Maple Lemon Garlic Chicken Tenders

Maple lemon garlic chicken tenders are simple and fast. The lemon garlic coating is made by marinating the chicken in melted butter, lemon juice, maple syrup and garlic. This recipe is simple yet flavorful – it’s a family favorite! Serve with rice, pasta or in a salad for an easy dinner.

Maple Lemon Garlic Chicken Tenders

I love buying a big pack of chicken tenders because they’re so easy to cook and kids love them. These pan-fried chicken tenders use a few simple ingredients to make the marinade and sauce. It’s an uncomplicated recipe that works well paired with roasted vegetables, rice or quinoa.

Another recipe you might enjoy is my tortilla chip chicken tenders – these are cripsy on the outside and coated with crushed tortilla chips and pumpking seeds. They’re healthy and delicious!

What Are Chicken Tenders?

Chicken tenders are actually parts of the chicken that are attached to the underside of each chicken breast. They’re a smaller cut of chicken.

Technically, every chicken has only two chicken tenders. However, you can also make a version of chicken tenders by using the whole chicken breast and slicing it into thin strips.

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Maple Lemon Garlic Chicken Tenders Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:

• 1 ½ lbs Chicken Tenders – You can use chicken fillets or chicken tenders depending on what’s available at your grocery store.
• 1 Lemon, juiced – You can use 1 fresh lemon, or lemon juice. > Buy Organic Lemon Juice Here.
• 3 Tbsp Maple Syrup – Adds the perfect hint of sweetness. > Buy Real Maple Syrup Here.
• Garlic Cloves – I used 5 garlic cloves, mashed with a garlic mincer. > Buy Garlic Mincer Here.
• ¼ cup Salted Butter – Used in the marinade and sauce the chicken is cooked in. This could also be substituted for cooking oil (coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil etc.)
• Cooking Oil – I used avocado oil, which is my personal favorite for most recipes. > Buy Avocado Oil Here.
• Salt and Pepper – I used ½ tsp of salt and ½ tsp ground pepper in the marinade. Feel free to add more or less if needed. > Buy Sea Salt Here.

GET MY KITCHEN FAVORITES LIST – Get my full kitchen shopping list here including how I stock my pantry, fill my fridge, and what equipment I prefer to use in the kitchen.

What Chicken Cut Do You Use For Chicken Tenders?

I was able to purchase chicken fillets that were already cut into tenders. This will vary from store to store.

Chicken fillets are made from boneless, skinless chicken breasts. This type of chicken cut has been flattened and shaped to resemble a cutlet or chicken tender.

If you can’t find those you can purchase boneless skinless chicken breasts and cut them into 1-inch strips.

Recipe Cost = $14

The chicken tenders cost me $11 for 0.84 kg (a little over 1 ½ lbs). Everything else costs about $2-3 (these prices will vary depending on where you live).

>> Grocery Shopping Tip: If you like to save money at the store, here are my 7 ways to save money on your grocery bill and still eat healthily.

Kitchen Equipment I Used

Here’s the equipment I used to make this recipe:

• Frying Pan – The perfect pan to use for even heat and cooking. > Buy Frying Pan Here.
• Lemon Juicer – The easiest way to squeeze juice from lemons without seeds. We use ours daily to make marinades, dressings and to add lemon juice to our water. > Buy Lemon Juicer Here.
• Garlic Mincer – You can chop garlic small by hand, but using a garlic mincer is much faster and easier. > Buy Garlic Mincer Here.
• Cutting Knives – To slice the russet potatoes into thin strips. > Buy Cutting Knives Here.

How To Make Maple Lemon Garlic Chicken Tenders

1. Make The Marinade – First, melt ¼ cup salted butter in the microwave. Next, add lemon juice, maple syrup, garlic cloves, salt and pepper.
2. Marinate The Chicken – Add the chicken tenders to the marinade and let soak at room temperature for 20 minutes.
3. Cook – Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add half of the chicken tenders and half of the sauce (enough to lay flat in a single layer on frying pan). Cook for 1-3 minutes, until the chicken turns white on the bottom. Flip and cook an additional 1-3 minutes. Add the cooked chicken to a plate.
4. Repeat – Add the last half of the chicken tenders and marinade. Repeat the cooking process.
5. Serve – Drizzle leftover sauce from the pan over top of the chicken tenders. Serve and enjoy!

>> Need more inspiration? Grab my Easy Healthy Meals Success Kit! A highly successful meal system filled to the brim with healthy eating resources that will teach you how to make easy healthy meals throughout the week, plan your breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and so much more!

More Chicken Recipes

• Tortilla Chip Chicken Tenders – The crunchy coating is made from crushed tortilla chips and pumpkin seeds ground in a food processor. 
• Balsamic-Glazed Chicken Wings – Ooey gooey, lick your fingers sauce that’s totally delicious!
• Pineapple Chicken With Rice – A simple, 30-minute dinner that works great for weeknights.
• Baked Parmean Chicken Wings – Made with freshly grated parmesan and a few spices – it makes the perfect crunchy coating.
• Easiest Oven Baked Chicken Legs – Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Did you love these maple garlic chicken tenders? Be sure to leave a rating below!