Easy Fried Chicken Strips Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to frying chicken? ›

Leave the chicken in too long, and you'll end up with an extra-crispy crust, but dry, overcooked meat. By frying once, allowing the chicken to chill completely, then frying again a second time, you end up with extra-crunchy crust and meat that's still plenty juicy.

If your oil temp is too high, your fried chicken will be scorched on the outside with meat that is undercooked. If the oil is too cool, your chicken will be greasy and will lack the golden-brown crispy exterior you want.

Just as important as the first patting down of the chicken's surface, the final pat down of your meat after covering it with breading helps every piece of crunchy coating adhere. After coating chicken in an egg and breading layer, gently pat all sides.

Spices: Garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, and cumin add savoriness and flavor to the chicken. Spices like paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and Cajun seasoning add heat and smokiness to the chicken.

For the most flavorful Skillet-Fried Chicken, make sure to completely coat the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour. Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towels before dredging. For best results, pat cut-up chicken dry with paper towels before dredging in seasoned flour to help coat pieces.

I've seen all kinds of fried chicken tips over the years that recommend bread crumbs, beer batter and even cornflakes as the coating. In my experience, plain old flour works best. It not only adheres well to the chicken, but it fries up golden brown and crispy every time.

Starting with an already-crispy coating will get you at least halfway to that goal. We love panko (although crushed crackers or cereal are popular too), but here's our secret: Toasting the panko breadcrumbs before coating with them gives them the color and flavor of frying and helps them stay crisp through baking.

You should always start with a layer of flour. This helps absorb moisture on the surface of the chicken, which would keep the breading from sticking and make a mess in the hot oil. The flour also gives the egg something to cling to—otherwise it would slide right off the chicken.

The standard breading technique involves first dredging the item with flour, dipping it in egg wash, and then finally coating it with breadcrumbs. This works because the flour sticks to the food, the egg sticks to the flour, and the breadcrumbs stick to the egg.

The standard breading technique includes three steps: dredging in flour, moistening in egg wash (beaten egg plus a tablespoon or two of water or milk), then coating in crispy breadcrumbs like Panko.

Should you cover chicken when frying? ›

Mistake: Not Covering Your Pan While Frying

As the chicken cooks, cover the pan with a lid to trap the heat. This helps render the fat and water from the chicken for a crisp crust and evenly cooked meat.

Paper Towels: Place a layer of paper towels between the fried chicken pieces when storing them. This helps absorb any excess moisture and keeps the coating crisp.

To cut chicken breasts into tenders, start by cutting the breast lengthwise into long strips, usually around 1 inch wide. Then cut those strips crosswise into smaller, bite-sized pieces, commonly referred to as tenders.

Chicken Strips. To the confusion, chicken tenders and fingers are sometimes sold as chicken strips. This may be a result of the actual chicken meat being cut into strips before they are breaded and fried. According to the USDA, strips, unlike tenders and fingers, do not actually have to be made from breast meat.

Also known as chicken fingers, chicken goujons, chicken strips or chicken fillets, tenders are chicken meat prepared from the pectoralis minor muscles. These strips of white meat are located on either side of the breastbone, under the breast meat (pectoralis major).