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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.

overhead photo of Baked Black Pepper Ranch Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard in serving bowl

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!

Honey Mustard

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.

overhead close up photo of Baked Black Pepper Ranch Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard

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.

side angle close up photo of Baked Black Pepper Ranch Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard

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.

overhead close up photo of Baked Black Pepper Ranch Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard

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.

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
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.

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Ingredients

Honey Mustard

US Customary - Metric

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!
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Comments

  2. Hello! I don’t have buttermilk at home so I wanted to know what substitution I can use or how can I make homemade buttermilk?

    Reply

    1. Hey Maria,
      I think if you use whole milk this will work just fine. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  3. Living with a full time vegetarian, do you think cauliflower would make an ok substitute for chicken in this recipe? More of “chicken bites” I suppose.

    Reply

  4. Ok, you have the BEST recipes. My Grandies will love them. DO you think I could use coconut milk instead of buttermilk to make them dairy free? OR another substitute please. Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hey Patty,
      Yes, I think that would work well for you. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  5. 5 stars
    We love these . . . I’ve made these multiple times in the oven. Tonight I made them in my new air fryer and they were even better. Delicious served with a salad or the oven fries from HBH Super Simple.

    Reply

    1. Hey Alyssa,
      I am thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy New Year! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Ellise,
      Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Hassan,
      The recipe for the honey mustard is listed above:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan

      Reply

  8. 4 stars
    These were so yummy!
    My only question is when I dredged them in the corn flake crumbs, the crumbs started to clump up and I couldn’t coat the chicken very well. Then when the chicken bakes the crumbs seems to be a sticky coating more than a crunch. I can’t figure out what I am doing wrong, lol!
    Thanks
    Emma

    Reply

    1. Hi Emma! Thank you for trying this one! When making this, you will want to make sure the chicken isn’t still dripping from the buttermilk.. I usually just kind of get off the excess. Otherwise, it will make the cornflakes soggy and unable to stick. Does this make sense? I hope it helps! xTieghan

      Reply

  9. 5 stars
    Made this recipe tonight with a few tweaks (used panko and egg instead of cornflakes and buttermilk), they still turned out tastey, however, now I’m super intrigued by the cornflakes, so I will make it again as the recipe calls for since it got so many rave reviews! The honey mustard was delicious!! I added a bit more of honey to cut the tangy-ness, superb! We had some left over, would you happen to know for how long it could stay in the glass jar in the fridge? Many thanks!!

    Reply

    1. Hi Michelle,
      So glad you enjoyed the recipe and thanks for giving it a try! I would use the sauce within 2 weeks of making it. I hope this helps! xTieghan

      Reply

  11. 5 stars
    The flavors in the chicken coating were amazing and I could drink the honey mustard it is so good. One question – my chicken didn’t come out crispy and in some places the coating was soggy. I used LF buttermilk because that is what I had. Could that have been the reason?

    Reply

    1. Hi Stephanie,
      Thanks so much for trying the recipe, the drizzle of olive oil is key for a crispy coating! I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  12. Can this be cooked on the stovetop or even an air fryer? My kids like them but my oven just went out. I’m looking for this or something similar that doesn’t require an oven

    Reply

    1. Hi Kari,
      So sorry but I have only tested this recipe in the oven, I think your best bet would be an air fryer. I hope this helps! xTieghan

      Reply

  13. 5 stars
    This was amazing!!! Restaurant-like. We doubled the sauce, but added more butter and honey as well to tone down the spicy 🙂 tried some in an air fryer and that worked well too!! Just needed a little less time/temperature. Thank you! Loved the ranch chicken tenders with corn flakes as well.

    Reply

  14. 5 stars
    Being on the coronavirus stay-at-home order, I have been looking for recipes that use things I already have so I knew I wanted to do chicken fingers with cornflake breading. OMG! These were so much more than I expected in all the best ways. The seasoning mix of the breading plus the bright lemon from the honey mustard just made these so good. They even reheated beautifully in the toaster oven the next day.

    The only change I made was to mix some EVOO into the breading mix so it would crisp in the oven instead of brushing with oil, which never ends well for me. Thanks for sharing yet another delicious recipe! These were sooo easy.

    Reply

  15. Quick question on the buttermilk-do you suggest marinating the chicken tenders for a certain amount of time? I’m new to your site & have been enjoying it. Thx

    Reply

    1. Hi! I just toss the chicken in the buttermilk, let it 10 minutes, then use as directed! No need to marinate. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan

      Reply