Succulent and tender strips of chicken coated in sticky, sweet honey and rolled in nutty, salty peanuts. Accompanied with slightly spicy and sweet jalapeno-mango chutney, these chicken tenders are a fun twist on the classic!
Make the chutney: Place all ingredients for the chutney in a 1 quart sauce pan and stir together. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Immediately reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until mixture thickens, stirring occasionally. Set aside until ready to use*. Optional- for a smoother consistency, use an immersion blender to puree chutney, or once cool, transfer chutney to a blender and puree.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a large wire rack on a baking sheet and spray rack with non-stick cooking spray.
Coat the chicken: In a small bowl combine the honey and mustard, stir well. Place crushed peanuts on a large plate. Season chicken tenders on both sides with salt and pepper. Use a pastry brush to brush both sides of chicken tenders with honey mixture. Immediately dredge in peanuts, using hands to apply liberally. Transfer to prepared wire rack on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken strips. Lightly spray tops of chicken strips with non-stick cooking spray.
Bake the chicken tenders in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and flip chicken strips over. Continue baking until the outside of strips are crisp and the chicken is cooked through (to 165 degrees F), about an additional 10 minutes.
Serve chicken tenders with mango-jalapeno chutney.
Notes
*I used lightly salted, dry roasted peanuts. *To finely chop peanuts, pulse in a food processor or place them in a large Ziploc and use a mallet to crush them. Be careful not to over process peanuts, or you will end up with peanut butter. *Mango-Jalapeno Chutney will keep, covered in the refrigerator for 5 days. Mango chutney tastes best if it is made a day in advance so flavors can marry.