Cornflake Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard
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These Cornflake Chicken Tenders are my latest finger-food obsession. They’re crispy, crunchy, and totally the kind of meal that hits every time.
I love serving these tenders with an irresistible honey mustard, a green like roasted broccoli, or a simple salad, and fries or mac and cheese. They’re basically an elevated kids’ meal, and I’m very into it. They also make the perfect appetizer: just add a few dipping sauces and everyone will be happy!
These cornflake chicken tenders have zero frying involved! They use a simple cornflake crumb breading and bake up golden and crunchy on a sheet pan. Easy, mess-free, and a total win.
Some other chicken recipes I’m loving right now are my Creamy Chicken Marsala Pasta, Pumpkin Curry with Chicken, Pesto Gnocchi with Chicken, and Sheet Pan Chicken & Veggies.
Table Talk with Tawnie
You know how the Corn Flake cereal box usually has a recipe on the side of it?! I had to come up with my own (ahem, better) and more tasty version. 😉 My kids love these (as do adults) and they’re just something different to make with chicken during the week when you have the energy and motivation to make dinner! Serve them up as an appetizer or with fries and a salad for a main meal!
- Chicken: You’ll need boneless, skinless chicken tenders, or you can cut a boneless chicken breast lengthwise into pieces about 1/2 inch thick to make your own chicken tenders.
- Flour: We use all-purpose flour in our breading procedure, but feel free to use your favorite gluten-free flour, cassava flour, rice flour, or cornstarch if needed.
- Cornflakes: Crushed cornflakes are used to coat the chicken strips. Corn itself contains no gluten, but some cornflake cereals may contain gluten, so be sure to read the label if needed. You could also use Panko breadcrumbs if you don’t have any cornflakes!
- Eggs: The eggs are needed for the breading procedure. You will make an egg wash by whisking the 2 eggs together with a little water.
- Seasonings: For the flour mixture, I use salt, Italian seasoning, paprika, and chili powder. Feel free to use any other seasonings that sound good to you. Some ideas include onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, etc.
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Prep your cornflakes and dredging stations
Start by crushing the cornflakes in a ziplock bag. Then set up your dredging stations by whisking the flour and seasonings in one bowl, and the eggs + water in another. Place the crushed cornflakes in the third bowl.
Bread the chicken tenders
Bread the chicken by dipping the tender in the flour first, then the egg, and finally in the crushed cornflakes. Be sure to coat both sides and gently press cornflakes onto chicken to adhere.
Bake
Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Make dipping sauce
Whisk the ingredients for the honey mustard dipping sauce together in a small bowl.
Serve & enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Dry the chicken: Pat the chicken tenders dry with a paper towel to help the flour stick better. If there is too much moisture, it can make the flour soggy!
- Remove the tendon: Remove the white tendon attached to the chicken tenderloin if you’d like. Sometimes it’s chewy and unpleasant but if it doesn’t bother you, skip this step!
- Use tongs: When dredging the chicken, use tongs instead of your hands for a cleaner process. Or, use your left hand for handling dry ingredients, and your right hand will be your wet hand for transferring chicken from egg to the cornflakes.
- Different sauces: Serve with different sauces like ranch, bleu cheese, bbq sauce, or your favorite buffalo sauce.
How to remove the tendon
Simply use a paring knife or hold the tendon with one hand and use the tines of a fork in between the tendon and chicken and pull on the tendon until it’s removed.
FAQs
What internal temperature should the chicken be cooked to?
Chicken is considered safe to eat at an internal temperature of 165°F. It should be completely white in the center, or use an instant-read thermometer to double-check.
Yes! As you can see in this recipe, cornflakes make for the perfect breading material. Some stores actually sell the cornflakes crumbs, but crushing them on your own is very simple! Crush them either in a food processor or in a baggie.
What should you serve with these chicken tenders?
Here are a few ideas: mashed potatoes or French fries, a big salad, mac and cheese, roasted or steamed veggies, or corn on the cob.
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Cornflake Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. chicken tenders (~12 chicken strips)
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 2 large eggs (whisked)
- 2 Tbsp. water
- 3 cups cornflakes (crushed)
Honey Mustard Sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 pinch cayenne
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a rack on top of the baking sheet. Spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Crush cornflakes: Crush the cornflakes in a large baggie, or use a food processor to process until crumbly.3 cups cornflakes
- Set up the dredging station: Grab 3 shallow dishes. Combine the flour and seasonings in the first dish, whisk the eggs and water together in the second, and cornflakes in the third.2/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. kosher salt, 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, 1/4 tsp. chili powder, 2 large eggs, 2 Tbsp. water, 1/2 tsp. paprika
- Bread: Place a chicken tender in the flour first, flipping from side to side to coat. Then place in the egg wash, then place in the cornflakes. Be sure to coat both sides and gently press cornflakes onto chicken to adhere.2 lbs. chicken tenders
- Coat all chicken: Transfer chicken to prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining chicken.
- Bake: Bake for 15-20 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Start Timer
- Make honey mustard: While the chicken cooks, whisk together all ingredients for the dipping sauce in a medium-sized bowl until smooth.1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 pinch cayenne
- Enjoy: Serve chicken with the sauce and enjoy!
Notes
- Serve as an appetizer or turn it into a meal with your favorite sides.
- Add different seasonings to the flour if you prefer: add onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, etc.
- Remove the white tendon attached to the chicken tenderloin if you’d like. Sometimes it’s chewy and unpleasant, but if it doesn’t bother you, skip this step!
- This recipe was updated in February 2026 to add 1/2 tsp. of paprika to the breading mixture and with new photos.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
📸 Photography by Creating Kaitlin
This one is so good, but everything I make of yours is great!
Awww, thank you Kim! Glad you enjoyed this one!! 🥰
I love these chicken Tenders and the mustard dipping sauce is absolutely delicious! 😋 I interchanged the cornflakes (out of) for panko breadcrumbs which was equally delicious! Now apart of my regular monthly recipes 😊 Kudos to Tawnie Graham!!! 🎉 🎊 🌷
These chicken tenders look so crispy and delicious! A perfect dinner recipe.
Chicken tenders with honey mustard is such a great combination! I love your recipe <3
This chicken was juicy and tender with a delicious coating. It’s the perfect meal for the whole family!
i love any honey mustard and this was delicious!!!! so good!
I haven’t thought of using cornflakes as a breading in years. Thanks for the reminder and the yummy recipe!
I’m always looking for easy weeknight meals and these chicken tenders sound perfect! Something familiar the family will love but still different enough to break up the usual routine 🙂