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
Hey Christy,
Just wanted to let you know that this is a HIT in my house! We love it! I think I do turn the temp down a little while cooking it. My son, Matthew, told me that it got better every time I made it! So, if you’ve made it and it didn’t turn out so well for ya, keep trying. Just adjust as you see fit. Hope all is going well, Christy. Looking forward to seeing you sometime. Love ya!
Hi, Christy! I have prepared many of your recipes and am quickly becoming one of your biggest fans! I’ve told everyone I know who likes to cook about this wonderful daughter of Alabama who’s doing us all proud! (I sure wish I could make your book-signing today in Bham, but time will not allow!) When I first saw this recipe, I was very excited to give it a whirl. I am not one of your smartest pupils, however, because I have now made it three times and simply cannot get it to turn out right. I know time to figure out this mystery is not something you have the luxury of, especially right now…plus, I am not sure you will experience the problems a few of us are having when you try to recreate our issues. Last night, I prepared this for dinner. I had previously marinated and frozen the chicken in the marinade as you suggested. I decided to try my iron skillet this time, wondering if that would help with the carmelizing of the marinade differently than using my nonstick skillet. I have yet to get the delicious-looking coating….never have anything resembling that! The flavor is pretty good, but the final product is not appetizing looking and I have to be VERY careful not to dry-out the chicken as I cook it while waiting for the marinade to change consistency. My chicken never even browns! It definitely cooks fully (b/c I checked last night with a thermometer when all the marinade was gone) but I still didn’t have that yummy coating to show for my patient re-attempt! Each time I’ve tried these, my marinade fully cooks away, leaving the chicken pieces dry and uncoated. I believe this is a case of 100% user error, so I want to know what I am doing incorrectly! Help?
I honestly don’t know what a couple other reviewers are talking about. I LOVE this recipe, and so does my husband, even though he hates Italian dressing. I’ve been trying out tons of your recipes in the past few weeks, and I’ve yet to hit a dud. And even though I’ve got a teensy apartment that does tend to retain the smell of what I cook, I haven’t noticed anything yucky about it. I am definitely making this again!
Another a informative good read by the author looking forward to visit more really soon.
YIKES! I’m sorry, but this recipe was a dud for me. I was expecting a *savory* flavor, but what I got was A LOT of tang with a hint of sweet. I wouldn’t call this recipe ‘grilled chicken’, I’d call it Sweet and Sour Chicken.
My kitchen was filled with the yucky, pungent smell all day long– well after I’d finished cooking it. Too bad your recipe photos aren’t ‘scratch ‘n sniff’ ’cause I never would have made this.
Help I too ended up with dry chicken and unsticky marinade. I kept the heat on medium as recommended but the sauce still didn’t stick to the meat. Any idea what I may have done wrong? Thanks so much for your time and assistance.
Hey Debra! I’m so sorry it didn’t turn out for you! I need to try to duplicate so I can figure out what is happening. Can you tell me how long you marinated your chicken? Is your stove top usually pretty even in terms of heating?
I’m gonna try to duplicate whats going on soon as I get a chance so I can come back with tips!
Thank you for your help!
Christy
Made this receipe last night and it was awesome! Husband and little boy loved them. Thanks Christy! Keep them coming!!!