Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Panko Chicken Tenders


Hands down, anytime the homegirlz are asked what they want for supper, the answer is going to be, "Can't we have chicken bites or some kind of chicken nugget?  You NEVER fix that anymore!".  Or if they are eating out, they order chicken strips or nuggets.  I always thought my children would mature and acquire a more sophisticated pallette.  A girl can dream can't she?

The surprising thing about this crispy, crunchy chicken dish is - I was craving chicken nuggets.  Snicker all you want, but damn, these were good!




2 packs of chicken strips were used.  The strips were cut into "nugget" size pieces - just a little bit bigger than bite size.  In a large bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs and 1 cup of buttermilk.  Season with salt and cayenne to taste.  Add the chicken nuggets to the buttermilk mixture and let them hang out while you're getting everything else ready.

In another bowl, add two cups of Panko Crumbs.  Season generously with season salt and paprika.  Season with about 1 teaspoon of cayenne.



Heat Canola or vegetable oil to 375 degrees.  Shake off as much excess milk/egg mixture as you can and dredge the nuggets through the Panko crumbs.  Carefully the nuggets into the heated oil and fry until golden brown.  They will fry up pretty quick!




You have to have a dipping sauce!  I made homemade Ranch Dressing and then tweaked it a bit by adding about 1 teaspoon of chopped capers (The spoon?  It's a baby feeding spoon from days gone by.  It was the smallest one I could find to fit inside the caper jar instead of dummping them out and them trying to get them back in.),



cayenne and a little hotsauce!

Of course I served a salad with this and some steamed veggies and then got busy on the Wii Fit ;-)







29 comments:

Lucy..♥ said...

Oh my do those "Chicken Tenders" look so good!!! I too have kept those small baby spoons, they do come in handy, don't they ;-)

Mary Bergfeld said...

I am really liking this recipe, Katherine. The crust on the tenders is really amazing.

Peggy Clyde said...

These sure do look good. Thanks.

Melissa said...

I'm not snickering. Panko chicken tenders are a favorite "don't have to think about it" meal for us that I make every couple of months. Great for lazy weeknights with, yes, a salad and vegetables. Perfect!

Ginger said...

I am chuckling because you and I must be on the same culinary schedule. I just posted panko green beans! I wonder if Panko Chicken Tenders and Panko green beans is to much Panko for one meal? Well, the good thing is that your chicken tenders look awesome and I have left over panko bread crumbs!! Thank you for sharing!!

vanillasugarblog said...

oh heavens yes. love these! love them crunchy, really crunchy.

Chef E said...

Okay I saw Ginger's green beans so I will indulge in both now...the panko bread crumbs are coming out of my cabinet right now!

MsTypo said...

My husband *always* order chicken strips and fries when we're out. I could practically order for him at this point. LOL

The Blonde Duck said...

This is exactly how I fry up chicken for Ben (in nuggets, it's how he likes them) though I've never tried them with panko crumbs and this sauce. Stay tuned....

The JR said...

I bet they are good. I love a crispy crust on my chicken.

Inspired by eRecipeCards said...

Very funny about the spoon... WHY DO THEY MAKE THOSE JARS???

And the recipe is terrific. I love the little extra tweeks you do to ordinary things (like the ranch dressing)!

Marjie said...

I have baby feeding spoons for the same sort of purpose. Your chicken nuggets look good, and, hey, be grateful that the girlz want chicken instead of something less healthy!

Jennifer said...

That would be a killer dinner in my book, I still love stuff from my childhood! YUM

Betsy Banks Adams said...

That's a great recipe to use when my grands are here. One year, son Jeff brought his two kids (elementary age at the time) for Thanksgiving. I had a big fancy dinner--but the kids wouldn't eat hardly a thing. I felt so bad. Next time they come I'll try your recipe. Thanks!!!!

Hugs,
Betsy

foodcreate said...

A note to Santa I'm having this for the holidays looks so yummy !

Thank you for sharing your recipe :)


Have a great Day ~

Jen @ tatertotsandjello.com said...

Oh those look too delicious! YUM, I wish I had some right now. I am starving!!! I wish you were my neighbor and I could come over and see what's cookin'.

XOOX
Jen

The Diva on a Diet said...

Katherine, you are a master of chicken recipes! I may have grown up, but I still dig chicken nuggets ... these look excellent!

pam said...

sometimes I crave chicken fingers or nuggets. Then, it's always a trip to Chic-fil-a, imagine if I could make my own.

Lyndas recipe box said...

Oh, these look so good! I'm very weak when it comes to any form of fried chicken and I love the crunchiness of Panko! I've made Baked Chicken Strips with Panko and they were delish.
I too, have some of those little spoons left over from small child days, and here my kids are in their 20's!
Good luck with the sophisticated pallette idea! :)

Jhonny walker said...

anyone snickering? I didn't see that :) AWESOME. A chicken nugget anyday...just about anyday! and these look easy to make as well...:)

Mary | Deep South Dish said...

Wow, those look numYUMMY! :)

Pam said...

I think these look amazing - panko is the best.

Thistle Cove Farm said...

We don't eat chicken very often but this looks like something to try, soon!
I'm suspicious of eating chicken at restaurants...too often it's chicken "parts"...UGH!

Reeni said...

I love that crispy panko crust. And your dipping sauce!

Donna-FFW said...

I wouldnt be snickering at these, my family would gobble them up, especially with those delicious tater tots u made a while back.

Marguerite said...

Oh these tenders look fab! Nice twist on the batter. And the sauce is amazing! Would go great with the yummy looking Buttery Oven Fries on your previous post.

Lisa said...

Panko crumbs are one of those sort of amazing ingredients I never really knew about. Your chicken tenders look fantastic!

Chris said...

Those tenders look so crisp. I know part of it is the panko, but did you do these in a deep fryer or range top?

Katy ~ said...

Katherine, I am a big fan of chicken tenders, and these sound super good. Of course, buttermilk makes everything good, grins. And don't you just love panko? Isn't it the best!