These cornflake chicken tenders with pumpkin honey mustard are the perfectly festive fall comfort food you need in your life!
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While I mostly tend towards plant-forward vegan and vegetarian recipes, occasionally a recipe turns out so well I simply have to put it on the blog. That’s exactly the case with these Cornflake Chicken Tenders with Pumpkin Honey Mustard. The chicken tenders are perfectly crispy and, well, tender. The pumpkin honey mustard bursts with flavor and elevates the whole dish. I’m obsessed, and I rarely get obsessed with any meat dish.
Ingredients for Corn Flake Chicken Tenders
Chicken Tenders: I would definitely recommend using chicken tenders and not chicken breasts. This will make sure they remain finger food friendly and that they cook up in the allotted time.
Egg: To make sure the corn flake mixture properly adheres to the chicken!
Milk of Choice: Use non-dairy milk to keep dairy free! I used unsweetened almond milk.
White Vinegar: For some buttermilk vibes.
Cornflakes: We’re gonna crush them in the food processor along with some spices to make a “breading” for the chicken tenders. Use gluten-free if needed!
All the Seasonings and Spices: As always, there’s no room to be shy with the flavor. We’ve got garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, sea salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper on tap.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Honey Mustard
Dijon Mustard: The very best Dijon is from Trader Joe’s. I tell no lies.
Canned Pumpkin Purée: Puts the pumpkin in pumpkin honey mustard!
Honey: I try to use local when I can because it’s better for the planet and for seasonal allergies!
Olive Oil: Some healthy fats to give the honey mustard that good texture. A neutral oil such as avocado, vegetable, or canola would probably work too.
White Vinegar: Just a splash to add a lil’ brightness to the honey mustard.
Garlic: Just one clove for a burst of flavor.
Cinnamon: May seem strange, but trust the process! It really rounds out the pumpkin vibes.
Sea Salt and Black Pepper: To finish everything off.
If you make these Cornflake Chicken Tenders with Pumpkin Honey Mustard, be sure to leave a rating and review! This helps Google find my little blog and honestly means a lot to me.
More Easy Dinners
- The Very Best Easy Weeknight Turkey Burgers
- Amazing Vegetarian Barbecue Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Easy and Healthy Cauliflower Gnocchi Bake
- Vegan Kale Caesar Pasta with Crispy Chickpeas
- Vegetarian Barbecue Quinoa Casserole
Cornflake Chicken Tenders with Pumpkin Honey Mustard
Equipment
- Food Processor or Blender (optional)
- Sheet Pan and Rack
- parchment paper
Ingredients
For the Chicken Tenders:
- 1 pound chicken tenders
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup milk of choice
- ½ tbsp white vinegar
- 2 cups cornflakes gluten-free if needed
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ¾ tsp black pepper
- pinch of cayenne pepper
For the Pumpkin Honey Mustard:
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp canned pumpkin purée
- 3 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1 clove garlic peeled and minced or grated
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 425° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a baking or cooling rack on top of it and lightly grease with cooking spray.
- Whisk egg, milk, and vinegar together in a large shallow bowl and set to the side.
- Place cornflakes and all spices in the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times, until the cornflakes are crushed and everything is well-combined. Alternatively, you could crush the cornflakes by putting them flakes in a large Ziplock or Stasher bag along with the spices and crushing with a rolling pin. Transfer the mixture to another large shallow bowl.
- Dredge each chicken tender through the egg mixture and then dip in the cornflake mixture. Roll the tender until it is completely covered and then place on rack. Repeat until all chicken tenders are coated.
- Place in oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven at 20-minute mark and flip the chicken tenders before baking for another 10 minutes, or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165° F.
- While chicken tenders are baking, place all honey mustard ingredients in food processor or blender and pulse until well-combined. Alternatively, you could whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Let cool 5 minutes and serve! Store leftovers in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Photography by Hope Agresti
This is a great chicken tender recipe they get nice and crispy without frying them. I crushed my cornflakes finer because I found it was easier to chew if some of the flakes were too big.