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Keeping Monday fun with these Baked Black Pepper Ranch Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard. Breaded in corn flakes, seasoned with a homemade ranch seasoning blend, oven baked, and served with an addicting creamy, sweet, and tangy honey mustard sauce. These are the grown up version of the chicken fingers we all loved as a kid. And yes, healthier, and so much tastier too. Serve with oven roasted french fries and veggies for an easy dinner thatโs different, delicious, peppery, and full of flavor.
I figured weโd ease into Monday with a fun recipe. Be honest, who does not love chicken fingers, you know? I think we can all agree that even though chicken fingers are seen as a โkidโ food, no matter your age, we all love them just as much as we did when we were 10โฆadmit it.
With May just a day away, itโs the time of year where my brain switches to the โend of the school yearโ. Iโve been out of school for many years now. But the month of May will forever signify the end of school and the start to summer. Itโs a very exciting time of year. And when it comes to food. It leaves me inspired to recreate the foods I loved as a kidโฆ Chicken fingers, preferably eaten by the pool. Pizza, preferably eaten outside on the deck during humid summer nights. And all the ice cream variations you can think of, preferably eatenโฆall day long!
We still have a few weeks until itโs even close to becoming summer weather. But I was too excited about these chicken fingers to not share right away. Plus, I do feel like theyโre a really fun and non-boring Monday recipeโฆwhich we all could use!
When I originally set out to make these, I was not sure about the combo of ranch and honey mustard. I thought it might be weird, but after texting a handful of family members we all came to conclusion that it sounded way too good to not make.
So, with that confidence boost, I made some chicken fingers. And I made some honey mustard. And oh my gosh, it took me back to being a kid. But it was better. Because these chicken fingers actually have flavor.
And theyโre not fried, which means healthier too.
Yes, please.
Best part? These chicken fingers are so easy to make and every ingredient is a pantry/freezer staple.
Here are the details. Start out by soaking the chicken in some buttermilk. This will help the breading adhere nicely and adds a slight tangy flavor too.
Now, the breading. This is KEY. I use crushed corn flakes as my secret to getting that fried look and taste without actually frying a thing. Itโs my go-to when it comes to breading chicken. As you can tell from my recent Korean chicken and my southern chicken, it works like a charm. Every single time.
For the seasoningsโฆ Homemade ranch with a spicy kick, dried herbs, a good amount of black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne too. Itโs truly the perfect seasoning blend, and my family loves it so much. Spicy and herby! If you happen to dislike spices, or are serving to kids, just reduce the amounts of black pepper and cayenne to your taste.
While the chicken is baking, make the honey mustard. Traditionally honey mustard is made with mayo, but I wanted to try and keep things a bit healthier. So instead, I made more of a honey mustard vinaigrette, using olive oil in place of mayo. Itโs still extra creamy, but with more of a honey mustard flavor.
Basically, itโs better.
The sweet and tanginess is perfect served alongside these spicy ranch baked chicken fingers. And if you want to take things a step further? Serve with two sauces, and mix up my homemade tahini ranchโฆ
Double dippingโฆand lovinโ it.
If you make this baked ranch chicken fingers, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, donโt forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch the How To Video:
Baked Spicy Ranch Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless chicken tenders
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups finely crushed corn flakes
- 2 tablespoons whole wheat, or all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon dried chives
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried dill
- 1 teaspoon each garlic and onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or chipotle chile powder, use more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt black pepper
- extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
- chopped fresh chives or parsley, for serving
Honey Mustard
- 1/4 cup dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- juice of 1/2 a lemon, plus additional wedges for serving
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
- 1. Add the chicken to a gallon size zip top bag. Pour the buttermilk over the chicken. Toss well to coat. 2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.3. Add the corn flake crumbs, flour, parsley, chives, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and a pinch each of pepper to a medium sized bowl. Stir to combine.4. Remove each piece of chicken from the buttermilk, and dredge through the crumbs, pressing gently to adhere. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the chicken has been used. Make sure not to crowd your pan, if necessary use two baking sheets. Lightly brush/drizzle the chicken with olive oil. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.5. Meanwhile, make the honey mustard sauce. Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and shake or whisk until smooth and creamy. 6. Serve the chicken topped with flaky salt, fresh chives and honey mustard for dipping. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Hi Tieghan !
I canโt wait to make this recipe !!! Do you think I could substitute the tenders with chicken thighs / chicken breastโs ? I donโt have tenders at home โฆ. Thanks in advance and have the best week !
Thanks so much, Tahniat! Yes, I would use chicken breasts and just cut them down into smaller tenders.
I hope you love this recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions!
So far everything I’ve made has been good, but I made these last night… they were inedible. And I followed the recipe to a T. We threw them in the trash and ended up eating frozen pizza.
Hi there,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and many others. I am so sorry to hear these did not turn out for you! If there is anything specific that I can help with, please let me know! xT
Can I do these in an air fryer ? I am new to the air fryer and trying to do stuff with it thats not just re heat stuff.
Hey Frank,
Sure, I bet the air fryer would work well for you! I’ve not tested this, so I’m not sure the exact temp or cook time. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
I have leftover Crispix. Do you think they would work in place of Cornflakes? Thanks, love your recipes!
Hi Nikkole,
Sure, I don’t see why not:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
These chicken fingers are delicious!
Thanks Tieghan!
Hi Maria,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend! xTieghan
Loved this recipe!! If you were to cook this for dinner guests, which sides would pair well?
Hey Barbara,
I would probably do homemade French fries and a salad!
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/tuscan-fries/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/corn-tomato-and-avocado-chickpea-salad/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
THIS HONEY MUSTARD!!! OMFG where has this been my whole life.
I’ve always been one to ask for honey Mustard for a condiment vs anything else. THIS IS THE BEST IVE EVER HAD.
also chicken was wonderful.
Ps all dinners in my household are basically all yours. You have the best blog out there
Thank you for your hard work!….. and the honeymustard
Hi Julia,
Awesome!! So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xT
Can you prepare ahead by marinating the chicken in advance overnight?
Hey Dalia,
Sure, that would be totally fine to do! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
I absolutely ADORE the recipe. Thank you so much! I just made a batch to freeze now as part of my meal prep for the week ?
Hey Dalia,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed. Have the best week:) xTieghan
Made this tonight for dinner. I used Panko breadcrumbs and baked them on a cooling rack placed in a jelly roll pan. Delicious! They will be in my rotation! Thanks!
Hey Lisa,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! ?xTieghan
Omg!!! Another wonderful recipe!!!!! My husband went back for 3rds!!!! This is the 6th recipe of yours that I have made in the last 2 weeks! Thank you for restoring my love of cooking!!!
Hey Jenny,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am delighted it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Could you do these in the air fryer? If so, what temp and how long? Thank you!
Hey Jackie,
I have not tested this, but I am assuming it would work well! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These were delicious! My kids loved them!
Hey Ginny,
I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for trying it out!! xTieghan
This recipe seems like gold but it didnโt turn out perfectly for me…it ended up not nice and crunchy/crispy on the outside. Trying to decide if there was too much buttermilk before I coated them or if itโs just my oven? I even ended up baking them for a few minutes longer than recommended to get the chicken to temperature. I think that finishing them in the air fryer might have added the crunch I was looking for. Either way thanks for sharingโreally great flavor!
Hey Nikaea,
Thanks so much fro trying the recipe, so sorry it did not turn out as you would have liked. Was there anything you adjusted? I do like to let the buttermilk drip off of the chicken before pressing the coating onto the chicken. Also a drizzle of olive oil definitely helps! xTieghan
I always have difficulty getting breading to stick to chicken using this kind of dredging method… it usually seems to flake off. ? any suggestions on how to really get it to stay on?
Hey Amanda,
Did you try this recipe? This is what works best for me, I press the coating onto the chicken. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Hi! I plan on making these tonight! I’m GF and was wondering if you had a recommendation for corn flake replacement. There is malt in corn flakes which makes them not GF, and I am having a hard time finding a GF version. Thanks!
Hey Audrey,
I would use chips in place of the corn flakes. I hope you love the recipe, let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I rolled mine in crushed rice crackers as my daughter is gluten intolerant. They turned out perfect and now is my preference.
Thanks for sharing Joanna!