For kids from 3 to 103.
Certain foods have a universal, cult-like following. They're usually fun, casual foods like pizza, mac & cheese, and these crispy chicken fingers. Call it kid food. But people love what they love, and they love with a passion.
Game on
This crispy chicken fingers recipe makes me smile - and not just because it's tasty. It's because people light up when they see their favorites on the buffet at an event. And not just kids. You should see how excited adults get. It's fun to watch. Their eyes get big. Their smiles get big. Diets go out the window. It's game on, man!
My catering clients didn't start out choosing chicken fingers as a primary entree for their party. The conversation would go something like this:
Client: Oh, and there will be some children at our event, so let's add a smaller amount of chicken fingers and mac & cheese cups.
Me: Great idea! Let's do that! However, I suggest we make enough for everyone if we're doing a buffet. I promise you almost every adult will take some, and you will run out well before all your kiddos get to them.
Client: Oh. 😳
It didn't matter how fancy the other offerings were. It didn't matter if the guests were dressed to the nines. The people want what they want. And they want their favorites. Every single time.
What's great for YOU is that they are super easy to make at home. You can get them prepped ahead of time, then quickly bread and bake when you're ready to eat.
Put these on the table for dinner. Serve them to your friends while watching the game.
They'll get devoured in any setting. And watching it happen will make you smile, too.
Top tips
The Buttery Breadcrumbs are the key. You won't get the wow factor with regular store-bought bread crumbs. You can whip these up in five minutes, they store for a long time in the refrigerator, and they make ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
This recipe makes a great appetizer, too. Just cut the chicken into bite-size pieces to create popcorn chicken. If you do this, make sure you have extra Buttery Breadcrumbs on hand.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breast cut into 1" strips
- 2 cups Buttery Breadcrumbs see step 2 of prep; for lower carb use half and see note
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup flour for lower carb use half and see note
Instructions
PREP
- See Note section below for lower carbs.Coat chicken with flour. Place on plate, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 8 hours if prepping ahead.The flour will form a sticky coating on the chicken, which will help the egg and breadcrumbs stick.
- While chicken is refrigerating, make 2x the recipe for Buttery Breadcrumbs. You won't need all of this for the chicken fingers. The remaining breadcrumbs will keep a long time in the refrigerator and are great to have on hand for other recipes.
ASSEMBLE and BAKE
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- See Note section below for lower carbs.Place eggs in a shallow dish and beat slightly with fork. Pour about a cup of bread crumbs in a separate shallow dish. I like to use pie pans for the eggs and bread crumbs.PRO TIP: Add bread crumbs to dish as needed. This will prevent all the breadcrumbs from being contaminated, so you can refrigerate any unused portion to use another time.
- Dredge each chicken breast in egg, then press in Buttery Breadcrumbs to coat.
- Place breaded chicken fingers on parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes until crispy, golden brown and thermometer reads 165 degrees F.
- Serve hot with dips like barbecue sauce, Avocado Ranch Dressing, and honey mustard.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Equipment
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