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Crispy, juicy chicken strips with a crunchy quinoa coating and a sweet-tangy BBQ honey mustard for dipping. Simple to prep, fun to eat, and a total crowd-pleaser-no one needs to know there’s quinoa involved.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Crunchy outside, tender inside—great for kids, game day, or meal prep lunches.
- Pantry-friendly coating + a quick, bold dipping sauce.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken: Use tenders or uniformly sliced breasts for even cooking. Pat very dry so the crust adheres.
Quinoa for crust:
- If using cooked quinoa, spread to dry before coating so it bakes/crisps instead of steaming.
- If using uncooked quinoa, pulse briefly to a coarse so it clings better and eats less hard.
Binder: Eggs, buttermilk, or a quick mayo/Greek yogurt swipe all help the quinoa stick
Seasoning: Salt is key. add garlic/onion powder or paprika for savory depth
BBQ honey mustard: Use a BBQ sauce you love! Balance with honey and a little Dijon for tang. Add a squeeze of lemon to brighten if desired.
So, I may have played a trick on my brothers.
Because they willingly ate… and loved, these chicken strips. Of course they had not a clue that quinoa was involved.
And I would really like to keep it that way so I can continue to make them, because they are good. Plus, the dipping/coating options for these strips are endless. So many options.
Side note: I recently made another quinoa bake only this one was heavy on the Mexican and included chicken. I decided to serve it to my oldest brother Creighton, knowing that the last time I tried to serve quinoa to him he almost lost it on me. Oh wait, he did lose it on me. But I gave it to him anyway, and oh my gosh, it is his new favorite dish. He and he alone has eaten the entire 9×13 inch baking dish over the course of the last couple days. He loves the stuff.
Obviously, I am in shock.
And obviously I am never telling him there was quinoa in it.
See why I hope the brothers are not reading today? I am revealing too many secrets. Must stop.
Point is, if my brothers went for the quinoa crusted chicken (and loved it), my guess is that whoever you are trying to please will love them too.
They never need to know they’re actually healthy.
How to Get the Crunch
- Set up a clean dredge: Dry chicken → binder → quinoa. Shake off excess at each step so the crust isn’t thick and patchy.
- Press to adhere: Gently press quinoa onto each strip; rest coated pieces a few minutes before cooking so the crust sets.
- Airflow matters: Cook on a rack (or flip halfway) for even crisping; don’t crowd the pan.
- Finish on a rack: Rest briefly so bottoms stay crisp rather than steaming on the sheet.
- Season at the end: A tiny pinch of flaky salt goes a long way!
Sometimes secrets are a good thing.
FYI, I hope when I finally have time for a guy (other than my brothers), that he is not so hard to please and eats things other than beef and chicken. Chances are though, he’ll be just like my brothers. For some reason this happens to me.
So BBQ Honey Mustard? The stuff is addicting and goes perfectly with these strips. They are the ideal Thursday night meal (hey does that rhyme?). Or better yet, the night before Friday. Which we all know is when the weekend really starts. Or at least we can start getting pumped for the weekend.
These strips will help to build the excitement for Friday. OK, really they’ll just make you happy, because who the heck does not love simple kid food like this? Apparently I like it a lot since I posted chicken fingers last week. Sorry, promise to lay off the kid stuff for a least another two weeks, just couldn’t help myself though!
My quinoa crust won’t stick—what am I doing wrong?
Dry the chicken well, use a sticky binder, and press the quinoa on. Let the coated strips rest a few minutes before cooking so the crust sets.
The crust is crisp but tastes bland—how do I boost flavor?
Season each layer lightly: the chicken, the binder, and the quinoa. Finish with a pinch of flaky salt right after cooking.
Can I air-fry these?
Yes, arrange on a rack in a single layer and cook until the coating is deeply golden and the chicken feels firm. Work in batches so they crisp.
How do I keep leftovers from going soggy?
Cool on a rack, then store uncovered for a few minutes before sealing. Reheat on a rack until the exterior is crispy again.
Lastly, if you make these Quinoa Crusted Chicken Strips, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Quinoa Crusted Chicken Strips with BBQ Honey Mustard.
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories Per Serving: 480 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Quinoa Crusted Chicken Strips
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken tenders, cut into stirps
- 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs use gluten free if needed
- 1 teaspoon fresh black pepper pepper
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
BBQ Honey Mustard
- 1/3 cup dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 tablespoons of your favorite BBQ Sauce
- 1/2 a lime juiced
Instructions
BBQ Honey Mustard
- In a medium size bowl combine the dijon mustard, honey, BBQ sauce and lime juice. Mix well and season with salt and pepper if needed. Set aside
Chicken Strips
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat.
- Spread the quinoa on the prepared baking sheet and bake until toasted, golden brown and crispy, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool, then transfer all but 1/3 cup to a food processor or high powdered blender. Process the quinoa until half of it is ground into flour and the other half is in small pieces, about 1-2 minutes.
- Increase the oven temperature to 475 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray or brush it with the olive oil.
- Add the quinoa crumbs + the 1/3 cup of reserved quinoa to a large bowl and add in the Panko bread crumbs, pepper and seasoned salt. Stir to combine.
- In another bowl combine the buttermilk and 1/4 cup of the BBQ Honey Mustard sauce, add the chicken and toss well.
- Remove each piece of chicken from the buttermilk, and dredge through the crumbs, pressing gently to adhere. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the chicken has been used. Make sure not to crowd your pan, if necessary use two baking sheets. Lightly spray the fingers with cooking spray or a mist of olive oil.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, then gently flip using kitchen tongs and spray the other side. Bake for 10-12 minutes more, then remove from oven and serve with the remaining BBQ Honey Mustard. Garnish with fresh cilantro and or parsley + a lemon wedge if desired.
So I’ll just come to your house for my fix. Sound good? Awesome.
This post was originally published on April 3, 2014
Is this 21 Day Fix friendly?
Sorry Nicole, I am not familiar with 21 day fix. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
These sound delicious! What would you recommend to substitute for the buttermilk?
Hey Ginny,
You can make your own buttermilk with whole milk and lemon juice. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These didn’t even remotely turn out. The quinoa turned into a cement ball in the food processor. Loved the idea of it though
Hi Kaitlin! I am so sorry to hear that!! Is there anything I can help with? xTieghan
The best oven baked chicken tender recipe that I’ve ever tried! Takes more time than a basic recipe, but is completely worth it. Came out crunchy, browned, and juicy. With the added benefits of avoiding frying, and incorporating quinoa instead of all white flour breading. Thanks!
Yes!! So glad this turned out so well for you Kat! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
Hi what can use instead of butter milk because my grandmother got milk intolerance
Ps love the recipes
Thank you Lana! xTieghan
I plan to make these tonight. How many servings would you say this makes?
These will serve about 4. Hope you love the recipe!
Question: Since I am new to quinoa, I need help. In the ingredients you list cooked quinoa. But in the directions, it appears to me that the quinoa is raw when put into the oven and toasted. So–o-o do I cook the quinoa some way before the overn?
I’m so sorry to be so dumb.
Hi Mary! So sorry for the confusion. The quinoa is actually cooked when it goes into the oven and is not raw. It will get crispy and be delish on the chicken. Does that help clear it up for you? Let me know if you have any other questions. Happy to help in any other way I can! Hope you love the chicken! 🙂
I was wondering how i could go about prepping these, and if it’s possible to do so, throw them in the freezer, take them out and bake at a later day?
Freezing and the baking will work great! Let me know if you have questions. Hope you love these! Thanks! 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing your delicious recipe & introducing me to quinoa. I tend to steer away from hyped up foods however your recipe has open the window to many opportunities. You are a fantastic & generous cook.
Sandra
THANK YOU!! So happy you loved these!
Can you just toast and grind up all the quinoa and just use it instead of adding panko?
You can try that, i think it would be fine. Hope you love these!! 🙂
I definitely made a mistake making these. My quinoa wasn’t toasted enough and ended up being a giant gummy mess when I tried to blend it. At that point I gave up and just used panko on the chicken. It was still decent, but not great. Don’t be like me–make sure your quinoa is dry so you can get a little flour mix out of it!
Has anyone tried Freezing these? If so, what’s the recommended temp and time?