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Cheddar Bay Biscuit Chicken Tenders: A Crispy, Cheesy Comfort Food Recipe

Cheddar Bay Biscuit Chicken Tenders are the perfect mix of crispy chicken, cheesy biscuit flavor, garlic butter, and savory herbs. This recipe takes the famous cheddar-garlic biscuit flavor and turns it into a crunchy coating for juicy chicken tenders. The result is a golden, flavorful dish that feels like restaurant-style comfort food but is easy enough to make at home.

These chicken tenders are great for family dinners, game nights, parties, or even as a fun weekend meal. They are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and packed with cheddar, garlic, and buttery flavor in every bite.

What Makes Cheddar Bay Biscuit Chicken Tenders Special?

The secret is the coating. Instead of using plain breadcrumbs, this recipe uses Cheddar Bay biscuit mix or a homemade cheddar biscuit-style mixture. The biscuit mix gives the chicken a rich, savory taste with notes of garlic, cheese, herbs, and butter.

When baked, air-fried, or pan-fried, the coating becomes crisp and golden while the chicken stays moist. A final brush of garlic butter makes the tenders even more flavorful and gives them that signature Cheddar Bay taste.

Ingredients

For the chicken tenders:

1 ½ pounds chicken tenderloins or chicken breasts cut into strips
1 box Cheddar Bay biscuit mix, or similar cheddar-garlic biscuit mix
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
Cooking spray or oil, depending on cooking method

For the garlic butter topping:

3 tablespoons melted butter
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried parsley
Seasoning packet from the biscuit mix, if included

Step 1: Prepare the Chicken

Start by patting the chicken tenders dry with paper towels. This helps the coating stick better and prevents the chicken from becoming soggy.

If you are using chicken breasts, slice them into even strips. Try to keep the pieces similar in size so they cook evenly. Season the chicken lightly with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.

Let the chicken sit for about 10 minutes while you prepare the coating stations.

Step 2: Set Up the Coating Stations

You will need three shallow bowls.

In the first bowl, add the flour. This creates the first dry layer and helps the egg mixture stick to the chicken.

In the second bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk until smooth.

In the third bowl, combine the Cheddar Bay biscuit mix, shredded cheddar cheese, panko breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Mix everything well.

The panko breadcrumbs help make the chicken extra crispy, while the biscuit mix gives it that cheesy garlic flavor.