baked through.

marinated chicken tenders on baking sheet

Tips for best results

Marinate the chicken tenders for at least 25-30 minutes but an hour or two is ideal to really get maximum flavor.
If you don’t have tenderloins you can slice boneless skinless chicken breast into thirds or fourths to get roughly the same size tenders.
Leftovers are great chopped over the top of a salad!
You can use this marinade with chicken thighs and boneless skinless chicken breasts as well

Serving suggestions

This chicken tender recipe can be served with almost all side dishes. For an easy weeknight dinner I like to serve them with pasta I’ve topped with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon and then toss together a quick fresh salad with Italian dressing on the side.

You can also serve with roasted potatoes or vegetables, sweet potato french fries, Southern sweet potato casserole, rice, cheese and herb mashed potatoes, Italian broccoli, really the sky is the limit!

For the kids I like to serve these like chicken fingers with their favorite dipping sauces like copycat Zax sauce, honey mustard sauce, bbq sauce, or homemade remoulade.

Storage

Store leftover chicken tenderloins in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

If you try this recipe please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!