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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 that’s different, delicious, peppery, and full of flavor.
I figured we’d 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 “kid” food, no matter your age, we all love them just as much as we did when we were 10…admit it.
With May just a day away, it’s the time of year where my brain switches to the “end of the school year”. I’ve 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. It’s a very exciting time of year. And when it comes to food. It leaves me inspired to recreate the foods I loved as a kid… 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 eaten…all day long!
We still have a few weeks until it’s 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 they’re a really fun and non-boring Monday recipe…which 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 they’re 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. It’s 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 seasonings… Homemade ranch with a spicy kick, dried herbs, a good amount of black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne too. It’s 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. It’s still extra creamy, but with more of a honey mustard flavor.
Basically, it’s 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 ranch…
Double dipping…and lovin’ 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, don’t 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.
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 855 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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!
Tieghan, thank you for the recipe. It was absolutely delicious. It was easy to prepare and served with steamed green beans and brown rice.
Thank you Lisa! Amazing! xTieghan
I made these last night for dinner with some friends. I even used some of the cornflake coating for tofu nuggets for the vegetarian (before I dredged the chicken of course). They were great even though I had tamped down the peppers for one guest. I forgot the oil and only had to baked for 15 minutes. The crunch was perfect! Will definitely be making again.
Hi Carol! That is so great that this turned out so well for you! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
I made these last night and they were delicious! I have an extra sheet pan of them that I baked last night also, how would you reheat them?
Hey Emily! I like to reheat in the oven at 325 degree for 10-15 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am so glad you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
These look delicious! Going to make them tonight. I have made a number of your recipes and they are generally great. How would you recommend reheating leftovers? And how long would you say the honey mustard sauce lasts in the fridge?
Hi Rebecca! I would warm these in the oven, if possible. I would bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes until warmed. Or you can also use the microwave. The sauce will keep for at least a week in the fridge. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I just made this tonight and I can say it will now be in our rotation of go-to meals. It was so EASY to make and delicous, too. My almost 2-year old couldn’t get enough of it! Next time, I will probably omit the olive oil drizzle on the chicken as it just made those parts soggy. I also used half the amount of oilve oil in the honey mustard sauce. As a personal preference, I have found most dressings and sauces use more oil than I like so I’ve gotten into the habit of using about half of what’s called for and then adding more in if it needs it.
That is so great! I am really glad you loved this recipe so much Caitlin! Thank you! xTieghan
This was delicious. The entire family wants this meal added to the rotation! Easy to make. Brushing top With oil before cooking makes for a crispy breading without frying. Great recipe!
Thank you so much! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Do you think this would work in an air fryer?
Hi Tracey! I imagine and air fryer would work really well for this recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
This looks amazing! I have a possibly very dumb question: Is it boneless & skinless chicken or just boneless? (Asking for a friend ?)
HI! I like to use boneless and skinless chicken tenders for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Do you think it would be possible to make a large batch of these and freeze? If so at what point would you freeze them?
Hi Paige! Yes! I would assemble the chicken fingers, then arrange on a parchment lined backing sheet. freeze until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag. To bake, bake the fingers from frozen and add 8-10 minutes to the cooking time. that works great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! Just wondered if you turn the strips at all during the baking time…? Can’t wait to make these tonight! Thank you 🙂
Hey Alison! I don’t turn the chicken throughout baking. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I made this recipe last night and it was amazing! My boyfriend and I loved the spices of the chicken finger batter, and the sweet tanginess of the honey mustard. Will definitely make again! I love your page.
That is so sweet! I am so glad you and your boyfriend loved this recipe, Stacie! Thank you! xTieghan
Great recipe – question though, I left the chicken in for the full 20 min but they didn’t come out very crisp, a little wet instead. Your photos make them look super crunchy/fried-looking! Any tips??
Hi Elizabeth! Did you brush the chicken with olive oil before baking? Was your pan very crowded by chance? I recommend brushing with oil and making sure to not over crowd the pan or the chicken will just steam (you might need 2 pans). Also, you might just need to bake a bit longer, maybe try 30 minutes and see if they are crisp enough for you? Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe and happy 4th of July! Thank you! xTieghan
I made these last night for a party and they were AMAZING! They got rave reviews and I love this take on the honey Dijon sauce. Highly recommend!!
I made these tonight – and they were absolutely delicious! The honey mustard sauce really took everything to next-level territory. One small note for me, I added some salt to the cornflake mixture and the spots where I drizzled olive oil before they went into the oven didn’t get as crispy, so I’d skip the oil next time. But these were definitely a 10/10!
Thank you so much Amanda! So glad this turned out amazing for you! xTieghan
Made this last night and loved the flavor – so bright and bold! What a great way to change up a boring baked chicken routine. We’ll definitely be making this again!
Thank you so much Liz! xTieghan