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    Home » Recipes » Main Dish

    Chicken Tenders Parmesan

    Updated: Oct 20, 2024 · Published: Feb 3, 2023 · by Jan Nunes

    Cheesy Chicken Tenders Parmesan are smothered in marinara sauce and cheese in a glass baking dish with text overlay.

    Chicken Tenders Parmesan is made with your favorite chicken tenders, smothered in marinara sauce, and lots of gooey melted cheese.

    Want an easy, family-friendly dinner night? Then you need to make this Chicken Tenders Parmesan, which has simple ingredients and comes together quickly.

    Chicken Tenders Parmesan are smothered in marinara sauce and topped with cheese in a glass baking dish.
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    This is a simple dish that makes up quickly and pleases even finicky eaters. Better yet this dish scales and adapts to any baking dish or any number of servings!

    Jump to:
    • About this Recipe
    • Ingredient Notes
    • Step-by-Step Instructions for Chicken Tenders Parmesan
    • How to Scale This Recipe
    • My Top Tip
    • Substitutions & Variations
    • What to Serve with Chicken Tenders Parmesan
    • Make-Ahead, Storage, & Reheating
    • More Delicious Chicken Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    About this Recipe

    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.

    The chicken is then topped with your favorite red tomato pasta sauce. I like to use my hearty marinara sauce, which has chunks of flavorful onions and tomatoes, 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.

    Overall, this dish is family-friendly, has just a few ingredients, and doesn't require a lot of prep. Doesn't this sound easy? Great!!

    So, let's cook!

    Ingredient Notes

    Chicken Tenders Parmesan ingredients labeled, clockwise from top right: marinara sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, chopped basil, shredded parmesan cheese, and chicken tenders.

    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

    Process Photo 1 - Spraying the baking dish.

    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.

    Process Photo 2 - The chicken tenders laid in the prepared baking dish.

    Lay the chicken tenders in the prepared dish. Bake for 25 minutes or until the tenders are hot and crispy.

    Process Photo 3 - The marinara sauce warmed in a bowl and ready to use.

    As the tenders bake warm the marinara sauce in the microwave or in a saucepan.

    Process Photo 4 - Spooning the marinara sauce over the cooked chicken tenders.

    Spoon the marinara sauce evenly over the hot and crispy chicken tenders.

    Process Photo 5a - Sprinkling shredded parmesan cheese over the marinara sauce.
    Process Photo 5b - Topping the parmesan cheese with shredded mozzarella cheese and chopped basil.

    Sprinkle the top with shredded parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and chopped basil.

    Chicken Tenders Parmesan are smothered in marinara sauce and topped with cheese in a glass baking dish.

    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 Tip

    ♡ 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

    • Mustard vinaigrette being spooned over fresh salad greens with halved cherry tomatoes.
      Basic Vinaigrette and Recipe Chart with 4 Variations
    • Cooked spaghetti with green peas, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and grated parmesan cheese on a pale pink dinner plate.
      Spaghetti Aglio with Green Peas
    • Square image of bright red cubes of watermelon, green kiwi, and blueberries piled on a white platter. A light green dressing is in a carafe along with a potted basil plant is in the background.
      Watermelon and Berry Fruit Salad
    • Square image of a serving of fruit salad in a clear glass bowl.
      5 Cup Fruit Salad

    I like to serve this chicken tenders casserole with a green salad with a vinaigrette dressing and simple pasta, like spaghetti with olive oil and garlic. For a sweet ending, fruit desserts are always my first choice. A refreshing fruit salad of Watermelon and Berries or a creamy, easy 5 Cup Fruit Salad are my top picks to end this meal with a bit of sweetness.

    Make-Ahead, Storage, & Reheating

    • Make-Ahead & Storage: This dish is best when freshly made, and leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container.
    • Reheating: The tenders reheat well in the microwave for a couple of minutes or on the stovetop in a covered skillet with just a little water.
    Chicken Tenders Parmesan are smothered in marinara sauce and topped with cheese in a glass baking dish.

    More Delicious Chicken Recipes

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    ♡ Did you love this Chicken Tenders Parmesan recipe? Please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how things went in the ✍ comments below. Thanks for visiting!

    📖 Recipe

    Cheesy Chicken Tenders Parmesan are smothered in marinara sauce and cheese in a glass baking dish.

    Chicken Tenders Parmesan

    4.70 from 10 votes
    By: Jan Nunes
    Chicken Tenders Parmesan is made with your favorite chicken tenders, smothered in marinara sauce, and lots of gooey melted cheese.
    Print Share Pin Email
    Prep Time ~ 20 minutes minutes
    Baking Time ~ 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time ~ 1 hour hour
    Servings ~ 4 Servings
    Calories ~ 264kcal
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    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.

    Notes

    For food safety and crispy chicken, you must cook and crisp the chicken tenders before assembling the casserole.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 1020mg | Potassium: 771mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 827IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 239mg | Iron: 2mg

    Per 1 serving. All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.

    Encharted Cook™ or Jan Nunes shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on this website or actions you take as a result.

    © 2018-2025 Encharted Cook, Jan Nunes. All rights reserved.

    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American

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    Jan Nunes

    Hey There!

    Welcome to Encharted Cook! I'm Jan, a seasoned cook with recipe charts, pro tips, and ideas to help you make delicious dinners. Over the years I've learned that many recipes are related... and if you learn to make one delicious dish, you can make many more!

    more about Jan

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