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Chicken strips,  grapes, chocolate

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Best Chicken Tenders recipe for tender, juicy & flavorful chicken. Two simple tips to take your chicken strips from good to great! Shows how to make chicken tenders from scratch!

Be sure to check out our updated collection of BEST EVER APPETIZER RECIPES here!

Chicken Fingers are a favorite at our house! I've made homemade chicken strips many, many times over the years but until recently, they've just been mediocre. There are 2 small things you can do that really take homemade chicken up a notch or two. Add in some homemade fry sauce and you've got yourself an incredible batch of tender, juicy chicken! To show you the process, I created a video for this recipe that helps show just how to do it.

What do you serve with Chicken Fingers?

I love to serve these Homemade Chicken Tenders with some classic comfort food favorites like our Fried Cinnamon Apples, Loaded Baked Potato Rounds, Sour Cream Biscuits and Roasted Ranch Potatoes. Finish off the meal with our Easy Peach Pie. Yum!

How do you make Homemade Chicken Strips?

It's really simple! You start with some fresh chicken. I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts but you're welcome to use boneless thighs instead. Getting super tender, juicy chicken strips comes down to a couple of easy steps- cutting the chicken across the grain and adding in cornstarch to the quick marinade. Yep- corn starch! Trust me it works. Follow the recipe below and you'll see for yourself.

BEST Homemade Chicken Strips ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make our Homemade Chicken Strips recipe:

To make the quick chicken marinade you'll need

-boneless skinless chicken

-milk

-lemon juice

-sugar

-cornstarch

-Frank's Red Hot Sauce- optional! It doesn't add HEAT, just flavor, unless you want to add more!

-pepper

Chicken Tender coating

-Panko breadcrumbs

-regular breadcrumbs (or Italian)

-all-purpose flour

-onion powder

-salt or garlic salt

-pepper

-shortening or oil, for frying (omit if baking)

How to correctly cut chicken for chicken strips

To cut chicken into strips: This is one of the tips behind better chicken strips! To get a more tender strip, you need to cut against the grain of the chicken. Don't just cut the chicken any way you like- notice where the grain lines are and be sure to cut opposite them. This makes the cooked fibers of the chicken shorter, so they tear apart easier. Cut strips as big or small as you'd like, just cut against the grain! Place chicken in a ziplock bag and set aside.

Quick marinade to tenderize and flavor chicken

Next, combine milk, lemon juice and sugar in a small bowl or 2-cup measuring cup.

Whisk in the cornstarch. This is the 2nd tip I use to make better chicken! I first noticed asian recipes calling for cornstarch in the marinade. When I researched it, it turns out adding cornstarch to chicken prior to cooking it gives it a protective coating that locks in juices. You know what?! It works! It's amazing actually! The trick is to not let it marinate for too long.

Add in the hot sauce (feel free to add more if you'd like!) and the pepper and whisk to combine. Pour marinade in the ziplock with the chicken and gently shake until chicken is coated. Place bag in the fridge and let marinate for at least 20 minutes, but no longer than 1 hour.

Heat oil for fried chicken tenders

Heat about 2 cups of oil to 365 degrees in a frying pan. Frying the chicken in Crisco (plain shortening) yields the crispiest tenders!

Coat the chicken with simple breading

While the oil is heating, combine all ingredients for the coating in a shallow bowl. Remove chicken pieces from bag a few at a time and thoroughly coat them in the breadcrumb mixture. I like to place them in the breadcrumbs, then spoon some on the top of the chicken, then press the chicken down- then flip and repeat the process. Repeat until all chicken is coated.

How to fry chicken fingers

Once oil is hot, fry chicken pieces for anywhere from 2-4 minutes per side, depending on how big they are. The small pieces cook quickly! If you're unsure if the chicken is done, by all means use a meat thermometer. It should register 165 degrees F.

I use a meat thermometer all the time! I have 5 kids- getting distracted while cooking is a common occurrence for me and I detest overcooked chicken! My all-time favorite meat thermometer is the Thermapen. It's super fast and incredibly durable. Another great meat thermometer is the ThermoPop which is a more basic version that works just as well!

Remove cooked chicken and place on a plate lined with a paper towel. Repeat until all chicken is cooked. Serve hot, with Homemade Fry Sauce (it's a Utah thing- SO good!) alongside.

How long do you bake chicken strips?

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray and arrange chicken tenders. Spray chicken tenders lightly with a couple sprays of oil (non stick spray.) Cook 12-15 minutes, until tenders register 165 degrees on a meat thermometer. (Cooking time varies depending on the size of your chicken tenders!

Pay attention and check often as to not overcook them!) Note that my recommendation is to fry these tenders (the photos are of fried tenders), but if you opt to bake them, they will look different as you're not submerging them in oil. To add a little moisture, I like to spray my baked tenders with a little olive oil spray prior to baking, after you bread them. It's a lot less oil than frying but I like the way they taste better that way..

Homemade Fry Sauce recipe

1/4 cup mayo

2 TBSP ketchup

1/4 tsp garlic powder

dash of Worcestershire sauce

a couple dashes of salt & pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk. Serve alongside Homemade Chicken Strips or french fries. Or chicken AND french fries- even better!

Need more appetizer recipes? You've got to try these:

Want a spicy take on homemade chicken tenders? Chick out this Flamin' Hot Cheeto Chicken Tenders recipe here! It's so good!

What's the difference between chicken tenders, chicken strips and chicken fingers?

Really, I think they're all a variation of the same type of recipe! I do think they vary a bit in size though. Chicken Strips and Chicken Tenders are larger than Chicken Fingers. There is a cut of chicken called the tenderloin that I think works really well for this recipe. It's naturally incredibly tender! There is a thin silvery membrane that runs along the length of the chicken tenderloin. You can remove it if you'd prefer, but it's not easy since the rest of the tenderloin can be damaged in the process. You might end up with chicken nuggets instead!

Can chicken tender recipes be made ahead of time?

Yes, chicken tenders can be made ahead of time! If you are cooking chicken tenders with the plan of freezing them and then reheating them, be sure to fry just until the chicken reaches 160 degrees F. Cool on a paper towel, then freeze in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Transfer to a freezer bag to store for up to 1 month. To reheat, place frozen chicken tenders on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.

How to tenderize chicken

I use two different methods to yield super tender, juicy chicken strips. First is to cut chicken breasts against the grain. Don't just cut the chicken any way you like- notice where the grain lines are and be sure to cut opposite them. This makes the cooked fibers of the chicken shorter, so they tear apart easier. Cut strips as big or small as you'd like, just cut against the grain! The second method is to add cornstarch to the chicken marinade. I first noticed asian recipes calling for cornstarch in the marinade. When I researched it, it turns out adding cornstarch to chicken prior to cooking it gives it a protective coating that locks in juices. It works so well!

Best Chicken Tenders Recipe Storage and Reheating

Can you freeze chicken tenders?

Yes! Freeze in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Transfer to a freezer bag to store for up to 1 month. To reheat, place frozen chicken tenders on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Best Chicken Tenders recipe for tender, juicy & flavorful chicken. Two simple steps to take your chicken strips from good to great! Shows how to make chicken tenders from scratch!

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Best Chicken Tenders Recipe - Butter with a Side of Bread

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Best Chicken Tenders recipe for tender, juicy & flavorful chicken. Two simple tips to take your chicken strips from good to great! Shows how to make chicken tenders from scratch! Be sure to check out our updated collection of BEST EVER APPETIZER RECIPES here! Chicken Fingers are a favorite at our house!

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Mac 'n' cheese (favorite as a kid), grilled chicken (good versatile protein), and scotcheroos (love chocolate and peanut butter)

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Baked macaroni and cheese doesn't have to be complicated with layers of ingredients to be the soul-warming food you crave. This version has pleased crowds, small families, kids and picky eaters alike-give it a try and you'll see why.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
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Sometimes you buy that glowing yellow macaroni in the box. Your kids like it, but it glows like the kryptonite they used in the old Christoper Reeve Superman movies. That's not normal people. And I hate to break it to you, but there's nothing real in that box either. I hate feeding it to my kids and I dare say that you hate it too.

But I can also guess you don't know many other alternatives. Sure, you can get a box of Velveeta and melt that over some noodles. That works too...I love Velveeta. But if you're looking for the real deal, the old school, the way your grandma might have made it-this is it.

And just so you know, aside from the baking, this dish took 15 minutes and only two pans to make. One for boiling the pasta and a good enameled cast iron pan for the sauce and the baking cuts down on dishes. Since I don't have a dishwasher. But don't get me started on that again. You CAN make this on a week night.

This baked macaroni and cheese may be the most versatile dish ever. Add in some red pepper for kick, any cheeses you like (Fontina is glorious in here), add veggies like broccoli and chopped chicken and it's a one-dish meal even. Or BACON. Hello. Yeah. Make some garlic bread crumbs for the top if you want some crunch and throw those on. It's really endless.

Feel like you may still need some help? Jump over to this post for the juicy details: 18 Secrets to the Richest, Creamiest Mac and Cheese You'll Ever Eat -it's filled with every tip and trick you'll need to make your version the star of the table. I hope you can use this basic dish in a ton of ways. Around here, it's sharp cheddar and Swiss.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese
There are a couple of affiliate links here just so you know-maybe if we all band together I'll earn enough to get myself an actual real dishwasher!

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Baked Macaroni and Cheese | The Country Contessa

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Baked macaroni and cheese doesn't have to be complicated with layers of ingredients to be the soul-warming food you crave. This version has pleased crowds, small families, kids and picky eaters alike--give it a try and you'll see why. This post contains affiliate links Sometimes you buy that glowing yellow macaroni in the box.

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Grilled cheese , noodles , fruit (strawberries)

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cookies-small snack size and good to eat.
ramen noodles-they are good
chicken strips

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Watermelon - High fresh water content
Multivitamin Gummies - Vitamins are important to the body
Brusle sprouts - actually good and are great boiled and salted

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I would need Grilled chicken (for protein and i like chicken), bananas (fruit & potassium), and muffins (grain)

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Grilled cheese, has grain and dairy, Steak, has good protein, and oranges, because i has good vitamins and u can make orange juice

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I would need Honeycrisp apples (they are great source of protein), Chicken strips and scotcheroos (chocolate and peanut butter.

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Burger, Pizza, and Wings

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I would have Apples and peanut butter(favorite snack), grilled chicken (protein), and pineapple(favorite fruit)

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Panda Express Orange chicken because its the best. Mac 'n" Cheese and french fries

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Speghetti(Because it is my faavorite), chocolate chip cookies(because I like them), and vegetable steak stew(Because it is also my favorite meal).

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I would have chicken noodle soup (favorite food), steak (it would provide protein), and lastly mac 'n' cheese (another favorite food).

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I would need grilled chicken(protein) I love chicken. Also I would have tortillas (goes with anything) and grapes (fruit, and I love grapes)

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Potatoes with butter(could live off that alone), cashews(good protein, good taste), spaghetti (favorite food)

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Orange chik'n, Mac 'n Cheese, Chik'n nuggets

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I would choose to have mashed potatoes (filling and delicious), watermelon (an absolute favorite) and grilled cheese (comfort food)

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I would bring chicken nuggets (a good protein source & my favorite), pasta & cookies

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I'd bring chicken for lean protein,  carrots for a vegetable, and blue berries for fruit

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I would have steak, vegetables(Carrots), and fruit(Watermelon) because it is a balance in my diet.

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pizza, wings, and hamburger helper. Because they all taste good.