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Chicken Tenders & Garlic Herb Fries

dinner, lunch, Mains, recipes / by

Photography and Styling by Elisha Sewell

These chicken tenders have a little secret ingredient in the marinade– mayonnaise. The mayonnaise coats the chicken tenders and keeps them from drying out. You don’t taste the mayo at all, just tender and juicy chicken tenders bursting with flavor!

Don’t skip out on the Garlic Herb Fries. These crispy, tasty oven fries tossed in garlic-herb-oil just might end up being your favorite part of the meal.

Chicken Tenders

  • 2 lbs of chicken tenders
  • 1/3 cup (70 grams) avocado oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano 
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder 
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/16 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/3 cup (65 grams) mayo

Directions:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the avocado oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, and all the spices. Whisk everything to combine. Add the mayonnaise and whisk until everything is well combined.
  2. Pat the chicken tenders completely dry.
  3. Add the chicken tenders to the marinade and toss to coat them completely. Marinate the chicken tenders at room temp for 30 minutes. 
  4. Prepare the Garlic Herb Fries while the chicken tenders are marinating (recipe below).
  5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. You do not need to add any oil to the pan; the chicken has plenty of oil in the mayonnaise.
  6. Pan fry the chicken tenders in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the skillet. Cook the chicken tenders until they are nicely browned on the outside and cooked all the way through. (Make sure to flip the tenders about halfway through cooking.)
  7. Serve with Garlic Herb Fries.

Garlic Herb Fries

For the Potatoes:

  • 1 1/2 lbs of organic baby yellow potatoes 
  • 1 Tbsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 Tbsp avocado oil 
  • garlic powder

For the Garlic Herb Oil:

  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley
  • 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro 
  • 6 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt

Directions:

  1. Clean the potatoes. Quarter the potatoes and put them in a large pot.
  2. Add enough water to the pot until the potatoes are just covered. Add the sea salt and baking soda and stir to distribute. 
  3. Heat the potatoes over high heat and bring them to a boil. 
  4. Once the water starts to boil, lower the heat to a low boil. Cook the potatoes at a low boil for 10 minutes. (Preheat your oven to 425F while the potatoes are boiling.)
  5. Turn off the heat. Drain all the water from the potatoes. Return the pot to the burner and let it sit for about 1 minute. The residual heat from the burner will evaporate any remaining water. 
  6. Pour the avocado oil all over the potatoes and coat them evenly. (The potatoes will begin to fall apart a little; this is perfectly fine. Roughing up the potatoes releases the potatoes starches and will result in a crispier potato once they are roasted.)
  7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the potatoes evenly across the baking sheet. Sprinkle garlic powder over the potatoes. (The potatoes were seasoned with salt when they were boiled. But, you can taste the potatoes and sprinkle them with additional salt if desired. Keep in mind that the garlic herb oil has some salt as well.)
  8. Roast the potatoes for 35-40 minutes, until the potatoes are browned and crispy. (Flip the potatoes about halfway through the cooking time to help brown them all over.)
  9. While the potatoes are cooking make the Garlic Herb Oil. Place the herbs on a large cutting board. Top the herbs with the garlic, oil, and flaky sea salt. Chop the herbs and garlic mixture until everything is minced and combined. 
  10. Once the potatoes are done cooking, pour the Garlic Herb Oil over them and toss to coat. 
  11. Serve any extra Garlic Herb oil alongside the potatoes. 

Test Kitchen Notes:

The mayonnaise in the marinade coats the chicken, helps keep the chicken moist, and prevents it from drying out. Because the mayonnaise has so much fat you do not need to coat the skillet with oil. If the chicken tenders are sticking, you may be flipping the chicken too early and the heat may be too high.

You do not taste the mayonnaise in the marinade at all. It just acts as a coating for the chicken.

The chicken is fully cooked when it reaches 165F. If the chicken seems fully cooked, you can remove the chicken around 160F and let it rest for 5 minutes. The temperature will continue to rise as it rests.

The red pepper flakes in the marinade do not make the chicken tenders spicy; it just enhances all the other flavors in the marinade.