It never fails! When comes to lunch our kids only want one of two things most times…mac n’ cheese or chicken nuggets. I know that pressure you get especially when other moms make it all the time and here you are trying to be health conscious for their quality of life!!!

When I found this recipe I was stoked. This breaded chicken recipe with some tasty veggies like broccoli is a perfect replacement for those pesky chicken nuggets from Costco’s!

Check it out! You can make these breaded chicken tenders into an easy weeknight meal by turning the recipe into a sheet pan dinner. That means everything cooks together on a single baking sheet, so cleanup is a breeze and little people can help. All you have to do is cover the chicken in breadcrumbs (or crushed almonds if you prefer), bake it for about 10 minutes, add broccolini or broccoli florets to the pan and cook about 10 minutes more–and TADA–dinner is served and tomorrow’s lunch is in the bag!

Breaded Chicken Tenders with Lemon and Broccolini

Prep time: 22 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Total time: 47 mins
Yield: 4 servings (double for lunch)

Ingredients

  • Parchment paper
  • ¼ cup whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
  • 8 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp. dried parsley (fresh if you have it)
  • 1 dash Himalayan salt
  • ½ tsp. ground black pepper
  • ½ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. finely chopped lemon peel (lemon zest)
  • 5 cloves finely chopped garlic
  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  • 1 lb. raw chicken tenders
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon pepper seasoning, salt-free
  • 12 oz. broccolini
  • 1 medium lemon, sliced (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400º F.
  • Line large sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • Place flour on a medium plate.
  • Combine bread crumbs, 6 Tbsp cheese, dried parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper powder in a small bowl; mix well and then Set aside.
  • Combine lemon juice, lemon peel, garlic, and coconut oil in a medium bowl; mix well. Put aside ¼ cup of lemon juice mixture.
  • Dip each chicken tender in flour, completely coating, then lemon juice mixture, then bread crumbs; coating each evenly on all sides. Place chicken on prepared baking sheet.
  • Sprinkle with lemon pepper.
  • Bake for 10 minutes, turn chicken tenders.
  • Place broccolini on the side of the pan. Drizzle broccolini with 2 Tbsp. reserved lemon juice mixture and sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbsp. cheese. Top chicken with lemon slices if desired. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle, and broccolini is tender-crisp.
  • Drizzle chicken with remaining 2 Tbsp. lemon juice mixture right before serving.