12 Ways to Dress Up Frozen Chicken Tenders

Frozen chicken tenders are a staple that you probably already have in your freezer. Honestly, it's so convenient to simply pop the pre-made chicken into the oven or on top of the stove and just wait for it to warm up and finish cooking. Let's face it though — as good as chicken tenders are, you may find yourself running out of creative ideas on how to make family-friendly meals with them. Quite frankly, you may be getting bored of them all together.

But cooking chicken tenders doesn't have to be boring. There are many ways to dress up your basic frozen chicken tenders and turn them into something that restaurants may even be jealous of. Gone are the days of being frustrated by the same, plain old chicken tenders in the freezer, or not knowing what else to do with them. It's time to turn these chicken fingers into unique and creative meals that the entire family will enjoy. Some of these recipes call for fresh tenders, but you can sub in frozen. You may want to use frozen and apply a coating or give them a quick pan fry to match the recipe's instructions. You won't add much time or work to your dinner agenda.

We've curated a list of 12 ways to dress up frozen chicken fingers. By the end of it, you'll be in a hurry to make these delicious dishes.

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Fried Chicken Bowl

Fried Chicken Bowl

Does this dish look familiar? Frozen crispy chicken strips are the star of this delicious dupe. With the recipe calling for pasta noodles, vegetable oil, a few vegetables and seasonings for taste, you probably already have much of the ingredients in your cabinets to make this awesome DIY KFC fill up-bowl.

02 of 13

Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Tenders

Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Tenders
France C

Bacon and chicken? Count us in! Enjoy the best of both worlds with these smoky and sweet flavors on the outdoor grill. Cut the bacon lengthwise, and then use the thin strips to wrap enough bacon around eight chicken tenders. Throw it on the grill and cook until smoky and crisp.

03 of 13

Chicken with Wild Rice and Vegetables Casserole

Chicken with Wild Rice and Vegetables Casserole
Tatiana Allen

This one-pot dish is perfect for busy nights. The chicken, wild rice, and vegetable blend make for a hardy meal that will leave the whole family satisfied. Pair this casserole with bread or salad for even more delightfulness.

04 of 13

Sweet and Sour Chicken Tenders

Sweet and Sour Chicken Tenders
Kim

This take-out replica is packed with flavor and takes less than an hour to make. Serve with white rice, and watch your family fall in love with each bite.

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Baked BBQ Chicken Tenders

Baked BBQ Chicken Tenders
thedailygourmet

With just one pound of chicken tenders, you can enjoy a unique spin on baked barbeque chicken tenders. The Asian-inspired sauce adds a nice dose of spice to this sweet dish. This easy-to-do, moist chicken is ready in 30 minutes.

06 of 13

Honey-Dijon Chicken Tenders

Honey-Dijon Chicken Tenders
Yoly

Bring on the sweet and savory. With honey and mustard coating the chicken alongside bread crumbs, these tenders are super easy to make.Serve with ranch dressing, ketchup, or more honey mustard dressing.

07 of 13

Chicken Alfredo Pita Pizza

Chicken Alfredo Pita Pizza
RAShane

Chicken and pita bread marry together to make this delicious Alfredo "pita pizza." Just a couple frozen chicken tenders elevates the flavor in this unique Mediterranean-style dish. This recipe calls for four servings, but you may be full off of just one.

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Crunchy Ranch Chicken Tenders

Crunchy Ranch Chicken Tenders
Sarah Pontious

Corn flaked cereal crumbs give this fried chicken tender recipe the crunch you've been looking for. Instead of using the same ol' fried tenders recipe, mix in some ranch seasoning packets for an added kick. Serve ranch dressing on the side.

09 of 13

Easy Creamy Chicken in a Sun-Dried Tomato Wine Sauce

Easy Creamy Chicken in a Sun-Dried Tomato Wine Sauce
Elizabeth

Your chicken tenders, mixed in a savory and creamy sun-dried tomato sauce, will come alive in this Italian-inspired dish. Served on top of mashed potatoes to finish off the plate. This recipe is full of delicious flavors and is guaranteed to satisfy your entire family.

10 of 13

Easy, Boneless Hot Wings

Easy, Boneless Hot Wings
Soup Loving Nicole

Take those frozen chicken tenders and turn them into another classic chicken dinner: wings. In this case, they'll be boneless, and you can control the heat by adding more or hot sauce. Don't forget the dipping sauces, carrots, and celery.

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Chicken and Waffles

A piece of breaded chicken with creamy gravy served over two square waffles on a white plate
StationChef

Classic chicken and waffles may have fried chicken breasts and wings, but you can speed things up for brunch or a weeknight brunch-inspired dinner with frozen chicken tenders. Make things even faster by skipping the breading process and buying your own pre-breaded frozen tenders.

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Quick and Easy Chicken Piquant

Quick and Easy Chicken Piquant
Buckwheat Queen

This recipe calls for fresh tenders in place of frozen, but there's no reason you can't use the frozen option instead. To help the crust stick, let the chicken thaw just a bit first. Then continue on with the remaining steps and ingredients of this Cajun classic.

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More Family-Friendly Recipes:

a serving of mozzarella-topped baked ziti in a white bowl, garnished with a basil sprig
chibi chef
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