🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 11 (from laksa138)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa011.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/","crawl_time":1775823609,"first_indexed_time":1473432409,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,recipetineats!www,\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/ s443","src_root_hash":"12701549400634406811","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"KFC Baked Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - RecipeTin Eats","meta_descriptions":["This the BEST oven baked fried chicken and it tastes just like KFC! Crunchy, easy, all the flavour of KFC with a fraction of the calories!"],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"These KFC Oven Fried Chicken Tenders are my KFC copycat recipe!! Made in the oven, tastes like KFC, nice and crunchy but with just a fraction of the calories! These are Baked Fried Chicken Tenders are a total crowd pleaser!\nConfession: I love KFC. I have it maybe three times a year. I don’t crave it regularly (thankfully) but I’d say every few months, I have the urge to splurge. And my bottom hates me for it.\nI do the drive through because I’m too ashamed to risk being seen inside KFC. And though I savour every bite while I’m consuming it, I always regret it afterwards. Always. It’s heavy and excessively greasy and I don’t feel great.\nAnd yet, there’s a repeat performance every few months.\nI contemplated about the ridiculousness of craving something that makes me feel not-so-crash-hot afterwards. Then I realised – well, it’s like champers. SO much fun, so enjoyable while it’s being consumed. But the next morning? Ugh. Not so fun! (Unless you’re drinking real French champagne, in which case, you’ll be headache free! Did you know that? It’s true!!)\nI’ve been on a mission to make the “best” oven baked KFC since early this year. I’ve had around 10 goes, using recipes I’ve found online and trying my own variations.\nHere’s the thing that I’ve come to accept. You will never, ever be able to make “fried chicken” in the oven that tastes as good as chicken that’s been deep fried. You can make truly crispy oven baked\nwings\n, but it only works really well with wings using a very unique technique discovered by America’s Test Kitchen. (Have you tried my\nTruly Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings\nand\nTruly Crispy Baked Wings with Honey Garlic Sauce\n?)\nBut to make chicken with the proper thick, craggy crust that you get with KFC and Southern Fried Chicken, you need to…well, fry it. In oil. Lots of it. There needs to be enough oil so the chicken floats in it, not just a thin layer in a skillet.\nSo I have conceded defeat.\nBUT! There’s a silver lining to every cloud! Just because an \nexact\nKFC copycat can’t be made in the oven, it doesn’t mean that you can’t make something \nsimilar!\nAnd that’s what I have here for you today. This chicken really does taste like KFC! It’s a mash up of two genius recipes I discovered by 2 very talented bloggers.\n1. The “11 Secret Herbs & Spices” from the\nHomemade KFC\nrecipe by Jo from\nEvery Nook and Cranny\n. I tried a whole bunch of spice mixes and I think hers is the closest!\n2. The coating mixture from \nCarlsbad Cravings\n‘ \nBest Baked “Fried” Chicken\n. I think Jen’s nailed the coating ratios of flour, panko and cornmeal (polenta \/ yellow corn). It’s the crunchiest I have tried!\nSo I made a mash up of these 2 recipes with a few tweaks of my own. You know me. I have “my way” of doing things.:-)\nI hope you love it! I am seriously obsessed with this and was VERY happy making it over and over and over again to get it “right” before I shared it with you!\n– Nagi x\nPS I served these with my “go to” Honey Mustard dipping sauce. Recipe also below!\nPPS One more look at how crunchy they are? YES!\nSubscribe to my\nnewsletter\nand follow along on\nFacebook\n,\nPinterest\nand\nInstagram\nfor all of the latest updates.\nServings\n4\nTap or hover to scale\nCrunchy and perfectly seasoned, it really does taste like KFC! It is a mash up of my own recipe, the \"11 Secret Herbs and Spices\" from the\nHomemade KFC\nrecipe by\nEvery Nook & Cranny\n, and the coating recipe from this\nBest Baked \"Fried\" Chicken\nby\nCarlsbad Cravings.\n. Marinating makes the chicken extra juicy but if you don't have time to marinate, this is still worth making! (See Note 3) PS I know it looks like a lot of salt but it's not overly salty, it's KFC level salty. Reduce salt and\/or celery salt if desired.\nKFC Spice Mix\n▢\n1\/2\ntsp\nsalt\n▢\n1\ntbsp\ncelery salt\n(Note 1)\n▢\n2\ntsp\ngarlic powder\n▢\n1\/2\ntsp\ndried thyme\n▢\n1\/2\ntsp\ndried basil\n▢\n1\/2\ntsp\ndried oregano\n▢\n1\/2\ntbsp\ncoarsely ground black pepper\n▢\n1\ntbsp\nmustard powder\n▢\n2\ntbsp\npaprika\n(not smoked, use sweet or plain)\n▢\n1\ntsp\nground ginger\n▢\n1\ntsp\ncayenne pepper or ground pure chili\n(optional - for KFC \"Zinger\" flavour!)\nChicken\n▢\n1.2 - 1.4 lb \/ 600 - 700 g\nchicken tenderloin\n(10 - 12 pieces) (Note 2)\n▢\n1\ncup\nbuttermilk OR 1\/3 cup plain yoghurt + 2\/3 cup milk\n(Note 3)\n▢\n1\ncup\nflour\n▢\n1\ncup\npanko breadcrumbs\n▢\n1\/4\ncup\ncornmeal\n(Note 4)\n▢\n2\ntbsp\nbutter\n(unsalted)\n▢\n1\ntbsp\nvegetable or canola oil\n▢\nOil spray\nCombine the Spice Mix in a bowl.\nPlace 1 tbsp of Spice Mix in a ziplock bag with the chicken and buttermilk. Set aside to marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably 3 but ideally overnight.\nTo Cook\nPreheat oven to 400F\/200C.\nPlace the butter and oil on a large rimmed baking tray. Place in the oven for a few minutes until the butter is just melted. Remove and tip the tray to spread the oil and butter all over.\nCombine the remaining Spice Mix, flour, panko and cornmeal in a bowl and mix. Place half in a large ziplock bag.\nDrain the chicken of excess marinade using a colander.\nTransfer half the chicken into the ziplock bag, seal in air so it is puffed like a balloon, then shake to coat the chicken in the seasoning. Press through the bag so the coating is firmly stuck onto the chicken. Place the chicken onto the baking tray.\nPlace the remaining coating into the ziplock bag and repeat with remaining chicken.\nSpray the top with oil and place in the oven. Bake for 12 minutes, then turn, spray and bake for a further 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Don't bake more than 25 minutes, otherwise the chicken will dry out!\nServe with your favourite dipping sauce. I used Honey Mustard Sauce (Note 7).\n1. Celery salt is common in America but not so well known in Australia. But you can find it in the herb section of Coles and Woolworths! It is also easy to make your own - just bake celery leaves until just dried (not burnt), crumble and combine equal amounts of the celery leaf dust and salt in a jar.\nIf you can't find celery salt, just substitute with 3\/4 tbsp ordinary salt.\n2. You can substitute with chicken breast cut into chicken tenderloin size strips. It will also work with small boneless thigh fillets - around 100g\/3.5 oz each - or any other cut of chicken that will cook in 20 to 25 minutes.\n3. If you don't have time to marinate, use 1 to 2 eggs instead (just enough to coat all the chicken). Add 1 tbsp of the Spice Mix, dredge the chicken in the egg mixture, then drain and follow the recipe directions.\n4. Cornmeal are small, fine yellow grains and is also known as yellow corn. It's also sold as \"polenta\" at supermarkets though that is not technically correct because polenta is actually a dish that cornmeal is used to make! The cornmeal adds extra crunch to the coating but if you can't find it, then it's ok to skip it, it's still quite crunchy.\n5. I find that using a bit of oil (instead of all butter) stops the butter from browning and burning which can sometimes happen, depending on the strength of your oven.\n6. This does not have the wrinkly, thick, craggy coating like deep fried KFC and southern fried chicken. To achieve that, you need to deep fry or bake in loads of oil! But the crust of this is pretty close! It's crunchy and really does taste just like KFC!\n7. Honey Mustard Dipping sauce - whisk together equal amounts of Dijon mustard, mayonnaise and honey, plus salt and pepper to taste.\nServing:\n229\ng\nCalories:\n465\ncal\n(23%)\nCarbohydrates:\n25.4\ng\n(8%)\nProtein:\n53.4\ng\n(107%)\nFat:\n16.5\ng\n(25%)\nSaturated Fat:\n4.2\ng\n(26%)\nPolyunsaturated Fat:\n12.3\ng\nCholesterol:\n145\nmg\n(48%)\nSodium:\n563\nmg\n(24%)\nFiber:\n2.7\ng\n(11%)\nSugar:\n2.7\ng\n(3%)\nHi, I'm\nNagi\n!\nI believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!\nRead More\nFree Recipe eBooks\nJoin my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!\nReader Interactions","attrs_markdown":"- [Skip to primary navigation](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#genesis-nav-primary)\n- [Skip to header navigation](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#genesis-nav-header)\n- [Skip to main content](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#genesis-content)\n- [Skip to primary sidebar](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#genesis-sidebar-primary)\n\n[RecipeTin Eats](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/)\n\nFast Prep, Big Flavours\n\nMain Menu\n\n[Display Search Bar]()\n\nMy RecipeTin\n\n×\n\n- [My RecipeTin](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#slick-favorites)\n- [My cookbooks\\!](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/cookbooks\/)\n- [Recipes](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/recipes\/)\n- [Recipes By Category](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/)\n  - [Iconic + cult classics](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/iconic-dishes\/)\n  - [Mains](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/)\n    - [Chicken](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/chicken-recipes\/)\n      - [Chicken mince](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/chicken-mince-recipes-ground-chicken\/)\n    - [Beef Recipes](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/beef-recipes\/)\n      - [Ground Beef (Mince)](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/beef-mince-recipes\/)\n    - [Pork](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/pork-recipes\/)\n    - [Lamb](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/lamb-recipes\/)\n    - [Turkey](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/turkey-recipes\/)\n    - [Shrimp \/ Prawns](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/prawns-shrimp\/)\n    - [Salmon](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/salmon-recipes\/)\n    - [Fish recipes](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/fish-recipes\/)\n    - [Salad Meals](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/salad-recipes-main-course\/)\n  - [Quick and Easy](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/quick-and-easy\/)\n  - [Soups](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/soup-recipes\/)\n  - [One Pot – One Pan](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/one-pot-recipes\/)\n  - [Stewy slow-cooked things](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/stews\/)\n  - [Slow Cooker](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/slow-cooker-recipes\/)\n  - [Sides](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/side-dishes\/)\n    - [All](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/side-dishes\/)\n    - [Salads & veg](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/vegetable-sides\/)\n    - [Show Off Salads](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/show-off-salads\/)\n    - [Rice (all)](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/rice-side-dishes\/)\n    - [Fried rice recipes](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/fried-rice\/)\n    - [Rice (plain)](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/rice\/)\n    - [Potato](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/potato-recipes\/)\n  - [Pasta](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/pasta-recipes\/)\n    - [All](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/pasta-recipes\/)\n    - [Pasta bakes](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/pasta-bakes\/)\n    - [Pasta salads](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/pasta-salads-and-rice-salads\/)\n  - [Sweet](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/dessert-recipes\/)\n    - [Cakes](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/cake-recipes\/)\n    - [Candy](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/candy\/)\n    - [Cheesecakes](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/cheesecakes\/)\n    - [Cupcakes & Muffins](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/cupcakes-and-muffins\/)\n    - [Cookies](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/cookies\/)\n    - [Puddings & Cosy Desserts](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/puddings-cosy-desserts\/)\n    - [Bite Size](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/bite-size-desserts\/)\n    - [Pies](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/sweet-pies\/)\n    - [Slices & Bars](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/slices-bars\/)\n    - [Frosting & Icing](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/frosting-and-icing\/)\n    - [Ice cream](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/ice-cream\/)\n  - [Cuisine](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/)\n    - [Asian](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/asian-recipes\/)\n      - [All](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/asian-recipes\/)\n      - [Stir fries](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/stir-fries\/)\n      - [Noodles](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/noodles\/)\n      - [Soups](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/asian-soups\/)\n      - [Chinese](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/chinese-recipes\/)\n      - [RecipeTin Japan 🇯🇵](https:\/\/japan.recipetineats.com\/)\n      - [Korean](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/korean-recipes\/)\n      - [Modern Asian](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/modern-asian\/)\n      - [Thai](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/cuisines\/thai-recipes\/)\n      - [Vietnamese](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/vietnamese-recipes\/)\n    - [French](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/french-recipes\/)\n    - [Greek](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/greek-recipes\/)\n    - [Indian](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/indian-recipes\/)\n    - [Italian](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/italian-recipes\/)\n    - [Mediterranean](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/mediterranean-recipes\/)\n    - [Mexican](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/mexican-recipes\/)\n    - [Middle Eastern](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/cuisines\/middle-eastern-recipes\/)\n    - [South American](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/south-american-recipes\/)\n  - [Dietary](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/)\n    - [Gluten Free](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/dietary\/gluten-free-recipes\/)\n    - [Low Calorie](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/dietary\/low-calorie-recipes\/)\n    - [Vegetarian](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/vegetarian-recipes\/)\n  - [Other Categories](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/)\n    - [BBQ](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/collections\/grilling-ideas-and-recipes\/)\n    - [Breakfast](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/breakfast-recipes\/)\n    - [Burgers](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/burger-recipes\/)\n    - [🎄Christmas](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/christmas_recipes\/)\n    - [Cocktails](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/cocktails\/)\n    - [Party Foods](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/collections\/party-food-recipes\/)\n    - [Rice Recipes](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/rice-recipes\/)\n    - [Roasts](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/collections\/roasts\/)\n    - [Sandwiches & Sliders](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/sandwiches-and-sliders\/)\n  - [Recipe collections](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/collections\/)\n  - [Cookbook recipes](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/cookbook-recipes\/)\n- [My Food Bank](https:\/\/recipetinmeals.org.au\/)\n- [About](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/nagi-recipetin-eats\/)\n  - [Me](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/nagi-recipetin-eats\/)\n  - [RecipeTin Meals](https:\/\/recipetinmeals.org.au\/)\n  - [My Cookbooks](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/cookbooks\/)\n    - [Tonight (NEW!)](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/tonight-cookbook\/)\n    - [Dinner](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/dinner-cookbook\/)\n  - [Free Recipe Books](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/free-recipe-books\/)\n  - [Contact](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/contact\/)\n  - [Nitty Gritty](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/)\n    - [Policy: Use of Recipes & Images](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/policy-use-of-recipes-images\/)\n    - [Privacy & Disclosure](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/nagi-recipetin-eats\/privacy-disclosure\/)\n\n[Home](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/)  [Most Popular](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/most-popular\/)\n\n# KFC Baked Oven Fried Chicken Tenders\n[![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/75eae612677fdf550ba9a478ea595902153a0a06b8b27aaf6bc3eddcf6367244?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)](http:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/about-me\/)\n\nBy  [Nagi Maehashi](http:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/about-me\/)\n\n[245 Comments](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comments)\n\nShare\n\nShare\n\n- [Copy Link](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/)\n- [E-mail](<mailto:?subject=RecipeTin Eats:  KFC Baked Oven Fried Chicken Tenders&body=https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/>)\n- [Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/&t=KFC%20Baked%20Oven%20Fried%20Chicken%20Tenders)\n- [WhatsApp](https:\/\/api.whatsapp.com\/send?text=KFC%20Baked%20Oven%20Fried%20Chicken%20Tenders%20-%20https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/)\n\nPublished16 Sep '15\n\nUpdated13 Dec '18\n\nJump to\n\n[Recipe](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#recipe)\n\nThese KFC Oven Fried Chicken Tenders are my KFC copycat recipe!! Made in the oven, tastes like KFC, nice and crunchy but with just a fraction of the calories! These are Baked Fried Chicken Tenders are a total crowd pleaser\\!\n\n![Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/tachyon\/2015\/09\/KFC-Copycat-Oven-Baked-Fried-Chicken-Tenders_680px_4.jpg)\n\nConfession: I love KFC. I have it maybe three times a year. I don’t crave it regularly (thankfully) but I’d say every few months, I have the urge to splurge. And my bottom hates me for it.\n\nI do the drive through because I’m too ashamed to risk being seen inside KFC. And though I savour every bite while I’m consuming it, I always regret it afterwards. Always. It’s heavy and excessively greasy and I don’t feel great.\n\nAnd yet, there’s a repeat performance every few months.\n\nI contemplated about the ridiculousness of craving something that makes me feel not-so-crash-hot afterwards. Then I realised – well, it’s like champers. SO much fun, so enjoyable while it’s being consumed. But the next morning? Ugh. Not so fun! (Unless you’re drinking real French champagne, in which case, you’ll be headache free! Did you know that? It’s true!!)\n\n![KFC Copycat Oven \"Fried\" Chicken Tenders \\| Made this for dinner the other night, this really does taste like KFC!!!! ](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/tachyon\/2015\/09\/KFC-Copycat-Baked-Chicken_NEW-PIN.jpg)\n\n![Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/tachyon\/2015\/09\/KFC-Copycat-Oven-Baked-Fried-Chicken-Tenders_680px_2-landscape.jpg)\n\nI’ve been on a mission to make the “best” oven baked KFC since early this year. I’ve had around 10 goes, using recipes I’ve found online and trying my own variations.\n\nHere’s the thing that I’ve come to accept. You will never, ever be able to make “fried chicken” in the oven that tastes as good as chicken that’s been deep fried. You can make truly crispy oven baked **wings**, but it only works really well with wings using a very unique technique discovered by America’s Test Kitchen. (Have you tried my [Truly Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/truly-crispy-oven-baked-buffalo-wings-my-wings-cookbook\/) and [Truly Crispy Baked Wings with Honey Garlic Sauce](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/crispy-oven-baked-chicken-wings-honey-garlic-sauce\/)?)\n\nBut to make chicken with the proper thick, craggy crust that you get with KFC and Southern Fried Chicken, you need to…well, fry it. In oil. Lots of it. There needs to be enough oil so the chicken floats in it, not just a thin layer in a skillet.\n\nSo I have conceded defeat.\n\nBUT! There’s a silver lining to every cloud! Just because an *exact* KFC copycat can’t be made in the oven, it doesn’t mean that you can’t make something *similar\\!*\n\n![Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/tachyon\/2015\/09\/DSC_0094.jpg)\n\nAnd that’s what I have here for you today. This chicken really does taste like KFC! It’s a mash up of two genius recipes I discovered by 2 very talented bloggers.\n\n1\\. The “11 Secret Herbs & Spices” from the [Homemade KFC](http:\/\/www.everynookandcranny.net\/homemade-kfc\/) recipe by Jo from [Every Nook and Cranny](http:\/\/www.everynookandcranny.net\/). I tried a whole bunch of spice mixes and I think hers is the closest\\!\n\n2\\. The coating mixture from [Carlsbad Cravings](http:\/\/www.carlsbadcravings.com\/)‘ [Best Baked “Fried” Chicken](http:\/\/www.carlsbadcravings.com\/best-baked-fried-chicken\/). I think Jen’s nailed the coating ratios of flour, panko and cornmeal (polenta \/ yellow corn). It’s the crunchiest I have tried\\!\n\nSo I made a mash up of these 2 recipes with a few tweaks of my own. You know me. I have “my way” of doing things.:-)\n\nI hope you love it! I am seriously obsessed with this and was VERY happy making it over and over and over again to get it “right” before I shared it with you! ***– Nagi x***\n\nPS I served these with my “go to” Honey Mustard dipping sauce. Recipe also below\\!\n\n![Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/tachyon\/2015\/09\/KFC-Copycat-Oven-Baked-Fried-Chicken-Tenders_680px_3.jpg)\n\nPPS One more look at how crunchy they are? YES\\!\n\n![Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/tachyon\/2015\/09\/KFC-Copycat-Oven-Baked-Fried-Chicken-Tenders_680px_1.jpg)\n\nHungry for more? Subscribe to my [newsletter](https:\/\/recipetineats.ck.page\/6f68ed0a2d) and follow along on [Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RecipeTinEats), [Pinterest](http:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/recipetin\/) and [Instagram](http:\/\/instagram.com\/recipe_tin) for all of the latest updates.\n\n![Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/tachyon\/2015\/09\/KFC-Copycat-Oven-Baked-Fried-Chicken-Tenders_680px_2.jpg?resize=206%2C206)\n\n## KFC Oven Baked \"Fried\" Chicken Tenders\nAuthor: Nagi \\| RecipeTin Eats\n\nPrep: 15 minutes mins\n\nCook: 25 minutes mins\n\nTotal: 40 minutes mins\n\nDinner\n\n4\\.93 from 63 votes\n\nServings4\n\nTap or hover to scale\n\n[Print](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/wprm_print\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders)\n\n- [644](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Fkfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders%2F&t=KFC%20Baked%20Oven%20Fried%20Chicken%20Tenders \"Share on Facebook\")\n- 23450\n\nCrunchy and perfectly seasoned, it really does taste like KFC! It is a mash up of my own recipe, the \"11 Secret Herbs and Spices\" from the [Homemade KFC](http:\/\/www.everynookandcranny.net\/homemade-kfc\/) recipe by [Every Nook & Cranny](http:\/\/www.everynookandcranny.net\/), and the coating recipe from this [Best Baked \"Fried\" Chicken](http:\/\/www.carlsbadcravings.com\/best-baked-fried-chicken\/) by [Carlsbad Cravings.](http:\/\/www.carlsbadcravings.com\/). Marinating makes the chicken extra juicy but if you don't have time to marinate, this is still worth making! (See Note 3) PS I know it looks like a lot of salt but it's not overly salty, it's KFC level salty. Reduce salt and\/or celery salt if desired.\n\n### Ingredients\n#### KFC Spice Mix\n- ▢\n  1\/2 tsp salt\n- ▢\n  1 tbsp celery salt (Note 1)\n- ▢\n  2 tsp garlic powder\n- ▢\n  1\/2 tsp dried thyme\n- ▢\n  1\/2 tsp dried basil\n- ▢\n  1\/2 tsp dried oregano\n- ▢\n  1\/2 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper\n- ▢\n  1 tbsp mustard powder\n- ▢\n  2 tbsp paprika (not smoked, use sweet or plain)\n- ▢\n  1 tsp ground ginger\n- ▢\n  1 tsp cayenne pepper or ground pure chili (optional - for KFC \"Zinger\" flavour!)\n\n#### Chicken\n- ▢\n  1\\.2 - 1.4 lb \/ 600 - 700 g  chicken tenderloin (10 - 12 pieces) (Note 2)\n- ▢\n  1 cup buttermilk OR 1\/3 cup plain yoghurt + 2\/3 cup milk (Note 3)\n- ▢\n  1 cup flour\n- ▢\n  1 cup panko breadcrumbs\n- ▢\n  1\/4 cup cornmeal (Note 4)\n- ▢\n  2 tbsp butter (unsalted)\n- ▢\n  1 tbsp vegetable or canola oil\n- ▢\n  Oil spray\n\nCook Mode\n\nPrevent screen from sleeping\n\n### Instructions\n- Combine the Spice Mix in a bowl.\n- Place 1 tbsp of Spice Mix in a ziplock bag with the chicken and buttermilk. Set aside to marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably 3 but ideally overnight.\n\n#### To Cook\n- Preheat oven to 400F\/200C.\n- Place the butter and oil on a large rimmed baking tray. Place in the oven for a few minutes until the butter is just melted. Remove and tip the tray to spread the oil and butter all over.\n- Combine the remaining Spice Mix, flour, panko and cornmeal in a bowl and mix. Place half in a large ziplock bag.\n- Drain the chicken of excess marinade using a colander.\n- Transfer half the chicken into the ziplock bag, seal in air so it is puffed like a balloon, then shake to coat the chicken in the seasoning. Press through the bag so the coating is firmly stuck onto the chicken. Place the chicken onto the baking tray.\n- Place the remaining coating into the ziplock bag and repeat with remaining chicken.\n- Spray the top with oil and place in the oven. Bake for 12 minutes, then turn, spray and bake for a further 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Don't bake more than 25 minutes, otherwise the chicken will dry out\\!\n- Serve with your favourite dipping sauce. I used Honey Mustard Sauce (Note 7).\n\n### Recipe Notes:\n1\\. Celery salt is common in America but not so well known in Australia. But you can find it in the herb section of Coles and Woolworths! It is also easy to make your own - just bake celery leaves until just dried (not burnt), crumble and combine equal amounts of the celery leaf dust and salt in a jar.\n\nIf you can't find celery salt, just substitute with 3\/4 tbsp ordinary salt.\n\n2\\. You can substitute with chicken breast cut into chicken tenderloin size strips. It will also work with small boneless thigh fillets - around 100g\/3.5 oz each - or any other cut of chicken that will cook in 20 to 25 minutes.\n\n3\\. If you don't have time to marinate, use 1 to 2 eggs instead (just enough to coat all the chicken). Add 1 tbsp of the Spice Mix, dredge the chicken in the egg mixture, then drain and follow the recipe directions.\n\n4\\. Cornmeal are small, fine yellow grains and is also known as yellow corn. It's also sold as \"polenta\" at supermarkets though that is not technically correct because polenta is actually a dish that cornmeal is used to make! The cornmeal adds extra crunch to the coating but if you can't find it, then it's ok to skip it, it's still quite crunchy.\n\n5\\. I find that using a bit of oil (instead of all butter) stops the butter from browning and burning which can sometimes happen, depending on the strength of your oven.\n\n6\\. This does not have the wrinkly, thick, craggy coating like deep fried KFC and southern fried chicken. To achieve that, you need to deep fry or bake in loads of oil! But the crust of this is pretty close! It's crunchy and really does taste just like KFC\\!\n\n7\\. Honey Mustard Dipping sauce - whisk together equal amounts of Dijon mustard, mayonnaise and honey, plus salt and pepper to taste.\n\n![KFC Oven Baked Chicken Tenderloins Nutrition](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/tachyon\/2015\/09\/KFC-Oven-Baked-Chicken-Tenderloins-Nutrition.png)\n\n### Nutrition Information:\nServing: 229gCalories: 465cal (23%)Carbohydrates: 25\\.4g (8%)Protein: 53\\.4g (107%)Fat: 16\\.5g (25%)Saturated Fat: 4\\.2g (26%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 12\\.3gCholesterol: 145mg (48%)Sodium: 563mg (24%)Fiber: 2\\.7g (11%)Sugar: 2\\.7g (3%)\n\nDid you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at [@recipe\\_tin](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/recipe_tin\/).\n\n[Previous Post Chicken Meatloaf Wellington with Sun Dried Tomatoes](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/chicken-meatloaf-wellington-with-sun-dried-tomatoes\/)\n\n[Next Post Egg, Bacon and Avocado Quesadilla](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/whole-egg-bacon-and-avocado-quesadilla\/)\n\n#### Hi, I'm Nagi\\!\nI believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative\\!\n\n[Read More](http:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/about-me\/)\n\n### Free Recipe eBooks\nJoin my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks\\!\n## Reader Interactions\n### Leave a Comment [Cancel reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#respond)\n#### 245 Comments\n1. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/aa5f0195ac9696b3337be4d99b113cd62b4e0c1d3c7475dbd805c5342e5f9a2f?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Bek says\n   \n   March 23, 2026 at 6:10 pm\n   \n   I made this tonight and it really didn’t work for me. The spice mix just went super clumpy and wouldn’t stick to the chicken. I shook the marinade off rather than draining in colander – is this where I went wrong? With all the positive reviews I’m assuming it’s a me problem. Have ended up with tasteless chicken. Tried smearing the clumpy mix on the top but it’s fallen off v easy and is just not at all tasty 🙁\n   \n   [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1994919)\n2. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a02d21a942122b1de31f53028d4f89b1fcfdbfe81532922e964ba896c540217?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)raimo toivanen says\n   \n   October 22, 2025 at 2:37 pm\n   \n   ![5 stars](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/content\/plugins\/wp-recipe-maker\/assets\/icons\/rating\/stars-5.svg)  \n    I make 2kg at a time for my son and me,they dont last very long.I’m from vic.I met a fellow angler from country WA in remote Gulf of Carpentaria.Talk of food came up and your name came up. Fans all over OZ.\n   \n   [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1862987)\n3. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5f10168913092451b63e6b726e1748079aba74313b3359dc2ea5f4d847d0a741?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Beth says\n   \n   June 8, 2025 at 3:38 am\n   \n   ![5 stars](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/content\/plugins\/wp-recipe-maker\/assets\/icons\/rating\/stars-5.svg)  \n    Amazing. Loved by the whole family and a really enjoyable recipe to make.\n   \n   [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1769918)\n4. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/30bacb6cdbe95105931ab4a41243c8e37aedfff3a41ab0a7b1cb58feea8f2a44?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Shannon says\n   \n   June 6, 2025 at 6:48 pm\n   \n   ![5 stars](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/content\/plugins\/wp-recipe-maker\/assets\/icons\/rating\/stars-5.svg)  \n    Amazing! I only marinated for 5 hours, but it was so tender and moist. DELISH!!! Next time I will half the cayenne pepper, 1 tsp was far too bitey\\!\n   \n   [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1769342)\n5. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ac945fb0a297a9be0e7fb50f185d9294586dc0cb3fa11e35cbc9fbcbd4fff5b2?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Mandy Gleeson says\n   \n   February 3, 2025 at 7:48 pm\n   \n   ![5 stars](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/content\/plugins\/wp-recipe-maker\/assets\/icons\/rating\/stars-5.svg)  \n    I was a bit worried about the amount of herbs and spices but followed the recipe to a tee substituting only the buttermilk for yoghurt and milk as suggested. It was a very satisfying tasty dish with mash corn coleslaw and Nagi gravy\n   \n   [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1716863)\n6. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bfe17eb367457358758622784d24f101cd12266b9675c3a04cb4a1095d03a31c?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Janet Kanady says\n   \n   December 31, 2024 at 1:35 am\n   \n   ![5 stars](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/content\/plugins\/wp-recipe-maker\/assets\/icons\/rating\/stars-5.svg)  \n    This was really good! I had a small piece of round steak leftover so I added it in with the chicken. It was good too! The leftovers heated up well the next day.\n   \n   [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1706393)\n7. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9b377c04e571647799cf6516bc69f672f48847c9c5391c792359b4efb479cd62?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Sarah says\n   \n   January 30, 2024 at 2:45 am\n   \n   ![3 stars](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/content\/plugins\/wp-recipe-maker\/assets\/icons\/rating\/stars-3.svg)  \n    I saw in the comments that these could be prepped up to the point right before baking and then frozen. I did that and followed the rest of recipe exactly but they never got crunchy or crispy. The topping even started coming off. I don’t know what went wrong since the recipes on this site are so amazingly good. I’ve made tenders before and didn’t have this trouble. 🙁\n   \n   [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1559662)\n   - ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/560ed9e0e17ff84e6c5a2802c8bc537bcd97fb9c5e1407fe447c5277de27c7ab?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Lori says\n     \n     January 11, 2025 at 8:24 am\n     \n     Maybe don’t give only three stars to a recipe you deviated from.\n     \n     [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1710031)\n8. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/52ebe5ed20098d1c2f63380fb44152493e3b9ab0a8069ed90100d96c7c13cb1b?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Debbie says\n   \n   January 28, 2024 at 10:38 am\n   \n   ![5 stars](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/content\/plugins\/wp-recipe-maker\/assets\/icons\/rating\/stars-5.svg)  \n    OMG, hubby made these and they are the bomb 👌 He had them in wraps for lunch for a few day after and so so good. We’re going to cook these and cryovac to take away with us when we go camping for our lunches. Absolutely perfect and delicious\n   \n   [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1559107)\n9. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/968239e5ae77710e481143c5be80c6b89ea32a4b945a5febd10f2eb5d7bdc165?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Dewey says\n   \n   November 8, 2023 at 4:36 pm\n   \n   Hi Nagi, just wondering if I could make these without the use of any dairy products, or eggs? Turns out my child has developed a dairy allergy, and unsure about the eggs at the moment too. Could the spice mix be used as a straight up seasoning with some oil? I could still add the polenta and flour as part of the seasoning mix maybe? Or do you think this would not be flavoursome enough? I understand the texture would be different to your recipe, but hoping to capture the flavour at least? Any advice you could offer would be much appreciated\\!\n   \n   [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1534741)\n   - ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b7aa4476dd97a67ae521978d55bd0664635bd0bd5ebb8e9ba71e72c9663e3a12?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Michelle says\n     \n     November 26, 2023 at 8:26 pm\n     \n     Hi Dewey, I have 2 daughters, one is allergic to dairy and the other eggs. I just substitute according to the ingredients. Nuttelex Buttery instead of butter and for buttermilk I add white vinegar to soy milk and let it sit until it goes a bit lumpy.\n     \n     [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1539883)\n10. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b65a165dbcf684594a4fc25fb4a1515c5e4548b79a27b97d39430411f394c4e8?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Mike Harrison-Lamond says\n    \n    August 7, 2023 at 1:22 pm\n    \n    My lord Nagi – these are divine! You research everything so thoroughly and I love your recipes.\n    \n    I did deep fry these for a dinner party – 180 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes (I brought the basket up every minute or two to check). Absolutely perfect\\!\n    \n    [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1489847)\n    - ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3b7abd881d88e01e1fc5433b18aebb9df9ad920130765d17f977a73f668422d4?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Elizabeth Barnes says\n      \n      September 15, 2025 at 4:33 am\n      \n      ![5 stars](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/content\/plugins\/wp-recipe-maker\/assets\/icons\/rating\/stars-5.svg)  \n       Mike ~ did you still use the. Panko and cornmeal even when deep frying?? We are afraid the Panko might burn if we deep fry. So would love to know\\!\n      \n      [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1833925)\n11. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f863b544e560254092d427f396ff4c9673cb8e5e4b4cb9dd38cca80e13d83a9?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Angela says\n    \n    August 3, 2023 at 8:07 pm\n    \n    Can these be made in an air fryer?\n    \n    [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1489210)\n12. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7e306948db85de70a98bab687bc60de43c1fd9370ccf083e5bce3db559b03d55?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Ali says\n    \n    October 31, 2022 at 2:49 am\n    \n    ![5 stars](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/content\/plugins\/wp-recipe-maker\/assets\/icons\/rating\/stars-5.svg)  \n     Great, crispy Baked Oven Fried Chicken Tenders – better than KFC\\!\n    \n    [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1362126)\n13. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/51c2a01acd2030d1871ea7ffedf610d08c9a84f5b934bc619d780d86ff322fe8?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Rebecca says\n    \n    August 25, 2022 at 5:30 am\n    \n    ![5 stars](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/content\/plugins\/wp-recipe-maker\/assets\/icons\/rating\/stars-5.svg)  \n     So moist and flavorful! This is going in my regular rotation.\n    \n    [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1343083)\n14. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0d61df6f56639bd52e7eb20df736b417235ea39ae869524da3643e079eeb3f61?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Alice says\n    \n    July 7, 2022 at 9:20 pm\n    \n    ![5 stars](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/content\/plugins\/wp-recipe-maker\/assets\/icons\/rating\/stars-5.svg)  \n     I made this with whole chicken thigh fillets. Cranked the fan forced oven to 230 and didn’t turn half way just checked on them. 25 min cooking time. It’s the second time I’ve made this with my kids. I don’t actually like KFC but these are great and much better than the original in my opinion. Great crunch and really tender chicken. Love your recipes Nagi\\!\n    \n    [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1324638)\n15. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/07ebd6635749deb71a2232feb492fb13740788c19916107c772c28d951567f82?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Finn Brown says\n    \n    April 14, 2022 at 7:13 pm\n    \n    What would you suggest as a suitable mustard powder substitute in this recipe?\n    \n    [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1294969)\n16. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/79cab7683b246266b191a828ef5426cdeaf73d34929ee078bdc5cdf97192b898?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Louisa says\n    \n    April 7, 2022 at 6:15 pm\n    \n    Hi Nagi. When I compare the recipes for KFC Oven Baked Tenders and the Fried Chicken, I notice that the proportions in the spice mixes are quite different, eg 1.5 tsp of paprika compared to 2 tbls. Some spices are higher in one and lower in the other recipe and vice versa. Just wondering which is closer to KFC. Thank you\n    \n    [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1293082)\n17. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c3e8c81433538e7c9eb515827c51d50da7524cdaa366116117321892ef60a0b5?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Holly says\n    \n    February 20, 2022 at 11:04 am\n    \n    ![5 stars](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/content\/plugins\/wp-recipe-maker\/assets\/icons\/rating\/stars-5.svg)  \n     These were tasty.\n    \n    Thanks Nagi\\!\n    \n    [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1276730)\n18. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a7225c59ea29146ae784126bf28c824c0333cae9df0bf4ffd5846cfb975b778a?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)MR.K says\n    \n    January 31, 2022 at 8:40 pm\n    \n    ![5 stars](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/content\/plugins\/wp-recipe-maker\/assets\/icons\/rating\/stars-5.svg)  \n     Been making these for ages (pre kids). Made it again recently for my 3 year old – in a wrap (who btw, has never tried KFC) and asked him what he thought, he said: “it tastes just like a twister”. 😂 Go figure.\n    \n    [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1272142)\n    - ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0aeb9e44a6eae7f3b2b7faf1ea1f2b14339c4f71a67d2b6c4cbf21314ef27fb0?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)[Nagi](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/) says\n      \n      February 1, 2022 at 10:12 am\n      \n      Are you sure he’s NEVER tried KFC?? 😂 N x\n      \n      [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1272257)\n19. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c961ac230967c8b960ef232dfca3fdd46649ff813de0809c96b13d9350004c96?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Bron says\n    \n    January 28, 2022 at 1:31 pm\n    \n    ![5 stars](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/content\/plugins\/wp-recipe-maker\/assets\/icons\/rating\/stars-5.svg)  \n     I made this for my partner who loves fast food but never gets to it because it’s gross and unhealthy and just no. So I thought I’d treat him and I made the full feast of these chicken tenders, the potato and gravy, some fries with chicken salt and corn on the cob. It was so delicious! These tenders were unbelievable and I loved the potato and gravy too.\n    \n    [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1271303)\n    - ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0aeb9e44a6eae7f3b2b7faf1ea1f2b14339c4f71a67d2b6c4cbf21314ef27fb0?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)[Nagi](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/) says\n      \n      January 28, 2022 at 3:10 pm\n      \n      Sometimes you just gotta get that fix Bron!! N x 🍗\n      \n      [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1271338)\n20. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6aeec5fa21b805c46ee3a881df002121a42282cdc29f9bba685a2ffde04d2295?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Danielle Toso says\n    \n    January 2, 2022 at 12:36 pm\n    \n    ![5 stars](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/content\/plugins\/wp-recipe-maker\/assets\/icons\/rating\/stars-5.svg)  \n     Hi Nagi, I made this on Christmas Day last year and it was a hit! I was wondering if you could use this recipe with chicken drumsticks instead of tenderloins? My partner loves KFC chicken drumsticks so I wonder if it’s possible to. What would be the cooking time and temp? Thank you\\!\n    \n    [Reply](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#comment-1263499)\n\n[Older Comments](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/comment-page-2\/#comments)\n\n## Primary Sidebar\n![](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/tachyon\/2018\/12\/nagi.jpg?resize=747%2C747)\n\n### Hi, I'm Nagi\\!\nI believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! [Read More](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/nagi-recipetin-eats\/)\n\n### Free Recipe eBooks\nJoin my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks\\!\n\n![](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/tachyon\/2018\/12\/dozer.jpeg)\n\n### Meet Dozer\nOfficial taste tester of RecipeTin Eats! [Meet Dozer](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/dozer-the-golden-retriever-dog\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/tachyon\/2018\/12\/fast-meals.jpeg)](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/collections\/dinner-tonight\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/tachyon\/2018\/12\/one-pot.jpeg)](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/one-pot-recipes\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/tachyon\/2018\/12\/japanese-meals.jpeg)](https:\/\/japan.recipetineats.com\/)\n\n##### As Featured On\n### Never miss a recipe\\!\nSubscribe to my newsletter and receive 3 FREE ebooks\\!\n\n[Subscribe](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders\/#profile-subscribe-popup)\n\n##### Recipes\n- [All Recipes](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/recipes\/)\n- [By Category](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/categories\/)\n- [Collections](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/category\/collections\/)\n\n##### About\n- [About Nagi](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/nagi-recipetin-eats\/)\n- [About Dozer](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/dozer-the-golden-retriever-dog\/)\n- [RecipeTin Meals](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/recipetin-meals\/)\n\n##### Related\n- [RecipeTin Japan](https:\/\/japan.recipetineats.com\/)\n\n##### Help\n- [Contact](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/contact\/)\n- [Image Use Policy](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/policy-use-of-recipes-images\/)\n\n© RecipeTin Eats 2026\n\n- [Privacy Policy & Terms](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/nagi-recipetin-eats\/privacy-disclosure\/)\n\nSite Credits\n\nMaintained by [Human Made](https:\/\/humanmade.com\/) Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled\n\nAll Rights Reserved\n\n## Subscribe to my newsletter\n![](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/tachyon\/2024\/05\/Free-eCookbooks-graphic_popup-resized.jpg)\n\n### Sign up and receive 3 FREE EBOOKS\\!","attrs_readable_markdown":"These KFC Oven Fried Chicken Tenders are my KFC copycat recipe!! Made in the oven, tastes like KFC, nice and crunchy but with just a fraction of the calories! These are Baked Fried Chicken Tenders are a total crowd pleaser\\!\n\n![Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/tachyon\/2015\/09\/KFC-Copycat-Oven-Baked-Fried-Chicken-Tenders_680px_4.jpg)\n\nConfession: I love KFC. I have it maybe three times a year. I don’t crave it regularly (thankfully) but I’d say every few months, I have the urge to splurge. And my bottom hates me for it.\n\nI do the drive through because I’m too ashamed to risk being seen inside KFC. And though I savour every bite while I’m consuming it, I always regret it afterwards. Always. It’s heavy and excessively greasy and I don’t feel great.\n\nAnd yet, there’s a repeat performance every few months.\n\nI contemplated about the ridiculousness of craving something that makes me feel not-so-crash-hot afterwards. Then I realised – well, it’s like champers. SO much fun, so enjoyable while it’s being consumed. But the next morning? Ugh. Not so fun! (Unless you’re drinking real French champagne, in which case, you’ll be headache free! Did you know that? It’s true!!)\n\n![Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/tachyon\/2015\/09\/KFC-Copycat-Oven-Baked-Fried-Chicken-Tenders_680px_2-landscape.jpg)\n\nI’ve been on a mission to make the “best” oven baked KFC since early this year. I’ve had around 10 goes, using recipes I’ve found online and trying my own variations.\n\nHere’s the thing that I’ve come to accept. You will never, ever be able to make “fried chicken” in the oven that tastes as good as chicken that’s been deep fried. You can make truly crispy oven baked **wings**, but it only works really well with wings using a very unique technique discovered by America’s Test Kitchen. (Have you tried my [Truly Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/truly-crispy-oven-baked-buffalo-wings-my-wings-cookbook\/) and [Truly Crispy Baked Wings with Honey Garlic Sauce](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/crispy-oven-baked-chicken-wings-honey-garlic-sauce\/)?)\n\nBut to make chicken with the proper thick, craggy crust that you get with KFC and Southern Fried Chicken, you need to…well, fry it. In oil. Lots of it. There needs to be enough oil so the chicken floats in it, not just a thin layer in a skillet.\n\nSo I have conceded defeat.\n\nBUT! There’s a silver lining to every cloud! Just because an *exact* KFC copycat can’t be made in the oven, it doesn’t mean that you can’t make something *similar\\!*\n\n![Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/tachyon\/2015\/09\/DSC_0094.jpg)\n\nAnd that’s what I have here for you today. This chicken really does taste like KFC! It’s a mash up of two genius recipes I discovered by 2 very talented bloggers.\n\n1\\. The “11 Secret Herbs & Spices” from the [Homemade KFC](http:\/\/www.everynookandcranny.net\/homemade-kfc\/) recipe by Jo from [Every Nook and Cranny](http:\/\/www.everynookandcranny.net\/). I tried a whole bunch of spice mixes and I think hers is the closest\\!\n\n2\\. The coating mixture from [Carlsbad Cravings](http:\/\/www.carlsbadcravings.com\/)‘ [Best Baked “Fried” Chicken](http:\/\/www.carlsbadcravings.com\/best-baked-fried-chicken\/). I think Jen’s nailed the coating ratios of flour, panko and cornmeal (polenta \/ yellow corn). It’s the crunchiest I have tried\\!\n\nSo I made a mash up of these 2 recipes with a few tweaks of my own. You know me. I have “my way” of doing things.:-)\n\nI hope you love it! I am seriously obsessed with this and was VERY happy making it over and over and over again to get it “right” before I shared it with you! ***– Nagi x***\n\nPS I served these with my “go to” Honey Mustard dipping sauce. Recipe also below\\!\n\n![Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/tachyon\/2015\/09\/KFC-Copycat-Oven-Baked-Fried-Chicken-Tenders_680px_3.jpg)\n\nPPS One more look at how crunchy they are? YES\\!\n\n![Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/tachyon\/2015\/09\/KFC-Copycat-Oven-Baked-Fried-Chicken-Tenders_680px_1.jpg)\n\nSubscribe to my [newsletter](https:\/\/recipetineats.ck.page\/6f68ed0a2d) and follow along on [Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RecipeTinEats), [Pinterest](http:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/recipetin\/) and [Instagram](http:\/\/instagram.com\/recipe_tin) for all of the latest updates.\n\nServings4\n\nTap or hover to scale\n\nCrunchy and perfectly seasoned, it really does taste like KFC! It is a mash up of my own recipe, the \"11 Secret Herbs and Spices\" from the [Homemade KFC](http:\/\/www.everynookandcranny.net\/homemade-kfc\/) recipe by [Every Nook & Cranny](http:\/\/www.everynookandcranny.net\/), and the coating recipe from this [Best Baked \"Fried\" Chicken](http:\/\/www.carlsbadcravings.com\/best-baked-fried-chicken\/) by [Carlsbad Cravings.](http:\/\/www.carlsbadcravings.com\/). Marinating makes the chicken extra juicy but if you don't have time to marinate, this is still worth making! (See Note 3) PS I know it looks like a lot of salt but it's not overly salty, it's KFC level salty. Reduce salt and\/or celery salt if desired.\n\n#### KFC Spice Mix\n- ▢\n  1\/2 tsp salt\n- ▢\n  1 tbsp celery salt (Note 1)\n- ▢\n  2 tsp garlic powder\n- ▢\n  1\/2 tsp dried thyme\n- ▢\n  1\/2 tsp dried basil\n- ▢\n  1\/2 tsp dried oregano\n- ▢\n  1\/2 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper\n- ▢\n  1 tbsp mustard powder\n- ▢\n  2 tbsp paprika (not smoked, use sweet or plain)\n- ▢\n  1 tsp ground ginger\n- ▢\n  1 tsp cayenne pepper or ground pure chili (optional - for KFC \"Zinger\" flavour!)\n\n#### Chicken\n- ▢\n  1\\.2 - 1.4 lb \/ 600 - 700 g  chicken tenderloin (10 - 12 pieces) (Note 2)\n- ▢\n  1 cup buttermilk OR 1\/3 cup plain yoghurt + 2\/3 cup milk (Note 3)\n- ▢\n  1 cup flour\n- ▢\n  1 cup panko breadcrumbs\n- ▢\n  1\/4 cup cornmeal (Note 4)\n- ▢\n  2 tbsp butter (unsalted)\n- ▢\n  1 tbsp vegetable or canola oil\n- ▢\n  Oil spray\n\n- Combine the Spice Mix in a bowl.\n- Place 1 tbsp of Spice Mix in a ziplock bag with the chicken and buttermilk. Set aside to marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably 3 but ideally overnight.\n\n#### To Cook\n- Preheat oven to 400F\/200C.\n- Place the butter and oil on a large rimmed baking tray. Place in the oven for a few minutes until the butter is just melted. Remove and tip the tray to spread the oil and butter all over.\n- Combine the remaining Spice Mix, flour, panko and cornmeal in a bowl and mix. Place half in a large ziplock bag.\n- Drain the chicken of excess marinade using a colander.\n- Transfer half the chicken into the ziplock bag, seal in air so it is puffed like a balloon, then shake to coat the chicken in the seasoning. Press through the bag so the coating is firmly stuck onto the chicken. Place the chicken onto the baking tray.\n- Place the remaining coating into the ziplock bag and repeat with remaining chicken.\n- Spray the top with oil and place in the oven. Bake for 12 minutes, then turn, spray and bake for a further 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Don't bake more than 25 minutes, otherwise the chicken will dry out\\!\n- Serve with your favourite dipping sauce. I used Honey Mustard Sauce (Note 7).\n\n1\\. Celery salt is common in America but not so well known in Australia. But you can find it in the herb section of Coles and Woolworths! It is also easy to make your own - just bake celery leaves until just dried (not burnt), crumble and combine equal amounts of the celery leaf dust and salt in a jar.\n\nIf you can't find celery salt, just substitute with 3\/4 tbsp ordinary salt.\n\n2\\. You can substitute with chicken breast cut into chicken tenderloin size strips. It will also work with small boneless thigh fillets - around 100g\/3.5 oz each - or any other cut of chicken that will cook in 20 to 25 minutes.\n\n3\\. If you don't have time to marinate, use 1 to 2 eggs instead (just enough to coat all the chicken). Add 1 tbsp of the Spice Mix, dredge the chicken in the egg mixture, then drain and follow the recipe directions.\n\n4\\. Cornmeal are small, fine yellow grains and is also known as yellow corn. It's also sold as \"polenta\" at supermarkets though that is not technically correct because polenta is actually a dish that cornmeal is used to make! The cornmeal adds extra crunch to the coating but if you can't find it, then it's ok to skip it, it's still quite crunchy.\n\n5\\. I find that using a bit of oil (instead of all butter) stops the butter from browning and burning which can sometimes happen, depending on the strength of your oven.\n\n6\\. This does not have the wrinkly, thick, craggy coating like deep fried KFC and southern fried chicken. To achieve that, you need to deep fry or bake in loads of oil! But the crust of this is pretty close! It's crunchy and really does taste just like KFC\\!\n\n7\\. Honey Mustard Dipping sauce - whisk together equal amounts of Dijon mustard, mayonnaise and honey, plus salt and pepper to taste.\n\n![KFC Oven Baked Chicken Tenderloins Nutrition](https:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/tachyon\/2015\/09\/KFC-Oven-Baked-Chicken-Tenderloins-Nutrition.png)\n\nServing: 229gCalories: 465cal (23%)Carbohydrates: 25\\.4g (8%)Protein: 53\\.4g (107%)Fat: 16\\.5g (25%)Saturated Fat: 4\\.2g (26%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 12\\.3gCholesterol: 145mg (48%)Sodium: 563mg (24%)Fiber: 2\\.7g (11%)Sugar: 2\\.7g (3%)\n\n#### Hi, I'm Nagi\\!\nI believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative\\!\n\n[Read More](http:\/\/www.recipetineats.com\/about-me\/)\n\nFree Recipe eBooks\n\nJoin my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks\\!\n## Reader Interactions","meta_canonical":null}

3. Robots.txt Check

Query:

Response:

4. Spam/Ban Check

Query:

Response:

5. Seen Status Check

ℹ️ Skipped - page is already crawled

📄

INDEXABLE

✅

CRAWLED

5 days ago

🤖

ROBOTS ALLOWED

Page Info Filters

Filter	Status	Condition	Details
HTTP status	PASS	`download_http_code = 200`	HTTP 200
Age cutoff	PASS	`download_stamp > now() - 6 MONTH`	0.2 months ago
History drop	PASS	`isNull(history_drop_reason)`	No drop reason
Spam/ban	PASS	`fh_dont_index != 1 AND ml_spam_score = 0`	ml_spam_score=0
Canonical	PASS	`meta_canonical IS NULL OR = '' OR = src_unparsed`	Not set

Page Details

Property	Value
URL	https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/
Last Crawled	2026-04-10 12:20:09 (5 days ago)
First Indexed	2016-09-09 14:46:49 (9 years ago)
HTTP Status Code	200
Meta Title	KFC Baked Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - RecipeTin Eats
Meta Description	This the BEST oven baked fried chicken and it tastes just like KFC! Crunchy, easy, all the flavour of KFC with a fraction of the calories!
Meta Canonical	null
Boilerpipe Text	These KFC Oven Fried Chicken Tenders are my KFC copycat recipe!! Made in the oven, tastes like KFC, nice and crunchy but with just a fraction of the calories! These are Baked Fried Chicken Tenders are a total crowd pleaser! Confession: I love KFC. I have it maybe three times a year. I don’t crave it regularly (thankfully) but I’d say every few months, I have the urge to splurge. And my bottom hates me for it. I do the drive through because I’m too ashamed to risk being seen inside KFC. And though I savour every bite while I’m consuming it, I always regret it afterwards. Always. It’s heavy and excessively greasy and I don’t feel great. And yet, there’s a repeat performance every few months. I contemplated about the ridiculousness of craving something that makes me feel not-so-crash-hot afterwards. Then I realised – well, it’s like champers. SO much fun, so enjoyable while it’s being consumed. But the next morning? Ugh. Not so fun! (Unless you’re drinking real French champagne, in which case, you’ll be headache free! Did you know that? It’s true!!) I’ve been on a mission to make the “best” oven baked KFC since early this year. I’ve had around 10 goes, using recipes I’ve found online and trying my own variations. Here’s the thing that I’ve come to accept. You will never, ever be able to make “fried chicken” in the oven that tastes as good as chicken that’s been deep fried. You can make truly crispy oven baked wings , but it only works really well with wings using a very unique technique discovered by America’s Test Kitchen. (Have you tried my Truly Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings and Truly Crispy Baked Wings with Honey Garlic Sauce ?) But to make chicken with the proper thick, craggy crust that you get with KFC and Southern Fried Chicken, you need to…well, fry it. In oil. Lots of it. There needs to be enough oil so the chicken floats in it, not just a thin layer in a skillet. So I have conceded defeat. BUT! There’s a silver lining to every cloud! Just because an exact KFC copycat can’t be made in the oven, it doesn’t mean that you can’t make something similar! And that’s what I have here for you today. This chicken really does taste like KFC! It’s a mash up of two genius recipes I discovered by 2 very talented bloggers. 1. The “11 Secret Herbs & Spices” from the Homemade KFC recipe by Jo from Every Nook and Cranny . I tried a whole bunch of spice mixes and I think hers is the closest! 2. The coating mixture from Carlsbad Cravings ‘ Best Baked “Fried” Chicken . I think Jen’s nailed the coating ratios of flour, panko and cornmeal (polenta / yellow corn). It’s the crunchiest I have tried! So I made a mash up of these 2 recipes with a few tweaks of my own. You know me. I have “my way” of doing things.:-) I hope you love it! I am seriously obsessed with this and was VERY happy making it over and over and over again to get it “right” before I shared it with you! – Nagi x PS I served these with my “go to” Honey Mustard dipping sauce. Recipe also below! PPS One more look at how crunchy they are? YES! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook , Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates. Servings 4 Tap or hover to scale Crunchy and perfectly seasoned, it really does taste like KFC! It is a mash up of my own recipe, the "11 Secret Herbs and Spices" from the Homemade KFC recipe by Every Nook & Cranny , and the coating recipe from this Best Baked "Fried" Chicken by Carlsbad Cravings. . Marinating makes the chicken extra juicy but if you don't have time to marinate, this is still worth making! (See Note 3) PS I know it looks like a lot of salt but it's not overly salty, it's KFC level salty. Reduce salt and/or celery salt if desired. KFC Spice Mix ▢ 1/2 tsp salt ▢ 1 tbsp celery salt (Note 1) ▢ 2 tsp garlic powder ▢ 1/2 tsp dried thyme ▢ 1/2 tsp dried basil ▢ 1/2 tsp dried oregano ▢ 1/2 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper ▢ 1 tbsp mustard powder ▢ 2 tbsp paprika (not smoked, use sweet or plain) ▢ 1 tsp ground ginger ▢ 1 tsp cayenne pepper or ground pure chili (optional - for KFC "Zinger" flavour!) Chicken ▢ 1.2 - 1.4 lb / 600 - 700 g chicken tenderloin (10 - 12 pieces) (Note 2) ▢ 1 cup buttermilk OR 1/3 cup plain yoghurt + 2/3 cup milk (Note 3) ▢ 1 cup flour ▢ 1 cup panko breadcrumbs ▢ 1/4 cup cornmeal (Note 4) ▢ 2 tbsp butter (unsalted) ▢ 1 tbsp vegetable or canola oil ▢ Oil spray Combine the Spice Mix in a bowl. Place 1 tbsp of Spice Mix in a ziplock bag with the chicken and buttermilk. Set aside to marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably 3 but ideally overnight. To Cook Preheat oven to 400F/200C. Place the butter and oil on a large rimmed baking tray. Place in the oven for a few minutes until the butter is just melted. Remove and tip the tray to spread the oil and butter all over. Combine the remaining Spice Mix, flour, panko and cornmeal in a bowl and mix. Place half in a large ziplock bag. Drain the chicken of excess marinade using a colander. Transfer half the chicken into the ziplock bag, seal in air so it is puffed like a balloon, then shake to coat the chicken in the seasoning. Press through the bag so the coating is firmly stuck onto the chicken. Place the chicken onto the baking tray. Place the remaining coating into the ziplock bag and repeat with remaining chicken. Spray the top with oil and place in the oven. Bake for 12 minutes, then turn, spray and bake for a further 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Don't bake more than 25 minutes, otherwise the chicken will dry out! Serve with your favourite dipping sauce. I used Honey Mustard Sauce (Note 7). 1. Celery salt is common in America but not so well known in Australia. But you can find it in the herb section of Coles and Woolworths! It is also easy to make your own - just bake celery leaves until just dried (not burnt), crumble and combine equal amounts of the celery leaf dust and salt in a jar. If you can't find celery salt, just substitute with 3/4 tbsp ordinary salt. 2. You can substitute with chicken breast cut into chicken tenderloin size strips. It will also work with small boneless thigh fillets - around 100g/3.5 oz each - or any other cut of chicken that will cook in 20 to 25 minutes. 3. If you don't have time to marinate, use 1 to 2 eggs instead (just enough to coat all the chicken). Add 1 tbsp of the Spice Mix, dredge the chicken in the egg mixture, then drain and follow the recipe directions. 4. Cornmeal are small, fine yellow grains and is also known as yellow corn. It's also sold as "polenta" at supermarkets though that is not technically correct because polenta is actually a dish that cornmeal is used to make! The cornmeal adds extra crunch to the coating but if you can't find it, then it's ok to skip it, it's still quite crunchy. 5. I find that using a bit of oil (instead of all butter) stops the butter from browning and burning which can sometimes happen, depending on the strength of your oven. 6. This does not have the wrinkly, thick, craggy coating like deep fried KFC and southern fried chicken. To achieve that, you need to deep fry or bake in loads of oil! But the crust of this is pretty close! It's crunchy and really does taste just like KFC! 7. Honey Mustard Dipping sauce - whisk together equal amounts of Dijon mustard, mayonnaise and honey, plus salt and pepper to taste. Serving: 229 g Calories: 465 cal (23%) Carbohydrates: 25.4 g (8%) Protein: 53.4 g (107%) Fat: 16.5 g (25%) Saturated Fat: 4.2 g (26%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 12.3 g Cholesterol: 145 mg (48%) Sodium: 563 mg (24%) Fiber: 2.7 g (11%) Sugar: 2.7 g (3%) Hi, I'm Nagi ! I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More Free Recipe eBooks Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks! Reader Interactions
Markdown	- [Skip to primary navigation](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#genesis-nav-primary) - [Skip to header navigation](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#genesis-nav-header) - [Skip to main content](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#genesis-content) - [Skip to primary sidebar](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#genesis-sidebar-primary) [RecipeTin Eats](https://www.recipetineats.com/) Fast Prep, Big Flavours Main Menu [Display Search Bar]() My RecipeTin × - [My RecipeTin](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#slick-favorites) - [My cookbooks\!](https://www.recipetineats.com/cookbooks/) - [Recipes](https://www.recipetineats.com/recipes/) - [Recipes By Category](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/) - [Iconic + cult classics](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/iconic-dishes/) - [Mains](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/) - [Chicken](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/chicken-recipes/) - [Chicken mince](https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-mince-recipes-ground-chicken/) - [Beef Recipes](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/beef-recipes/) - [Ground Beef (Mince)](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/beef-mince-recipes/) - [Pork](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/pork-recipes/) - [Lamb](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/lamb-recipes/) - [Turkey](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/turkey-recipes/) - [Shrimp / Prawns](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/prawns-shrimp/) - [Salmon](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/salmon-recipes/) - [Fish recipes](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/fish-recipes/) - [Salad Meals](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/salad-recipes-main-course/) - [Quick and Easy](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/quick-and-easy/) - [Soups](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/soup-recipes/) - [One Pot – One Pan](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/one-pot-recipes/) - [Stewy slow-cooked things](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/stews/) - [Slow Cooker](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/slow-cooker-recipes/) - [Sides](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/side-dishes/) - [All](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/side-dishes/) - [Salads & veg](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/vegetable-sides/) - [Show Off Salads](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/show-off-salads/) - [Rice (all)](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/rice-side-dishes/) - [Fried rice recipes](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/fried-rice/) - [Rice (plain)](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/rice/) - [Potato](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/potato-recipes/) - [Pasta](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/pasta-recipes/) - [All](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/pasta-recipes/) - [Pasta bakes](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/pasta-bakes/) - [Pasta salads](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/pasta-salads-and-rice-salads/) - [Sweet](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/dessert-recipes/) - [Cakes](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/cake-recipes/) - [Candy](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/candy/) - [Cheesecakes](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/cheesecakes/) - [Cupcakes & Muffins](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/cupcakes-and-muffins/) - [Cookies](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/cookies/) - [Puddings & Cosy Desserts](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/puddings-cosy-desserts/) - [Bite Size](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/bite-size-desserts/) - [Pies](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/sweet-pies/) - [Slices & Bars](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/slices-bars/) - [Frosting & Icing](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/frosting-and-icing/) - [Ice cream](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/ice-cream/) - [Cuisine](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/) - [Asian](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/asian-recipes/) - [All](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/asian-recipes/) - [Stir fries](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/stir-fries/) - [Noodles](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/noodles/) - [Soups](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/asian-soups/) - [Chinese](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/chinese-recipes/) - [RecipeTin Japan 🇯🇵](https://japan.recipetineats.com/) - [Korean](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/korean-recipes/) - [Modern Asian](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/modern-asian/) - [Thai](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/cuisines/thai-recipes/) - [Vietnamese](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/vietnamese-recipes/) - [French](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/french-recipes/) - [Greek](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/greek-recipes/) - [Indian](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/indian-recipes/) - [Italian](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/italian-recipes/) - [Mediterranean](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/mediterranean-recipes/) - [Mexican](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/mexican-recipes/) - [Middle Eastern](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/cuisines/middle-eastern-recipes/) - [South American](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/south-american-recipes/) - [Dietary](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/) - [Gluten Free](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/dietary/gluten-free-recipes/) - [Low Calorie](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/dietary/low-calorie-recipes/) - [Vegetarian](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/vegetarian-recipes/) - [Other Categories](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/) - [BBQ](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/collections/grilling-ideas-and-recipes/) - [Breakfast](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/breakfast-recipes/) - [Burgers](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/burger-recipes/) - [🎄Christmas](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/christmas_recipes/) - [Cocktails](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/cocktails/) - [Party Foods](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/collections/party-food-recipes/) - [Rice Recipes](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/rice-recipes/) - [Roasts](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/collections/roasts/) - [Sandwiches & Sliders](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/sandwiches-and-sliders/) - [Recipe collections](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/collections/) - [Cookbook recipes](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/cookbook-recipes/) - [My Food Bank](https://recipetinmeals.org.au/) - [About](https://www.recipetineats.com/nagi-recipetin-eats/) - [Me](https://www.recipetineats.com/nagi-recipetin-eats/) - [RecipeTin Meals](https://recipetinmeals.org.au/) - [My Cookbooks](https://www.recipetineats.com/cookbooks/) - [Tonight (NEW!)](https://www.recipetineats.com/tonight-cookbook/) - [Dinner](https://www.recipetineats.com/dinner-cookbook/) - [Free Recipe Books](https://www.recipetineats.com/free-recipe-books/) - [Contact](https://www.recipetineats.com/contact/) - [Nitty Gritty](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/) - [Policy: Use of Recipes & Images](https://www.recipetineats.com/policy-use-of-recipes-images/) - [Privacy & Disclosure](https://www.recipetineats.com/nagi-recipetin-eats/privacy-disclosure/) [Home](https://www.recipetineats.com/) [Most Popular](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/most-popular/) # KFC Baked Oven Fried Chicken Tenders [![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/75eae612677fdf550ba9a478ea595902153a0a06b8b27aaf6bc3eddcf6367244?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)](http://www.recipetineats.com/about-me/) By [Nagi Maehashi](http://www.recipetineats.com/about-me/) [245 Comments](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comments) Share Share - [Copy Link](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/) - [E-mail](<mailto:?subject=RecipeTin Eats: KFC Baked Oven Fried Chicken Tenders&body=https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/>) - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/&t=KFC%20Baked%20Oven%20Fried%20Chicken%20Tenders) - [WhatsApp](https://api.whatsapp.com/send?text=KFC%20Baked%20Oven%20Fried%20Chicken%20Tenders%20-%20https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/) Published16 Sep '15 Updated13 Dec '18 Jump to [Recipe](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#recipe) These KFC Oven Fried Chicken Tenders are my KFC copycat recipe!! Made in the oven, tastes like KFC, nice and crunchy but with just a fraction of the calories! These are Baked Fried Chicken Tenders are a total crowd pleaser\! ![Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com](https://www.recipetineats.com/tachyon/2015/09/KFC-Copycat-Oven-Baked-Fried-Chicken-Tenders_680px_4.jpg) Confession: I love KFC. I have it maybe three times a year. I don’t crave it regularly (thankfully) but I’d say every few months, I have the urge to splurge. And my bottom hates me for it. I do the drive through because I’m too ashamed to risk being seen inside KFC. And though I savour every bite while I’m consuming it, I always regret it afterwards. Always. It’s heavy and excessively greasy and I don’t feel great. And yet, there’s a repeat performance every few months. I contemplated about the ridiculousness of craving something that makes me feel not-so-crash-hot afterwards. Then I realised – well, it’s like champers. SO much fun, so enjoyable while it’s being consumed. But the next morning? Ugh. Not so fun! (Unless you’re drinking real French champagne, in which case, you’ll be headache free! Did you know that? It’s true!!) ![KFC Copycat Oven "Fried" Chicken Tenders \\| Made this for dinner the other night, this really does taste like KFC!!!! ](https://www.recipetineats.com/tachyon/2015/09/KFC-Copycat-Baked-Chicken_NEW-PIN.jpg) ![Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com](https://www.recipetineats.com/tachyon/2015/09/KFC-Copycat-Oven-Baked-Fried-Chicken-Tenders_680px_2-landscape.jpg) I’ve been on a mission to make the “best” oven baked KFC since early this year. I’ve had around 10 goes, using recipes I’ve found online and trying my own variations. Here’s the thing that I’ve come to accept. You will never, ever be able to make “fried chicken” in the oven that tastes as good as chicken that’s been deep fried. You can make truly crispy oven baked wings, but it only works really well with wings using a very unique technique discovered by America’s Test Kitchen. (Have you tried my [Truly Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings](https://www.recipetineats.com/truly-crispy-oven-baked-buffalo-wings-my-wings-cookbook/) and [Truly Crispy Baked Wings with Honey Garlic Sauce](https://www.recipetineats.com/crispy-oven-baked-chicken-wings-honey-garlic-sauce/)?) But to make chicken with the proper thick, craggy crust that you get with KFC and Southern Fried Chicken, you need to…well, fry it. In oil. Lots of it. There needs to be enough oil so the chicken floats in it, not just a thin layer in a skillet. So I have conceded defeat. BUT! There’s a silver lining to every cloud! Just because an exact KFC copycat can’t be made in the oven, it doesn’t mean that you can’t make something similar\! ![Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com](https://www.recipetineats.com/tachyon/2015/09/DSC_0094.jpg) And that’s what I have here for you today. This chicken really does taste like KFC! It’s a mash up of two genius recipes I discovered by 2 very talented bloggers. 1\. The “11 Secret Herbs & Spices” from the [Homemade KFC](http://www.everynookandcranny.net/homemade-kfc/) recipe by Jo from [Every Nook and Cranny](http://www.everynookandcranny.net/). I tried a whole bunch of spice mixes and I think hers is the closest\! 2\. The coating mixture from [Carlsbad Cravings](http://www.carlsbadcravings.com/)‘ [Best Baked “Fried” Chicken](http://www.carlsbadcravings.com/best-baked-fried-chicken/). I think Jen’s nailed the coating ratios of flour, panko and cornmeal (polenta / yellow corn). It’s the crunchiest I have tried\! So I made a mash up of these 2 recipes with a few tweaks of my own. You know me. I have “my way” of doing things.:-) I hope you love it! I am seriously obsessed with this and was VERY happy making it over and over and over again to get it “right” before I shared it with you! *– Nagi x* PS I served these with my “go to” Honey Mustard dipping sauce. Recipe also below\! ![Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com](https://www.recipetineats.com/tachyon/2015/09/KFC-Copycat-Oven-Baked-Fried-Chicken-Tenders_680px_3.jpg) PPS One more look at how crunchy they are? YES\! ![Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com](https://www.recipetineats.com/tachyon/2015/09/KFC-Copycat-Oven-Baked-Fried-Chicken-Tenders_680px_1.jpg) Hungry for more? Subscribe to my [newsletter](https://recipetineats.ck.page/6f68ed0a2d) and follow along on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/RecipeTinEats), [Pinterest](http://www.pinterest.com/recipetin/) and [Instagram](http://instagram.com/recipe_tin) for all of the latest updates. ![Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com](https://www.recipetineats.com/tachyon/2015/09/KFC-Copycat-Oven-Baked-Fried-Chicken-Tenders_680px_2.jpg?resize=206%2C206) ## KFC Oven Baked "Fried" Chicken Tenders Author: Nagi \\| RecipeTin Eats Prep: 15 minutes mins Cook: 25 minutes mins Total: 40 minutes mins Dinner 4\.93 from 63 votes Servings4 Tap or hover to scale [Print](https://www.recipetineats.com/wprm_print/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders) - [644](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Fkfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders%2F&t=KFC%20Baked%20Oven%20Fried%20Chicken%20Tenders "Share on Facebook") - 23450 Crunchy and perfectly seasoned, it really does taste like KFC! It is a mash up of my own recipe, the "11 Secret Herbs and Spices" from the [Homemade KFC](http://www.everynookandcranny.net/homemade-kfc/) recipe by [Every Nook & Cranny](http://www.everynookandcranny.net/), and the coating recipe from this [Best Baked "Fried" Chicken](http://www.carlsbadcravings.com/best-baked-fried-chicken/) by [Carlsbad Cravings.](http://www.carlsbadcravings.com/). Marinating makes the chicken extra juicy but if you don't have time to marinate, this is still worth making! (See Note 3) PS I know it looks like a lot of salt but it's not overly salty, it's KFC level salty. Reduce salt and/or celery salt if desired. ### Ingredients #### KFC Spice Mix - ▢ 1/2 tsp salt - ▢ 1 tbsp celery salt (Note 1) - ▢ 2 tsp garlic powder - ▢ 1/2 tsp dried thyme - ▢ 1/2 tsp dried basil - ▢ 1/2 tsp dried oregano - ▢ 1/2 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper - ▢ 1 tbsp mustard powder - ▢ 2 tbsp paprika (not smoked, use sweet or plain) - ▢ 1 tsp ground ginger - ▢ 1 tsp cayenne pepper or ground pure chili (optional - for KFC "Zinger" flavour!) #### Chicken - ▢ 1\.2 - 1.4 lb / 600 - 700 g chicken tenderloin (10 - 12 pieces) (Note 2) - ▢ 1 cup buttermilk OR 1/3 cup plain yoghurt + 2/3 cup milk (Note 3) - ▢ 1 cup flour - ▢ 1 cup panko breadcrumbs - ▢ 1/4 cup cornmeal (Note 4) - ▢ 2 tbsp butter (unsalted) - ▢ 1 tbsp vegetable or canola oil - ▢ Oil spray Cook Mode Prevent screen from sleeping ### Instructions - Combine the Spice Mix in a bowl. - Place 1 tbsp of Spice Mix in a ziplock bag with the chicken and buttermilk. Set aside to marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably 3 but ideally overnight. #### To Cook - Preheat oven to 400F/200C. - Place the butter and oil on a large rimmed baking tray. Place in the oven for a few minutes until the butter is just melted. Remove and tip the tray to spread the oil and butter all over. - Combine the remaining Spice Mix, flour, panko and cornmeal in a bowl and mix. Place half in a large ziplock bag. - Drain the chicken of excess marinade using a colander. - Transfer half the chicken into the ziplock bag, seal in air so it is puffed like a balloon, then shake to coat the chicken in the seasoning. Press through the bag so the coating is firmly stuck onto the chicken. Place the chicken onto the baking tray. - Place the remaining coating into the ziplock bag and repeat with remaining chicken. - Spray the top with oil and place in the oven. Bake for 12 minutes, then turn, spray and bake for a further 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Don't bake more than 25 minutes, otherwise the chicken will dry out\! - Serve with your favourite dipping sauce. I used Honey Mustard Sauce (Note 7). ### Recipe Notes: 1\. Celery salt is common in America but not so well known in Australia. But you can find it in the herb section of Coles and Woolworths! It is also easy to make your own - just bake celery leaves until just dried (not burnt), crumble and combine equal amounts of the celery leaf dust and salt in a jar. If you can't find celery salt, just substitute with 3/4 tbsp ordinary salt. 2\. You can substitute with chicken breast cut into chicken tenderloin size strips. It will also work with small boneless thigh fillets - around 100g/3.5 oz each - or any other cut of chicken that will cook in 20 to 25 minutes. 3\. If you don't have time to marinate, use 1 to 2 eggs instead (just enough to coat all the chicken). Add 1 tbsp of the Spice Mix, dredge the chicken in the egg mixture, then drain and follow the recipe directions. 4\. Cornmeal are small, fine yellow grains and is also known as yellow corn. It's also sold as "polenta" at supermarkets though that is not technically correct because polenta is actually a dish that cornmeal is used to make! The cornmeal adds extra crunch to the coating but if you can't find it, then it's ok to skip it, it's still quite crunchy. 5\. I find that using a bit of oil (instead of all butter) stops the butter from browning and burning which can sometimes happen, depending on the strength of your oven. 6\. This does not have the wrinkly, thick, craggy coating like deep fried KFC and southern fried chicken. To achieve that, you need to deep fry or bake in loads of oil! But the crust of this is pretty close! It's crunchy and really does taste just like KFC\! 7\. Honey Mustard Dipping sauce - whisk together equal amounts of Dijon mustard, mayonnaise and honey, plus salt and pepper to taste. ![KFC Oven Baked Chicken Tenderloins Nutrition](https://www.recipetineats.com/tachyon/2015/09/KFC-Oven-Baked-Chicken-Tenderloins-Nutrition.png) ### Nutrition Information: Serving: 229gCalories: 465cal (23%)Carbohydrates: 25\.4g (8%)Protein: 53\.4g (107%)Fat: 16\.5g (25%)Saturated Fat: 4\.2g (26%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 12\.3gCholesterol: 145mg (48%)Sodium: 563mg (24%)Fiber: 2\.7g (11%)Sugar: 2\.7g (3%) Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at [@recipe\_tin](https://www.instagram.com/recipe_tin/). [Previous Post Chicken Meatloaf Wellington with Sun Dried Tomatoes](https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-meatloaf-wellington-with-sun-dried-tomatoes/) [Next Post Egg, Bacon and Avocado Quesadilla](https://www.recipetineats.com/whole-egg-bacon-and-avocado-quesadilla/) #### Hi, I'm Nagi\! I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative\! [Read More](http://www.recipetineats.com/about-me/) ### Free Recipe eBooks Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks\! ## Reader Interactions ### Leave a Comment [Cancel reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#respond) #### 245 Comments 1. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aa5f0195ac9696b3337be4d99b113cd62b4e0c1d3c7475dbd805c5342e5f9a2f?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Bek says March 23, 2026 at 6:10 pm I made this tonight and it really didn’t work for me. The spice mix just went super clumpy and wouldn’t stick to the chicken. I shook the marinade off rather than draining in colander – is this where I went wrong? With all the positive reviews I’m assuming it’s a me problem. Have ended up with tasteless chicken. Tried smearing the clumpy mix on the top but it’s fallen off v easy and is just not at all tasty 🙁 [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1994919) 2. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9a02d21a942122b1de31f53028d4f89b1fcfdbfe81532922e964ba896c540217?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)raimo toivanen says October 22, 2025 at 2:37 pm ![5 stars](https://www.recipetineats.com/content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg) I make 2kg at a time for my son and me,they dont last very long.I’m from vic.I met a fellow angler from country WA in remote Gulf of Carpentaria.Talk of food came up and your name came up. Fans all over OZ. [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1862987) 3. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5f10168913092451b63e6b726e1748079aba74313b3359dc2ea5f4d847d0a741?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Beth says June 8, 2025 at 3:38 am ![5 stars](https://www.recipetineats.com/content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg) Amazing. Loved by the whole family and a really enjoyable recipe to make. [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1769918) 4. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/30bacb6cdbe95105931ab4a41243c8e37aedfff3a41ab0a7b1cb58feea8f2a44?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Shannon says June 6, 2025 at 6:48 pm ![5 stars](https://www.recipetineats.com/content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg) Amazing! I only marinated for 5 hours, but it was so tender and moist. DELISH!!! Next time I will half the cayenne pepper, 1 tsp was far too bitey\! [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1769342) 5. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ac945fb0a297a9be0e7fb50f185d9294586dc0cb3fa11e35cbc9fbcbd4fff5b2?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Mandy Gleeson says February 3, 2025 at 7:48 pm ![5 stars](https://www.recipetineats.com/content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg) I was a bit worried about the amount of herbs and spices but followed the recipe to a tee substituting only the buttermilk for yoghurt and milk as suggested. It was a very satisfying tasty dish with mash corn coleslaw and Nagi gravy [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1716863) 6. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/bfe17eb367457358758622784d24f101cd12266b9675c3a04cb4a1095d03a31c?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Janet Kanady says December 31, 2024 at 1:35 am ![5 stars](https://www.recipetineats.com/content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg) This was really good! I had a small piece of round steak leftover so I added it in with the chicken. It was good too! The leftovers heated up well the next day. [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1706393) 7. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9b377c04e571647799cf6516bc69f672f48847c9c5391c792359b4efb479cd62?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Sarah says January 30, 2024 at 2:45 am ![3 stars](https://www.recipetineats.com/content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-3.svg) I saw in the comments that these could be prepped up to the point right before baking and then frozen. I did that and followed the rest of recipe exactly but they never got crunchy or crispy. The topping even started coming off. I don’t know what went wrong since the recipes on this site are so amazingly good. I’ve made tenders before and didn’t have this trouble. 🙁 [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1559662) - ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/560ed9e0e17ff84e6c5a2802c8bc537bcd97fb9c5e1407fe447c5277de27c7ab?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Lori says January 11, 2025 at 8:24 am Maybe don’t give only three stars to a recipe you deviated from. [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1710031) 8. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/52ebe5ed20098d1c2f63380fb44152493e3b9ab0a8069ed90100d96c7c13cb1b?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Debbie says January 28, 2024 at 10:38 am ![5 stars](https://www.recipetineats.com/content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg) OMG, hubby made these and they are the bomb 👌 He had them in wraps for lunch for a few day after and so so good. We’re going to cook these and cryovac to take away with us when we go camping for our lunches. Absolutely perfect and delicious [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1559107) 9. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/968239e5ae77710e481143c5be80c6b89ea32a4b945a5febd10f2eb5d7bdc165?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Dewey says November 8, 2023 at 4:36 pm Hi Nagi, just wondering if I could make these without the use of any dairy products, or eggs? Turns out my child has developed a dairy allergy, and unsure about the eggs at the moment too. Could the spice mix be used as a straight up seasoning with some oil? I could still add the polenta and flour as part of the seasoning mix maybe? Or do you think this would not be flavoursome enough? I understand the texture would be different to your recipe, but hoping to capture the flavour at least? Any advice you could offer would be much appreciated\! [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1534741) - ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b7aa4476dd97a67ae521978d55bd0664635bd0bd5ebb8e9ba71e72c9663e3a12?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Michelle says November 26, 2023 at 8:26 pm Hi Dewey, I have 2 daughters, one is allergic to dairy and the other eggs. I just substitute according to the ingredients. Nuttelex Buttery instead of butter and for buttermilk I add white vinegar to soy milk and let it sit until it goes a bit lumpy. [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1539883) 10. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b65a165dbcf684594a4fc25fb4a1515c5e4548b79a27b97d39430411f394c4e8?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Mike Harrison-Lamond says August 7, 2023 at 1:22 pm My lord Nagi – these are divine! You research everything so thoroughly and I love your recipes. I did deep fry these for a dinner party – 180 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes (I brought the basket up every minute or two to check). Absolutely perfect\! [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1489847) - ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3b7abd881d88e01e1fc5433b18aebb9df9ad920130765d17f977a73f668422d4?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Elizabeth Barnes says September 15, 2025 at 4:33 am ![5 stars](https://www.recipetineats.com/content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg) Mike ~ did you still use the. Panko and cornmeal even when deep frying?? We are afraid the Panko might burn if we deep fry. So would love to know\! [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1833925) 11. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8f863b544e560254092d427f396ff4c9673cb8e5e4b4cb9dd38cca80e13d83a9?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Angela says August 3, 2023 at 8:07 pm Can these be made in an air fryer? [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1489210) 12. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/7e306948db85de70a98bab687bc60de43c1fd9370ccf083e5bce3db559b03d55?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Ali says October 31, 2022 at 2:49 am ![5 stars](https://www.recipetineats.com/content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg) Great, crispy Baked Oven Fried Chicken Tenders – better than KFC\! [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1362126) 13. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/51c2a01acd2030d1871ea7ffedf610d08c9a84f5b934bc619d780d86ff322fe8?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Rebecca says August 25, 2022 at 5:30 am ![5 stars](https://www.recipetineats.com/content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg) So moist and flavorful! This is going in my regular rotation. [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1343083) 14. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0d61df6f56639bd52e7eb20df736b417235ea39ae869524da3643e079eeb3f61?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Alice says July 7, 2022 at 9:20 pm ![5 stars](https://www.recipetineats.com/content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg) I made this with whole chicken thigh fillets. Cranked the fan forced oven to 230 and didn’t turn half way just checked on them. 25 min cooking time. It’s the second time I’ve made this with my kids. I don’t actually like KFC but these are great and much better than the original in my opinion. Great crunch and really tender chicken. Love your recipes Nagi\! [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1324638) 15. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/07ebd6635749deb71a2232feb492fb13740788c19916107c772c28d951567f82?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Finn Brown says April 14, 2022 at 7:13 pm What would you suggest as a suitable mustard powder substitute in this recipe? [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1294969) 16. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/79cab7683b246266b191a828ef5426cdeaf73d34929ee078bdc5cdf97192b898?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Louisa says April 7, 2022 at 6:15 pm Hi Nagi. When I compare the recipes for KFC Oven Baked Tenders and the Fried Chicken, I notice that the proportions in the spice mixes are quite different, eg 1.5 tsp of paprika compared to 2 tbls. Some spices are higher in one and lower in the other recipe and vice versa. Just wondering which is closer to KFC. Thank you [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1293082) 17. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c3e8c81433538e7c9eb515827c51d50da7524cdaa366116117321892ef60a0b5?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Holly says February 20, 2022 at 11:04 am ![5 stars](https://www.recipetineats.com/content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg) These were tasty. Thanks Nagi\! [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1276730) 18. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a7225c59ea29146ae784126bf28c824c0333cae9df0bf4ffd5846cfb975b778a?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)MR.K says January 31, 2022 at 8:40 pm ![5 stars](https://www.recipetineats.com/content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg) Been making these for ages (pre kids). Made it again recently for my 3 year old – in a wrap (who btw, has never tried KFC) and asked him what he thought, he said: “it tastes just like a twister”. 😂 Go figure. [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1272142) - ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0aeb9e44a6eae7f3b2b7faf1ea1f2b14339c4f71a67d2b6c4cbf21314ef27fb0?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)[Nagi](https://www.recipetineats.com/) says February 1, 2022 at 10:12 am Are you sure he’s NEVER tried KFC?? 😂 N x [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1272257) 19. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c961ac230967c8b960ef232dfca3fdd46649ff813de0809c96b13d9350004c96?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Bron says January 28, 2022 at 1:31 pm ![5 stars](https://www.recipetineats.com/content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg) I made this for my partner who loves fast food but never gets to it because it’s gross and unhealthy and just no. So I thought I’d treat him and I made the full feast of these chicken tenders, the potato and gravy, some fries with chicken salt and corn on the cob. It was so delicious! These tenders were unbelievable and I loved the potato and gravy too. [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1271303) - ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0aeb9e44a6eae7f3b2b7faf1ea1f2b14339c4f71a67d2b6c4cbf21314ef27fb0?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)[Nagi](https://www.recipetineats.com/) says January 28, 2022 at 3:10 pm Sometimes you just gotta get that fix Bron!! N x 🍗 [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1271338) 20. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6aeec5fa21b805c46ee3a881df002121a42282cdc29f9bba685a2ffde04d2295?s=40&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipetineats.com%2Ftachyon%2F2024%2F06%2Favatar-guest-temp-cache-bust-duplicate.png&r=g)Danielle Toso says January 2, 2022 at 12:36 pm ![5 stars](https://www.recipetineats.com/content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg) Hi Nagi, I made this on Christmas Day last year and it was a hit! I was wondering if you could use this recipe with chicken drumsticks instead of tenderloins? My partner loves KFC chicken drumsticks so I wonder if it’s possible to. What would be the cooking time and temp? Thank you\! [Reply](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#comment-1263499) [Older Comments](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/comment-page-2/#comments) ## Primary Sidebar ![](https://www.recipetineats.com/tachyon/2018/12/nagi.jpg?resize=747%2C747) ### Hi, I'm Nagi\! I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! [Read More](https://www.recipetineats.com/nagi-recipetin-eats/) ### Free Recipe eBooks Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks\! ![](https://www.recipetineats.com/tachyon/2018/12/dozer.jpeg) ### Meet Dozer Official taste tester of RecipeTin Eats! [Meet Dozer](https://www.recipetineats.com/dozer-the-golden-retriever-dog/) [![](https://www.recipetineats.com/tachyon/2018/12/fast-meals.jpeg)](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/collections/dinner-tonight/) [![](https://www.recipetineats.com/tachyon/2018/12/one-pot.jpeg)](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/one-pot-recipes/) [![](https://www.recipetineats.com/tachyon/2018/12/japanese-meals.jpeg)](https://japan.recipetineats.com/) ##### As Featured On ### Never miss a recipe\! Subscribe to my newsletter and receive 3 FREE ebooks\! [Subscribe](https://www.recipetineats.com/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/#profile-subscribe-popup) ##### Recipes - [All Recipes](https://www.recipetineats.com/recipes/) - [By Category](https://www.recipetineats.com/categories/) - [Collections](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/collections/) ##### About - [About Nagi](https://www.recipetineats.com/nagi-recipetin-eats/) - [About Dozer](https://www.recipetineats.com/dozer-the-golden-retriever-dog/) - [RecipeTin Meals](https://www.recipetineats.com/recipetin-meals/) ##### Related - [RecipeTin Japan](https://japan.recipetineats.com/) ##### Help - [Contact](https://www.recipetineats.com/contact/) - [Image Use Policy](https://www.recipetineats.com/policy-use-of-recipes-images/) © RecipeTin Eats 2026 - [Privacy Policy & Terms](https://www.recipetineats.com/nagi-recipetin-eats/privacy-disclosure/) Site Credits Maintained by [Human Made](https://humanmade.com/) Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled All Rights Reserved ## Subscribe to my newsletter ![](https://www.recipetineats.com/tachyon/2024/05/Free-eCookbooks-graphic_popup-resized.jpg) ### Sign up and receive 3 FREE EBOOKS\!
Readable Markdown	These KFC Oven Fried Chicken Tenders are my KFC copycat recipe!! Made in the oven, tastes like KFC, nice and crunchy but with just a fraction of the calories! These are Baked Fried Chicken Tenders are a total crowd pleaser\! ![Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com](https://www.recipetineats.com/tachyon/2015/09/KFC-Copycat-Oven-Baked-Fried-Chicken-Tenders_680px_4.jpg) Confession: I love KFC. I have it maybe three times a year. I don’t crave it regularly (thankfully) but I’d say every few months, I have the urge to splurge. And my bottom hates me for it. I do the drive through because I’m too ashamed to risk being seen inside KFC. And though I savour every bite while I’m consuming it, I always regret it afterwards. Always. It’s heavy and excessively greasy and I don’t feel great. And yet, there’s a repeat performance every few months. I contemplated about the ridiculousness of craving something that makes me feel not-so-crash-hot afterwards. Then I realised – well, it’s like champers. SO much fun, so enjoyable while it’s being consumed. But the next morning? Ugh. Not so fun! (Unless you’re drinking real French champagne, in which case, you’ll be headache free! Did you know that? It’s true!!) ![Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com](https://www.recipetineats.com/tachyon/2015/09/KFC-Copycat-Oven-Baked-Fried-Chicken-Tenders_680px_2-landscape.jpg) I’ve been on a mission to make the “best” oven baked KFC since early this year. I’ve had around 10 goes, using recipes I’ve found online and trying my own variations. Here’s the thing that I’ve come to accept. You will never, ever be able to make “fried chicken” in the oven that tastes as good as chicken that’s been deep fried. You can make truly crispy oven baked wings, but it only works really well with wings using a very unique technique discovered by America’s Test Kitchen. (Have you tried my [Truly Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings](https://www.recipetineats.com/truly-crispy-oven-baked-buffalo-wings-my-wings-cookbook/) and [Truly Crispy Baked Wings with Honey Garlic Sauce](https://www.recipetineats.com/crispy-oven-baked-chicken-wings-honey-garlic-sauce/)?) But to make chicken with the proper thick, craggy crust that you get with KFC and Southern Fried Chicken, you need to…well, fry it. In oil. Lots of it. There needs to be enough oil so the chicken floats in it, not just a thin layer in a skillet. So I have conceded defeat. BUT! There’s a silver lining to every cloud! Just because an exact KFC copycat can’t be made in the oven, it doesn’t mean that you can’t make something similar\! ![Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com](https://www.recipetineats.com/tachyon/2015/09/DSC_0094.jpg) And that’s what I have here for you today. This chicken really does taste like KFC! It’s a mash up of two genius recipes I discovered by 2 very talented bloggers. 1\. The “11 Secret Herbs & Spices” from the [Homemade KFC](http://www.everynookandcranny.net/homemade-kfc/) recipe by Jo from [Every Nook and Cranny](http://www.everynookandcranny.net/). I tried a whole bunch of spice mixes and I think hers is the closest\! 2\. The coating mixture from [Carlsbad Cravings](http://www.carlsbadcravings.com/)‘ [Best Baked “Fried” Chicken](http://www.carlsbadcravings.com/best-baked-fried-chicken/). I think Jen’s nailed the coating ratios of flour, panko and cornmeal (polenta / yellow corn). It’s the crunchiest I have tried\! So I made a mash up of these 2 recipes with a few tweaks of my own. You know me. I have “my way” of doing things.:-) I hope you love it! I am seriously obsessed with this and was VERY happy making it over and over and over again to get it “right” before I shared it with you! *– Nagi x* PS I served these with my “go to” Honey Mustard dipping sauce. Recipe also below\! ![Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com](https://www.recipetineats.com/tachyon/2015/09/KFC-Copycat-Oven-Baked-Fried-Chicken-Tenders_680px_3.jpg) PPS One more look at how crunchy they are? YES\! ![Oven Fried Chicken Tenders - tastes just like KFC, with a crunchy coating, 11 Secret Herbs & Spices and a fraction of the calories! recipetineats.com](https://www.recipetineats.com/tachyon/2015/09/KFC-Copycat-Oven-Baked-Fried-Chicken-Tenders_680px_1.jpg) Subscribe to my [newsletter](https://recipetineats.ck.page/6f68ed0a2d) and follow along on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/RecipeTinEats), [Pinterest](http://www.pinterest.com/recipetin/) and [Instagram](http://instagram.com/recipe_tin) for all of the latest updates. Servings4 Tap or hover to scale Crunchy and perfectly seasoned, it really does taste like KFC! It is a mash up of my own recipe, the "11 Secret Herbs and Spices" from the [Homemade KFC](http://www.everynookandcranny.net/homemade-kfc/) recipe by [Every Nook & Cranny](http://www.everynookandcranny.net/), and the coating recipe from this [Best Baked "Fried" Chicken](http://www.carlsbadcravings.com/best-baked-fried-chicken/) by [Carlsbad Cravings.](http://www.carlsbadcravings.com/). Marinating makes the chicken extra juicy but if you don't have time to marinate, this is still worth making! (See Note 3) PS I know it looks like a lot of salt but it's not overly salty, it's KFC level salty. Reduce salt and/or celery salt if desired. #### KFC Spice Mix - ▢ 1/2 tsp salt - ▢ 1 tbsp celery salt (Note 1) - ▢ 2 tsp garlic powder - ▢ 1/2 tsp dried thyme - ▢ 1/2 tsp dried basil - ▢ 1/2 tsp dried oregano - ▢ 1/2 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper - ▢ 1 tbsp mustard powder - ▢ 2 tbsp paprika (not smoked, use sweet or plain) - ▢ 1 tsp ground ginger - ▢ 1 tsp cayenne pepper or ground pure chili (optional - for KFC "Zinger" flavour!) #### Chicken - ▢ 1\.2 - 1.4 lb / 600 - 700 g chicken tenderloin (10 - 12 pieces) (Note 2) - ▢ 1 cup buttermilk OR 1/3 cup plain yoghurt + 2/3 cup milk (Note 3) - ▢ 1 cup flour - ▢ 1 cup panko breadcrumbs - ▢ 1/4 cup cornmeal (Note 4) - ▢ 2 tbsp butter (unsalted) - ▢ 1 tbsp vegetable or canola oil - ▢ Oil spray - Combine the Spice Mix in a bowl. - Place 1 tbsp of Spice Mix in a ziplock bag with the chicken and buttermilk. Set aside to marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably 3 but ideally overnight. #### To Cook - Preheat oven to 400F/200C. - Place the butter and oil on a large rimmed baking tray. Place in the oven for a few minutes until the butter is just melted. Remove and tip the tray to spread the oil and butter all over. - Combine the remaining Spice Mix, flour, panko and cornmeal in a bowl and mix. Place half in a large ziplock bag. - Drain the chicken of excess marinade using a colander. - Transfer half the chicken into the ziplock bag, seal in air so it is puffed like a balloon, then shake to coat the chicken in the seasoning. Press through the bag so the coating is firmly stuck onto the chicken. Place the chicken onto the baking tray. - Place the remaining coating into the ziplock bag and repeat with remaining chicken. - Spray the top with oil and place in the oven. Bake for 12 minutes, then turn, spray and bake for a further 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Don't bake more than 25 minutes, otherwise the chicken will dry out\! - Serve with your favourite dipping sauce. I used Honey Mustard Sauce (Note 7). 1\. Celery salt is common in America but not so well known in Australia. But you can find it in the herb section of Coles and Woolworths! It is also easy to make your own - just bake celery leaves until just dried (not burnt), crumble and combine equal amounts of the celery leaf dust and salt in a jar. If you can't find celery salt, just substitute with 3/4 tbsp ordinary salt. 2\. You can substitute with chicken breast cut into chicken tenderloin size strips. It will also work with small boneless thigh fillets - around 100g/3.5 oz each - or any other cut of chicken that will cook in 20 to 25 minutes. 3\. If you don't have time to marinate, use 1 to 2 eggs instead (just enough to coat all the chicken). Add 1 tbsp of the Spice Mix, dredge the chicken in the egg mixture, then drain and follow the recipe directions. 4\. Cornmeal are small, fine yellow grains and is also known as yellow corn. It's also sold as "polenta" at supermarkets though that is not technically correct because polenta is actually a dish that cornmeal is used to make! The cornmeal adds extra crunch to the coating but if you can't find it, then it's ok to skip it, it's still quite crunchy. 5\. I find that using a bit of oil (instead of all butter) stops the butter from browning and burning which can sometimes happen, depending on the strength of your oven. 6\. This does not have the wrinkly, thick, craggy coating like deep fried KFC and southern fried chicken. To achieve that, you need to deep fry or bake in loads of oil! But the crust of this is pretty close! It's crunchy and really does taste just like KFC\! 7\. Honey Mustard Dipping sauce - whisk together equal amounts of Dijon mustard, mayonnaise and honey, plus salt and pepper to taste. ![KFC Oven Baked Chicken Tenderloins Nutrition](https://www.recipetineats.com/tachyon/2015/09/KFC-Oven-Baked-Chicken-Tenderloins-Nutrition.png) Serving: 229gCalories: 465cal (23%)Carbohydrates: 25\.4g (8%)Protein: 53\.4g (107%)Fat: 16\.5g (25%)Saturated Fat: 4\.2g (26%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 12\.3gCholesterol: 145mg (48%)Sodium: 563mg (24%)Fiber: 2\.7g (11%)Sugar: 2\.7g (3%) #### Hi, I'm Nagi\! I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative\! [Read More](http://www.recipetineats.com/about-me/) Free Recipe eBooks Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks\! ## Reader Interactions
Shard	11 (laksa)
Root Hash	12701549400634406811
Unparsed URL	com,recipetineats!www,/kfc-oven-baked-fried-chicken-tenders/ s443