Homemade Crispy Chicken Fingers – Chicken Tenders
Chicken Fingers, also known as Chicken Tenders, are made with skinless chicken breast, and coated with a very thin layer of flour batter before deep-fried to perfection. This recipe aims for a simple crisp bite while preserving that juicy tenderness of the chicken breast.
Easy to make and with minimal seasonings, this recipe only takes roughly 20 minutes from start to finish. The natural savouriness of chicken is enhanced with some salt, yet it goes so well with some Thai Chicken Chilli Sauce, or Tomato ketchup.
What I love about this recipe though, is that it’s super addictive and fun to eat. No need to worry about bones, just take a piece and munch away. Tender and light, it is gone before you know it. Trust me, it is sure to be a hit at dinner, or even for a kid’s party. Yet, in the rare event that there are leftovers, they are super simple to keep and can be frozen to be re-heated too.
Serves 8 adults.
Ingredients
Skinless chicken breasts, which are cut into thin slices. This makes them tender, reduces the cooking time, and makes them a super light snack. The skin is removed as the extra fats are not needed in the chicken fingers.
Crispy flour. I used my own homemade crispy flour; but you can use any tempura flour as well.
Salt, to taste.
Pepper, to taste.
Cold water, or iced water. This lowers the temperature of the batter, and slows down the development of gluten, which reduces the crispiness of the batter.
Unscented cooking oil, for deep-frying. I used a Canola blend.
Lastly, the seasonings:
- Garlic powder, for a light, savoury and earthy taste.
- Cayenne pepper powder for a mild spice, which is optional.
Although not part of the recipe, I served my Chicken Fingers with some Thai Chicken Chilli Sauce. Although mine is homemade, there are some good store-bought alternatives as well. Other dipping sauces that complement this dish are ranch, mayonnaise (although it might become too rich), and ketchup.
Steps
Here are the brief steps to make these Homemade Crispy Chicken Fingers:
- Heat the oil.
- Prepare the wet batter and flour.
- Marinate the chicken.
- Mix the chicken with the wet batter.
- Coat the chicken with flour.
- Fry for about 8 minutes, until crispy and golden brown.
- Remove the chicken from the oil with a strainer.
- Place on a cooling rack and serve with chicken chilli sauce.
Tips
- The water should be cold, or iced, if possible. This helps fluff up the batter, making it crispier.
- Depending on the intensity of the stove, the oil may take a shorter time to heat up. Heating the oil for deep frying can be done after the chicken strips have been mixed in the flour batter.
- Scooping up the leftover flour/ chicken bits in the oil prevents them from burning when frying the next batch. This also prevents the oil from taking on a burnt, bitter taste.
- Make sure to watch the full video to see how I made it exactly!
Storage Instructions
With all deep-fried foods, this Homemade Crispy Chicken Fingers is best served immediately, with a saucer of your preferred dip (mine’s this recipe!). However, this dish can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days, in an air-tight container. Before consuming, be sure to either deep-fry again or place them in the air fryer until piping hot.
They can also be kept frozen for about 3 weeks to a month, to be thawed and reheated via deep-frying or air fryer.
Recipes You Might Like
- Double Boiled Chicken with Chilli Sauce
- Thai-Style Fried Chicken Wings with Lemongrass
- Simple Curry Powder Fried Fish
- Deep Fried Enoki
- Crispy Fried Squid Rings
Homemade Crispy Chicken Fingers
Equipment
- Sharp Kitchen Knife
- Chopping Board
- Wok
- Wooden Chopsticks
- Strainer
- Cooling Rack
Ingredients
- 1 kg cooking oil, enough to deep-fry chicken fingers
- 4 tbsp crispy flour, spread evenly on a plate
- 430 g skinless chicken breast, cut to thin strips 3.5-4 inch long, 0.5 inch thick
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg, optional
Batter
- 8 tbsp crispy flour
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper powder, optional
- 75 ml water, iced
- 25 ml water, iced, optional
Instructions
- Add the cooking oil into the wok. Let it heat up for about 8-10 minutes over medium heat.
- Spread 4 tbsp/ 40g of crispy flour evenly over a plate. Set it aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add 80g of crispy flour, garlic powder, pepper, and 75ml of water. Mix thoroughly with a whisk. Add 25ml of water if the batter is too thick. The consistency should be runny enough that it falls off the whisk easily. Set aside.
- Cut the chicken breast into half, and then into thin strips of 3.5-4 inches in length and about 0.5 inches thick. Repeat for the other half of the chicken breast.
- Marinate the chicken strips evenly with salt.
- Crack an egg over the chicken strips, and mix until they are well-combined. This is optional.
- Pour all the marinated chicken strips into the flour batter. Mix until they are well-combined.
- Submerge the tips of wooden cooking chopsticks into the oil. When bubbles form at the tip, it is ready for deep frying.
- Take a chicken strip, shaking off any excess flour batter. Gently slide it across the plate with dry crispy flour, coating all the chicken's surface as much as possible. Add it gently into the hot oil. Repeat with the rest of the chicken strips, until the wok is completely full.
- Fry the chicken fingers in the hot oil for about 8 to 10 minutes over medium heat, or until they are evenly golden brown. Turn and rotate the chicken fingers occasionally for even cooking.
- Once they are crispy, remove them from the hot oil with a wide strainer, shaking off the excess oil. Set them aside in a cooling rack. With a smaller and finer mesh strainer, scoop up flour and/ or chicken bits left in the oil.
- Take the chicken strip, coating it in a thin layer of dry crispy flour, before submerging it in the hot oil. Repeat until the wok is full, or until there are no more chicken strips left. Deep fry the chicken for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until they turn golden brown.
- Remove the chicken fingers from the hot oil with the wide strainer, shaking off excess oil. Set them aside in the cooling rack. Transfer the chicken fingers to a serving plate, and serve with some Thai Chicken Chilli Sauce as a dipping sauce.
Video
Notes
- The water should be cold, or iced, if possible. This helps fluff up the batter, making it crispier.
- Depending on the intensity of the stove, the oil may take a shorter time to heat up. Heating the oil for deep frying can be done after the chicken strips have been mixed in the flour batter.
- Scooping up the leftover flour/ chicken bits in the oil prevents them from burning when frying the next batch. This also prevents the oil from taking on a burnt, bitter taste.
- The nutritional information does not include calculations for Thai Chicken Chilli Sauce and rice.
- Make sure to watch the full video to see how I made it exactly!