Grilled Chicken Tenders (No Grill Needed)
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A copycat version of Cracker Barrel’s grilled chicken tenderloins, these juicy grilled chicken tenders are marinated in a zesty flavoring that no one can resist!
Okay, y’all, listen to me here: you are going to love these grilled chicken tenders! This is a widespread copycat version of Cracker Barrel’s grilled chicken tenderloin dish and they are absolutely amazing. I’ve been making them on a regular basis for the past 20 years and they are a beloved family favorite.
Fortunately, this grilled chicken tenders recipe is super quick and easy to make. All you have to do is marinate the chicken tenders in the deliciously zesty marinade and then cook them on the stovetop or grill. These grilled chicken tenders are as flavorful, juicy, and tender as the name suggests.
So, what’s in this flavoring? You’ve got lime juice, zesty Italian dressing, and honey. They combine to make a marinade that’s to die for (trust me on this, folks).
I like to serve my grilled chicken with a simple side salad (check out Texas caviar and my Greek salad) or some vegetables like grilled asparagus.
Recipe Ingredients
- Lime juice
- Zesty Italian dressing (or just plain Italian dressing)
- Honey
- Chicken
How to Make Easy Grilled Chicken Tenders Without the Grill!
Prepare the Marinade
First, I usually mix my marinade in a quart-sized mason jar. Begin by pouring in your dressing.
The original recipe said to strain and discard the spices but I really like them in here and I have never once actually noticed them on the finished chicken. They either cook up or magically disappear. Either way, why add another step if we don’t have to?
Add your honey…
and lime juice…
Screw the lid on the jar and give it a good shake.
If you are making your grilled chicken tenders with chicken breasts, cut them into strips.
Here is our chicken, all ready for the marinade ingredients.
Now what I do is put all of my chicken in a big gallon ziplock bag and just pour the chicken marinade in there with it. Seal the bag and stick it in your fridge for at least an hour.
Grilling the chicken tenders
After at least an hour, dump the entire contents of the bag into a large skillet.
You are going to be thinking “Wow, this is awful watery, there is no way it is going to look like hers” but oh yes it will!! Hang in there with me, this just takes a little patience (actually it takes about thirty minutes or so).
This is how it will look after ten minutes over medium heat. Just hang in there and let it cook.
I keep my stove eye/burner dial on five. Good thing is, you don’t have to fret over this, just go check on it about every ten minutes and turn it and you’ll be fine!
This is after about twenty minutes.
30 minutes later… now we’re starting to get somewhere!
A little after the 30-minute mark, the sauce thickens and begins to caramelize.
It’s getting really thick on the bottom now and this is where I start moving my meat around a lot, getting it all nice and browned.
Once it gets dark, I take every piece of chicken and one by one rub it around in that marinade before taking it out of the pan and putting it on my platter.
These grilled chicken tenderloins are full of flavor that I like to serve them with a simple side dish. Tonight we’ll have it with butter stewed potatoes. YUM!
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them either on the stovetop or in the oven or air fryer. You can also keep leftovers in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating as mentioned.
Recipe Notes
- In a pinch, you can substitute the lime juice for lemon juice if you like. Another option is apple cider vinegar. I know I usually have lemon juice on hand but not lime. I happened to have this because I made Bananaritas the other morning. For any new readers, Bananaritas are not alcoholic and make a delicious breakfast.
- You can prepare the marinade and chicken tenders the night before if you like and just keep them in your fridge until you’re ready for supper. Another thing I have done before is mix up the marinade and chicken and just freeze the whole bag. Then on a morning, before you head off to work, just pop the bag in the fridge to thaw out during the day.
- If you’re using a grill to make your grilled chicken tenders, it will take about 10 minutes (turning halfway). You’ll want to make sure the internal temperature is 165 degrees before taking them off the grill.
- A different serving suggestion: sprinkle with parsley and serve with lime wedges.
- If you love garlic, add one clove of minced garlic or a teaspoon of to the chicken marinade.
- Make sure you don’t overcrowd your pan or move the chicken too much while cooking.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before cutting and serving, as this gives the chicken time to soak up the juices.
Recipe FAQs
What type of chicken do you use for this grilled chicken tenders recipe?
You can purchase chicken tenderloins or just do like I do and buy boneless skinless chicken breasts and cut them yourself. It’s cheaper to buy them this way and I just use my kitchen shears – by far the greatest utensil known to mankind. This is what I call a “fish and loaves” recipe because the chicken tends to plump up and be extra filling, therefore feeding a much larger amount than it normally would have. I used four chicken breasts and we easily have enough left for another meal (or some great lunches!).
What do you serve with your grilled chicken tenders?
The options are nearly endless, but here are some serving suggestions:
- Serve them with a dipping sauce like our chipotle ranch dressing.
- Do a side of crispy fries or mashed potatoes.
- Serve with a side salad, a simple vegetarian dish like zucchini and squash, or roast vegetables.
- Place them on a bed of rice or pasta, like my cilantro lime cauliflower rice.
You may also enjoy these chicken recipes:
Cheesy Chicken And Rice Crock Pot Version
Easy Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
You may also like this Cracker Barrel Copycat recipe:
Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole Cheesy Copycat
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
- 1 cup zesty Italian dressing
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 3 teaspoons honey
Instructions
- Combine all marinade ingredients in a mason jar and shake well to combine.1 cup zesty Italian dressing, 2 teaspoons lime juice, 3 teaspoons honey
- Place the chicken strips in a gallon-sized ziplock bag and pour over the marinade. Seal and marinate for at least an hour.4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
- Pour all of the ziplock bag's ingredients into a large skillet and cook over medium heat until liquid evaporates and the remaining marinade becomes thick and caramelized, about 30 minutes (May take up to 40).
- Coat each chicken piece in marinade by rubbing it around on the bottom of the pan before removing it.
Nutrition
Thank you so much! This was such a fabulous dinner and took such minimal effort. AND it was at such a great cost! I’m so excited to keep trying more of your recipes!
First, let me say that I REALLY, REALLY like the flavor of this chicken and have now made it three times. But, second, I have to ask, what am I doing wrong? Even though the FLAVOR is great, the chicken ends up being really dry. Am I the only one having this problem? I read all the way through everyone else’s comments before asking, but didn’t see anyone else mention this problem. HELP!?!?
Hmmm, mine has never been dry either. Let me ask you a few things:
how long is it taking to cook?
How thick is your chicken?
Are you cutting each breast up into at least three pieces?
right off hand I’m thinking that maybe your chicken is cooking a little fast perhaps. Are you marinating it in the dressing for a bit? Maybe try marinating it longer (overnight works) and cooking it at a lower temperature?
Let me know and we’ll put our heads together and figure this out!!!
I’m glad you like it though!! Thanks for letting me try to help!
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂
Well, it is taking the 40 minutes you mentioned, so I don’t think I’m cooking it too fast. I am cutting the breasts into 3 parts, unless it is just a really small breast, then only 2. As far as thickness goes…um….regular thickness, I guess??? I mean, I don’t think our chickens here in AZ at Walmart are any fatter than other chickens, but I’m just guessing here….(kidding)…
I do marinate it for at least an hour, but maybe I should try the overnight trick and see if that helps.
Stacie
Stacie, Christy,
Did you ever figure out what was wrong? I tried this recipe for the first time last night, and it tasted great, but was dry also! I marinated it for about 8 hours. The only thing that I can think of that I did differently was that I halfed the amount of chicken, but not the marinade. I had to spoon out some of the marinade after 30 minutes because it didn’t seem to be cooking fast enough. Could this have made the difference?
Thanks!
Hey to another Athenian! One of my other Athens friends had your site on her blog as one of her favorites, so I had to come and check things out because, well…I can’t pass up anything that involves good southern recipes!!
Let me say- this chicken was amazing! Both my boys (4.5 yrs, and 12 mos) loved it! They both said, “mmmmm” while they were eating it. My oldest son named it “chickedy chick”. And just this morning, when I asked him what he would like to have for dinner tonight- he said “chickedy chick..yayyyyy!!!!!” I am not embarassed to say that I was licking (yes, actually licking) the “bits” off the platter after the chicken was all gone. Thanks for a delicious recipe that my whole family loves!
Allison
i made this for supper last night and it was a huge hit. My husband has decided this is his favorite way to eat chicken ( and he didn’t even have to grill it)!
Hey, thanks for the recipe I saw this one on al.com and my family just loved it! Thanks again!
Vickie-Louisiana
That probably is a good marinate I think that chicken always marinates great with Italian dressing.
I can’t wait to try these. This is what I typically order at Cracker Barrel (with baby carrots and hashbrown casserole!!). But I am always wishing I could get more of the “sauce”. I can’t wait to scrape the bottom of the pan! LOL. Thanks so much.