Cheddar Chipotle Chicken Tenders (Breading Free)

    These are my absolute favorite chicken tenders, I want to eat them all the time! I feel like a kid finally getting my parents to get me a happy meal. The pictures here don't do them justice, but remembering how they taste makes me crave them now. They're spicy, sweet, smoky, and tender. I used to love these specific Honey Chipotle Chicken tenders at a certain restaurant growing up. As I grew older I noticed the flavor of them started to downgrade and then I caught sight of the calories for just the tenders on the menu and I didn't order them again (we're talking about a whole days worth in one little meal #nope). I don't closely count calories, but I will catch myself if I see it's too much. Back to the tenders I make though, there isn't breading or frying so that's a huge plus. These tenders are heavy on spice and since they're made with butter they crisp up extremely well. Feel like a kid again and give 'em a try and let me know what you think. I'd so love to hear from you.

Ingredients:

Spice Rub: 
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1 tsp onion powder
-1 T chipotle seasoning
-1 tsp sea salt 
-1/2 tsp white pepper
-1/2 tsp sweet paprika
-1 T brown sugar
-1/2 tsp oregano
*Mix together all spices in a bowl with your hands so the brown sugar is evenly incorporated. 

•  1.5-2lbs. of chicken tenderloins or 2-3 chicken breasts cut into thick strips 
• 1 thinly sliced sweet onion
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 T salted butter chopped into small pieces
• olive oil or a non-stick spray for keeping the chicken from sticking to lipped baking sheet

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees
2. Mix up spice rub if you haven't already
3. Coat a lipped baking sheet with oil or cooking spray
4. Lay down a bed of sweet sliced onions
5. Drizzle chicken with a little oil (I used olive oil here) and then season chicken tenders on both sides with spice rub. Rub those spices into the chicken with a nice massage so it's all over. 
6. Lay seasoned chicken over top of the bed of onions
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of your tenders. I will just give it a test and press the chicken and see if the juices come out pretty clear, or you can just cut them in half and see. It's hard to test the internal temp when they're smaller cuts of chicken.
8. Sprinkle a good layer of cheese over top of the tenders
9. Sprinkle the chopped butter pats over top of all the cheesy covered chicken. 
10. *Very Carefully* Broil the chicken tenders in the oven for 1-2 minutes on a high broil. Keep a close watch on them and don't burn yourself. When the cheese melts and begins to slightly turn color they'll be done.  

*I've cooked them without butter on top of the cheese before and they were fine, so if you want to omit it you can. It just won't be as crisp and buttery. 

I served these with oven roasted fries and a side salad and felt like I went out to eat. It was delicious. Enjoy!