High Protein Baked Chicken Fingers

Name: High Protein Baked Chicken Fingers
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup cottage cheese; 3 tablespoons chopped chives; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 2 tablespoons minced shallots; 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley; 1 tablespoon finely chopped basil; 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar; 2 garlic cloves, pressed or grated; 3 anchovies; 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce; ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest; ¾ teaspoon Celtic sea salt; 1 pound chicken tenderloins; 1 ¼ teaspoons Celtic sea salt, divided; 1 ½ teaspoons poultry seasoning; 1/3 cup gluten-free flour; 3 large eggs; 6 ounces Quest Protein Chips (Chili Lime or Salsa Verde), crushed into crumbs with a rolling pin or in a food processor; Olive oil spray; 5 ounces arugula; 5 ounces baby romaine, chopped into bite-size pieces; 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and finely shaved; Celtic sea salt; 2 avocados, sliced or quartered; Lemon wedges; Marinated red onions and oil

posted by Teri Turner on Mar 5, 2026 9 comments »

Jump To Recipe

Make these Baked Chicken Fingers for an easy and satiating weeknight dinner that everyone will love. Serve alongside a dip or have them in a salad!

baked chicken fingers on a white platter with dip and lemon wedges around it

Table of Contents

A Note from Teri on High Protein Oven Baked Chicken Fingers

Since the days of making Patrick’s Chicken Fingers while he was growing up, I have been an expert in making at home chicken fingers for a long time. I’ve made some different versions over the years, but I absolutely love this new recipe. As a gal who is trying to get a lot of protein in my day, I feel like it’s a game to see how many grams I can get in a meal. With this recipe, you get over 60 grams of protein per serving, so I basically feel like I’ve won the game.

The chicken tenderloins provide a lot of the protein, but we snuck some more in the breading by using Quest protein chips. It’s such a fun addition because you can mix it up with different flavors and you’re getting a great boost of extra protein. Then in our dip, we used cottage cheese as the base. It provides a perfectly creamy texture, along with an extra 28 grams of protein.

The best part is when you are eating it, all you can think about is how absolutely delicious it is. It’s not a high protein recipe that makes you feel like you’re just dumping protein powder into something. We’ve really made it something so fabulous. Once you make them, these baked chicken fingers are going to be on repeat in your house.

ingredients for chicken finger dip in small bowls

Ingredients and Variations

Cottage cheese
Chopped chives, chopped parsley, chopped basil
Fresh lemon juice
Shallots and garlic
Apple cider vinegar
Anchovies
Hot sauce
Lemon zest
Celtic sea salt
Chicken tenderloins
Poultry seasoning
Gluten-free flour
Large eggs
Quest Protein Chips (Chili Lime or Salsa Verde)
Olive oil spray

You can cut your own chicken tenderloins from chicken breasts if you have those on hand. Additionally, if you are not worried about the recipe being gluten free, you can use regular flour.

For your salt, I highly recommend Celtic Sea Salt. Most other salts are processed and refined, but Celtic Sea Salt has a vital mineral blend that makes a huge difference in flavor. You’ll never want to go back to another salt after trying it!

How to Make Baked Chicken Fingers

lemon zest added to dip in the food processor

Step One: Make the Dip

To a blender or a wide mouth mason jar, add cottage cheese, chives, lemon juice, shallots, parsley, basil, apple cider vinegar, garlic, anchovies, hot sauce, lemon zest, and salt, and blend on high or with an immersion blender until thoroughly combined. Add 2 tablespoons of water if you’re making a dip or ¼ cup water if you’re making a dressing and blend to combine. Cover and refrigerate to allow the dressing to thicken before use.

chicken tenderloins next to three bowls filled with flour, eggs, and breading

Step Two: Make Chicken Fingers

Pat the chicken tenderloins dry with paper towels and lightly season with salt and the poultry seasoning. Place the flour in a shallow bowl and set aside. In another shallow bowl, whisk the eggs with a splash of water and set aside. In a third shallow bowl, combine the crushed chips with the remaining salt and set aside.

With one hand, grab one chicken tender and lightly coat it in the flour. Using your dry hand, place the tenderloin in the bowl with the egg. With your other hand, flip the tender in the egg to coat then place in the bowl with the crushed chips. With your dry hand, turn the tender in the chip mixture to coat, pressing down slightly to make sure the chips stick to the chicken, and set aside on a cutting board or large plate. Repeat this step with all of the chicken tenders.

teri placing breading chicken fingers on a baking sheet

chicken fingers on a sheet tray going in the oven

Step Two: Bake Chicken Fingers

Spray the baking sheet lightly with olive oil spray and place the tenders on the baking sheet so they close but not touching.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the chicken tenders for 20 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken pieces, or until golden, crispy, and cooked through. At 13 minutes, lightly spray the tops of the tenders with olive oil spray and flip and, if you have the option, turn the convection oven on. Remove the baking sheet from the oven when done and set aside.

baked chicken fingers on a salad in a white bowl

Optional: Add to a Salad

On a large serving platter or bowl, arrange the arugula, romaine, and fennel. Season with salt, arrange the chicken fingers throughout and nestle avocado slices between the greens and chicken fingers. Squeeze a few lemon wedges over the salad and drizzle a little marinated red onion oil then top with marinated red onions. Drizzle the dip/dressing over everything. Enjoy!

baked chicken fingers on a white plate with salad next to it

Try These Other Chicken Recipes

If you make this High Protein Baked Chicken Fingers recipe, be sure to review it below and let me know what you think! If you’re looking for more inspiration, subscribe to my Substack, and follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok to join in all the fun!