Oven Baked Chicken Strips

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

These tender and crispy Sesame Chicken Strips offer a healthier way to satisfy those Fried Chicken Finger takeout cravings, without compromising texture or flavor!

If you don't have an air fryer and dislike the messy and unhealthy method that deep frying provides, then cooking these chicken strips in the oven is certainly the way to go! 

The well seasoned panko bread crumbs and sesame seed coating does a great job of sticking to the chicken strips while baking, resulting in a crispy golden outer crust with tender chicken strip centers.  It is one of my favorite Chicken Recipes.

Whether you call them chicken strips, chicken fingers, or chicken tenders, the one thing that we can all agree on is that they are delicious! I dare to say that they are even better than your favorite fast food take out, like KFC, Chick Fil A, Popeyes, Dairy Queen, Whataburger, Jack In The Box, Raisin Cane’s or Zaxby’s!

Serve your oven baked chicken strips as a finger lickin' snack alongside your favorite dipping sauce, like Creamy Tomatillo Avocado Salsa for Game Day or as a party appetizer, or turn them into a wholesome family meal served over noodles, vegetable stir fry, or fried rice. 

Enjoy these Sesame Chicken Strips as an appetizer or main dish with a creamy sauce or use them in another recipe like Chicken Bacon Ranch Tater Tot Casserole.

Table of Contents

• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Why This Recipe Works
• What You’ll Need To Make Oven Baked Chicken Strips
• Ingredient Notes
• How To Make Baked Chicken Strips
• What To Serve with Oven Baked Chicken Strips
• Pro Recipe Tips
• Recipe Variations
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
• More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
• Recipe
• Reviews

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Healthy: Ditch the deep frying method and enjoy these crispy sesame chicken strips for a much healthier meal option while still enjoying the same flavor profile and crispy texture as oil fried chicken strips. 
• Minimal Ingredients: This recipe calls for very few ingredients, most of which are pantry staples which means that this is a budget-friendly and convenient meal or snack to make. 
• Restaurant Quality: These homemade sesame chicken strips give you a great excuse to stop spending money on takeout. They taste just as good as what you'd be served at your local restaurant. Not convinced? Test it on your family!
• Snack or Meal: These sesame chicken strips are great as a tasty snack with dips or other party snacks but can just as easily be turned into a main meal for easy midweek family meals when paired with fried rice, noodles, or a veggie stir fry. 
• Quick and Easy: You can have crispy tender sesame chicken strips ready to serve your family or guests within 30 minutes from start to finish!

Why This Recipe Works

• You can easily follow along with my simple step-by-step recipe instructions with photos to ensure that you end up making the best tasting Sesame Chicken Strips ever!  
• Recipe tips and questions have been added for your convenience, particularly helpful if you've never made these takeout-inspired sesame chicken strips before. 
• I've included recipe variations and suggestions on how you can adapt these chicken strips as a helpful guide and inspiration for your own cooking efforts!
• Serving suggestions are listed below should you want to turn these sesame chicken strips into a satisfying main meal or keep them as a snack or party appetizer alongside various dips. 

What You’ll Need To Make Oven Baked Chicken Strips

Ingredient Notes

Below, I discuss the ingredients and possible substitutions if you don't have a specific ingredient. However, if you are looking for the specific measurements of each ingredient, scroll down to the bottom of this article, just above the comments, for the printable recipe card, which includes all the ingredients and the specific amounts of each one.

• Chicken tenders or chicken breasts – make sure that your chicken is from a good quality source and is not frozen when added to the oven. Frozen chicken strips will take longer to cook through and may result in the outer bread crumb coating to burn. 
• All-purpose flour – you can use gluten-free flour should you like to make gluten-free sesame chicken strips. 
• Eggs –  these act as the glue that will help to keep the breadcrumb coating on the chicken strips while baking. If you can't eat eggs, consider using butter or yogurt instead. 
• Breadcrumbs – I've used Panko bread crumbs but you can make use of any other brand you prefer. There are also gluten-free packaged bread crumbs in most stores and online. 
• Paprika – This adds a mild spice level but you could opt for the spicy hot variety if you enjoy your food with a kick of heat.
• Sesame seeds – if you don't enjoy sesame seeds, make use of poppy seeds or hemp seeds. It may alter the taste slightly but the outcome will still be super delicious!
• Salt – table salt or kosher salt will work well. You can even opt for a low-sodium salt brand depending on your health needs. 

How To Make Baked Chicken Strips

1. Mix bread crumbs, salt, paprika and sesame seeds in a shallow bowl.
2. Stir the bread crumb mixture so spices are evenly distributed.
3. Place flour in the second bowl, and
4. Beat the egg in the third one.
5. If using whole chicken breasts cut them in ¾ inch pieces, and coat each in flour, then in egg and in bread crumbs mix.
6. Place seasoned chicken on parchment paper or lightly greased foil and put it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes and turn each piece on the other side. You can drip some olive oil at the top if you want. Bake another 10 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown.

What To Serve with Oven Baked Chicken Strips

These sesame chicken strips are a fantastic light snack or party appetizer that you could serve alongside your favorite dipping sauce such as marinara sauce, creamy avocado dip, honey mustard, spicy orange sauce…the list goes on! 

For a main meal, consider serving these crispy chicken strips on top of a salad, or over fried rice, vegetable stir fry, or noodles. Other delicious pairing options include French fries, coleslaw, crispy potato wedges, onion rings, a leafy green salad, or a side serving of pasta salad. 

Pro Recipe Tips

• Although you can use chicken breasts for this recipe, I always try to use chicken tenders. It eliminates the extra work of having to cut up chicken breasts.
• Organizing your work station with the three bowls of ingredients (eggs, flour mixture, and bread crumbs with sesame seeds) will help you to work quickly and efficiently, limiting mess and fuss. 
• It's important to only coat the baking pan/tray with a light amount of olive oil. It's why I use a pastry brush. If you are heavy handed with the oil, your sesame chicken strips will absorb that excess oil and risk becoming soggy instead of crunchy and crispy. 
• You can prepare the flour mixture and breadcrumbs with sesame seeds the night before in separate bowls, covered with plastic wrap, and kept at room temperature but only whisk the eggs just prior to coating the chicken strips for freshness and food safety reasons. 
• Spread the coated chicken strips out on the baking tray with adequate space between them so that they can crisp evenly without overcrowding. 

Recipe Variations

• If you have an air fryer and are dying to see how these sesame chicken strips will turn out, give it a try! Just make sure that you don't overcrowd the coated chicken strips in the air fryer basket. This may mean that you need to cook them in batches but since an air fryer cooks these chicken strips in a matter of minutes, that won't add any extra time onto the recipe. 
• Make these sesame chicken strips gluten free by using gluten free flour and gluten free bread crumbs. 
• If you can't consume eggs, use yogurt or butter instead to help the breadcrumb coating stick to the chicken strips. 
• Add some heat to these sesame chicken strips by including some cayenne pepper to the paprika and flour mixture. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)

HOW SHOULD I STORE THESE SESAME CHICKEN STRIPS?

These sesame chicken strips should be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days in an airtight container. They will always taste the best freshly made with their crispy coating. 

I recommend reheating any leftover sesame chicken strips in the oven or in an air fryer for a few minutes, just to regain some of that crispy exterior to the breadcrumb coating.

CAN I FREEZE THESE BAKED CHICKEN STRIPS?

No, I don't suggest freezing these baked chicken strips. The flour and bread crumb coating will be affected by the freezing and thawing process and may not result in the level of crispiness you had hoped for when it comes to reheating. 

While you could potentially freeze the raw chicken tenders with the flour and breadcrumb mixture, the defrosting could make the coating fall off. 

ARE THESE SESAME CHICKEN STRIPS GLUTEN-FREE?

No, they aren't. I've used all-purpose flour and standard Panko breadcrumbs in this recipe. You can change this by using gluten-free flour and gluten-free Panko breadcrumbs instead. 

HOW DO I MAKE THESE SESAME CHICKEN STRIPS IN AN AIR FRYER?

To make these sesame chicken strips in an air fryer, lightly spray the air fryer basket with olive oil and then place the coated chicken tenders on the basket in a single layer with space between each chicken strip.

Cook the chicken strips for an initial 7-9 minutes at 400℉ and then flip them over to cook for another 7-9 minutes. This will ensure that both sides crisp evenly. 

Since the air fryer basket may be smaller than the baking tray used in the oven, you may need to fry your chicken strips in batches when cooking them in the air fryer.   

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CHICKEN STRIPS ARE COOKED THROUGH?

The last thing you want is to be serving raw chicken strips to your guests or the family! If you're unsure whether your chicken strips are cooked through, take an instant-read thermometer and test the chicken by inserting the thermometer in its thickest section of the chicken. 

The internal temperature of the chicken strips should be at least 165℉ for them to be safe to eat. 

More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love

• Chicken Empanadas
• Rotisserie Chicken Breast Tenders
• Baked Chicken Tenders With Honey Sriracha
• Pecan Crusted Chicken Breasts

If you like this recipe or make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment, rate the recipe, and follow us on:

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | BlogLovin | Instagram

Recipe