Chicken Tenders Parmesan is made with your favorite chicken tenders, smothered in marinara sauce, and lots of gooey melted cheese. It is a simple dish that makes up quickly and pleases even finicky eaters.
Want an easy Italian dinner night? Then you need to make this Chicken Tenders Parmesan that has just simple ingredients and comes together quickly. Better yet this dish scales and adapts to any baking dish or any number of servings!
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This Chicken Tenders casserole starts with your favorite brand of breaded chicken tenders. You fit them into a baking dish and bake them until they are hot and crispy.
Then the chicken is topped with your favorite red tomato pasta sauce. I like to use my Hearty Marinara Sauce with its chunks of flavorful onions and tomato but you can use your favorite jar sauce.
Last but not least, everything gets a topping of two kinds of cheese, parmesan, and mozzarella with a little chopped basil over everything.
So overall this dish is family-friendly, has just a few ingredients, and it doesn't require a lot of prep. Doesn't this sound easy? Great!! So, let's cook!
Ingredients
Here's what you need to make Chicken Tenders Parmesan:
- Chicken Tenders - Frozen breaded chicken tenders make it super convenient to make this dish.
- Marinara Sauce - I prefer my Hearty Marinara Sauce but you can use your favorite jar sauce if that is more convenient.
- Mozzarella Cheese - Shredded works great but you can also use sliced mozzarella cheese.
- Parmesan Cheese - Freshly shredded will be more flavorful, but you can also use pre-shredded cheese.
- Fresh Basil - Fresh basil gives a lovely aroma and small pops of color on top of the parmesan chicken.
Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Chicken Tenders Parmesan
Preheat the oven temperature to 425°F/204°C and lightly grease or spray the bottom of a 13” x 9” baking dish with cooking spray.
Lay the chicken tenders in the prepared dish. Bake for 25 minutes or until the tenders are hot and crispy.
As the tenders bake warm the marinara sauce in the microwave or in a saucepan.
Spoon the marinara sauce evenly over the hot and crispy chicken tenders.
Sprinkle the top with shredded parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and chopped basil.
Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted.
How to Scale This Recipe
This recipe is intuitive in that each piece of chicken gets smothered in sauce and cheese which means you can easily scale this recipe. Consider 2 large chicken tenders per serving. For each 4 to 5-inch tender you will need ¼ cup of marinara sauce, 2 tablespoons of shredded Parmesan cheese, and ½ ounce of mozzarella cheese.
Additionally, you can use many other sizes of baking dishes like a 9 x 9" square, 11 x 7 rectangle, or large-rimmed sheet pans. These dishes can be made of glass, ceramic, or metal. If using a metal pan, line it with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easier cleanup.
My Top Tips
♡ For food safety and crispy chicken, you must cook and crisp the chicken tenders before assembling the casserole.
Substitutions & Variations
Even with just 3 basic ingredients, chicken tenders, marinara sauce, and cheese, you can still change up this Chicken Tenders Parmesan recipe to suit your taste. Here are some great options:
- SUBSTITUTE ANY TOMATO PASTA SAUCE - instead of marinara sauce you can use any tomato-based pasta sauce and it will work in this recipe.
- SUBSTITUTE ANY CHEESE - I've made this chicken tenders parm with cheddar jack, Mexican 5 cheese, and plain cheddar cheese and it is always delicious. So, you can use many kinds of cheese you might have on hand.
- Substitute Morningstar Chik'n Tenders - Make this dish vegetarian by substituting a vegan "chicken tender". We've tried the Morningstar tenders and they are really good.
What to Serve with Chicken Tenders Parmesan
I like to serve this chicken tenders casserole with a green salad and simple pasta, like spaghetti with olive oil and garlic. For a sweet ending, fruit desserts are always my first choice, a refreshing salad of Watermelon and Berries or creamy and easy 5 Cup Fruit Salad are my top picks to end this meal with a bit of sweetness.
Make-Ahead & Storage
This dish is best when freshly made and you can store leftovers in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It reheats well both in the microwave for a couple of minutes, or on the stovetop in a covered skillet with just a little water.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Chicken Tenders Parmesan
Ingredients
- 8 Chicken Tenders, Breaded
- 2 Cups Marinara Sauce
- ⅓ Cup Freshly Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- 4 Ounces Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- 2 Teaspoons Freshly Chopped Basil or Parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven temperature to 425°F/204°C and lightly grease or spray the bottom of a 13” x 9”baking dish with cooking spray.
- Lay the chicken tenders in the prepared dish. Bake for 25 minutes or until the tenders are hot and crispy.8 Chicken Tenders
- As the tenders bake warm the marinara sauce in the microwave or in a saucepan.2 Cups Marinara Sauce
- Spoon the marinara sauce evenly over the hot and crispy chicken tenders.
- Sprinkle the top with shredded parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and chopped basil.⅓ Cup Freshly Shredded Parmesan Cheese, 4 Ounces Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, 2 Teaspoons Freshly Chopped Basil or Parsley
- Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted.
Encharted Cook Notes
- SUBSTITUTE ANY TOMATO PASTA SAUCE - instead of marinara sauce you can use any tomato-based pasta sauce and it will work in this recipe.
- SUBSTITUTE ANY CHEESE - I've made this chicken tenders parm with cheddar jack, Mexican 5 cheese, and plain cheddar cheese and it is always delicious. So, you can use many kinds of cheese you might have on hand.
- Substitute Morningstar Chik'n Tenders - Make this dish vegetarian by substituting a vegan "chicken tender". We've tried the Morningstar tenders and they are really good.
Nutrition Per Serving
All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.
