Easy Fried Chicken Strips Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you get batter to stick to chicken strips? ›

Flour > Egg > Breading then I usually refrigerate them for 20 minutes or so to allow the breading to adhere better. You can cook more than one at a time, just don't overcrowd the pan.

In shallow dish, place flour. In another shallow dish, beat egg and water. In third shallow dish, mix bread crumbs and cheese. Coat chicken with flour; dip into egg mixture, then coat with bread crumb mixture.

Proper cooling sets the crust and ensures that the chicken will have done all its carryover cooking. I like to cool any leftover chicken completely and then store in a paper towel-lined airtight container in the fridge. The paper towel absorbs condensation and keeps that chicken crisp for midnight snacking.

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.

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.

Dip the flour-coated chicken into a bowl of beaten eggs. (If you prefer, you can also use buttermilk or add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard or a few drops of hot sauce to the mixture for a little kick.) You want the eggs to coat the flour thoroughly.

Flouring the chicken before dipping it in egg wash helps the sticky coating adhere to the dry pieces of meat, and the gluey egg and flour combo in turn helps the breadcrumbs to stick better.

Chicken skin needs to be dry in order for it to crisp when cooked. Whether or not you rinse the chicken before prepping, you need to make sure the skin is as dry as possible. After removing the chicken from the package (and washing it, if that is your preferred method) pat each piece dry with paper towels.

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.

Some people think that chicken tenders are just strips cut from the breast of the chicken. But in fact, the tender or tenderloin is an independent secondary muscle that lies directly under the breast. Sometimes, the whole breast is removed, which includes the tender; sometimes they are removed separately.

What is the fancy name for chicken tenders? ›

Chicken tenders, or tenderloins.

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

Meat is not properly dry

If the meat is wet, it will make the flour soggy. In that case, breading will not stick properly and may fall off when deep frying. Therefore, you must take some paper towels and pat dry the meat on all sides.

Dipping your chicken in egg helps the breadcrumbs, or whatever coating you use, adhere evenly to the outside of the cutlet. You should start with a thin layer of flour, which gives the egg a better surface to cling to, then the egg, then the coating.

First, if the fryer oil temperature isn't at the right level, it won't keep the batter adhered to the food. That's because the batter is at a lower temperature than the oil in the fryer, which causes the batter to ooze off and not stick. When the oil is hot enough, it helps keep everything contained better.

The basic problem with batter that won't stick is that the food is too wet. Dry it out first, with paper towels or place in a tray in the refrigerator for a few hours. If it is still wet, you can dredge the food in dry flour before battering it.