This easy Chicken Tenders Parmesan and Pasta recipe is hands down one of the quickest kid-friendly dinners you'll come across. This delicious dinner requires only 5 ingredients, is ready to serve in less than 20 minutes and has virtually no preparation!
Chicken tenders parmesan is 100% kid approved and the perfect meal for busy weeknights. This quick recipe takes convenient store bought ingredients and turns them into a comforting and hearty homemade dinner.
And there is certainly nothing wrong with a cheat night, especially when the meal is so tasty that no one will ever know. The kids told me this was the best chicken dinner they ever had and I was the best chef ever (so cute)! Happy kids means a happy mama! It's one of our favorites along with fried tacos, vegetarian cheese quesadillas and mini pizzas!
This quick recipe takes convenient store bought ingredients and turns them into a comforting and hearty "homemade" dinner. And there is certainly nothing wrong with a cheat night, especially when the meal is so tasty that no one will ever know. Honestly, this chicken tenders parmigiana was the best chicken parm I've ever had. Better than all the times I've made it from scratch.
I may have done a little dance in the kitchen when I didn't have to egg wash, bread and fry up crispy chicken. Any my little ones did a little dance with me because it's so easy that they were able to make the dinner almost entirely bt themselves.
With a jar of store bought marinara sauce, a package of shredded mozzarella cheese and crispy frozen chicken tenderloins, the entire preparation time takes just 3 minutes. With only a 15 minute cooking time, dinner will be ready in a mere 18 minutes!
Ingredients
Chicken tenders parmesan is made with only 5 simple pantry-friendly ingredients.
Frozen chicken tenderloins: or use other types of frozen breaded chicken, such as nuggets, patties or chicken strips. I use chicken tender strips but add some chicken nuggets for the baby who is still getting used to different food textures. I know she likes nuggets and that they would probably be a little easier for her to chew than the tenders.
Marinara sauce: your favorite jar of marinara sauce, seasoned spaghetti sauce, or homemade tomato sauce if you prefer.
Shredded mozzarella cheese: a bag of shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese cuts down on preparation time and make it really easy on busy nights. Of course, you can shred a block of fresh mozzarella if you'd like.
Parmesan cheese: grated parmesan or romano-parmesan cheese both work perfectly.
Pasta: we love bowties or shells but any pasta, like rigatoni, penne, spaghetti, fettuccine, linguine, will work. I find bow ties easier for kids because you don't need to cut them up and they are easier to pick up with a fork.
How To Make Chicken Parmesan With Frozen Chicken Tenders
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Spread ¼ cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking sheet or casserole dish. Place the frozen chicken tenders on top of the marinara sauce.
Top chicken with an additional 2 cups of sauce.
Evenly sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese on top of the sauced chicken.
STEP 2: Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the chicken reached an internal temperature of 160°F and the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with parsley or basil.
Optional: While the chicken parmesan bakes, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Mix the cooked pasta with 2 more cups of sauce and serve with the chicken.
Storing
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
What Sides Go With Chicken Parmesan?
We love serving this over bowtie (farfalle), shells, rigatoni, and other types of pasta. Some other ideas are:
- Garlic bread
- Mashed potatoes
- Butter spaghetti
- Garlic knots
- Roasted vegetables, like broccoli and asparagus.
Recipe FAQs
Any type of unseasoned breaded frozen chicken works great for this recipe. Frozen chicken nuggets, chicken patties, tenderloins, crispy chicken strips, etc. can be used to make this easy chicken tenders parmesan.
Yes! Use a baking dish or pan that is small enough to fit in your air fryer. Follow the recipe as it's written but air fry it at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes. If serving with the pasta, you'll need to cook that on the stovetop or in a pressure cooker as pasta cannot be cooked in the air fryer.
Yes, chicken tenders parmesan can be made ahead of time. For optimal quality, plan to make it no more than 3 days before serving. Store in the fridge until you're ready to serve it and reheat in the oven or air fryer until warmed through.
You should not freeze leftovers, as the chicken was already frozen and it's recommended not to refreeze it.
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Recipe
Chicken Tenders Parmesan
Equipment
- baking sheet or casserole dish
Ingredients
- 12 breaded chicken tender strips, frozen and fully cooked
- 4 ¼ cups marinara sauce
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 16 oz farfalle pasta
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Spread ¼ cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking sheet or casserole dish.
- Place the frozen chicken tenders on top of the marinara sauce. Top chicken with an additional 2 cups of sauce. Evenly sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese on top of the sauced chicken.
- Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the chicken reached an internal temperature of 160°F and the cheese is melted.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with parsley or basil. Serve over pasta (see below).
- Optional: While chicken parmesan bakes, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Mix the cooked pasta with 2 cups of sauce and serve with the chicken.
Notes
Nutrition
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Sharon
I love this shortcut of using frozen chicken tenders for this chicken parmesan. The whole family will love this!
Marie-Pierre
Going to try this with the kiddos next week! Sound delicious and easy to make! Exactly what mommy needs!
veenaazmanov
Simple, quick , easy and One pot meal too. Definitely looks like a Happy Meal option for my family. Presentation yummy and tempting.
Megan
Everyone loved these tenders! So simple and so good! A winner for sure.
Jamie
Wow! Such a great recipe for everyone to enjoy and love! This recipe looks delicious and is very yummy! Plus the best part, we only need 5 ingredients to make this wonderful dish, and will only take 20 minutes to finish! Loved it!
Cathleen
Thank you so much for this recipe! I am obsessed with this, I make this over and over! It's one of my favourites now 🙂
Jacqueline Debono
I love to make chicken parm from scratch but it's time consuming so, this is an excellent cheat version, especially for the kiddies!
Amanda
Such a great weeknight dinner! It came together quickly and easily, and I just love all that cheesy goodness. Definitely worth putting in your dinner rotation.
Hayley Dhanecha
This is so simple, easy and delicious kid friendly recipe, my friend's kids loved it. Thanks for an amazing recipe.
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer
Such a great shortcut and timesaver using frozen breaded tenders! Definitely a quick and delicious weeknight dinner!