Crispy Chicken Strips made with boneless chicken breast and a light crispy breading are a delicious lunch or dinner for kids and adults.
Make in under 30 minutes and serve with your favorite dipping sauce, or add to a salad or a tortilla wrap.
Perfectly Fried Chicken Strips
Why bother going to your favorite restaurant for great chicken strips when you can effortlessly recreate them at home? These homemade delights are bursting with flavor, and the joy of dipping them into your favorite sauce elevates each bite to a delicious mouthful.
With a satisfyingly crispy exterior and juicy interior, these chicken strips offer the perfect balance of textures. Making them at home not only saves you a trip but also allows you to savor a customized, flavorful adventure right from your kitchen.
Crispy chicken strips go by a lot of different names. You may also hear these called chicken fingers, chicken tenders or chicken fillets.
Fried Chicken Strips Recipe Ingredients
This section reviews the best ingredients and substitutions for this recipe. For an exact list of ingredients and quantities, check the recipe card below.
- Chicken breast - boneless and skinless
- Panko bread crumbs - adds to that extra-crispy exterior. You can also use regular dried breadcrumbs for a different texture.
- Flour - use all-purpose flour. It helps create the breading on the strips.
- Eggs and Milk - The eggs and milk are combined to create a wet dredge so the breading will stick to the chicken.
- Seasonings - salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder
How to make Fried Chicken Tenders
In this section, I share step-by-step photos, cooking methods, techniques, and a general overview. For detailed instructions, temperatures, and timing, check the printable recipe card below.
- Pat chicken dry with a paper towel
- Cut into strips
- Dredge chicken into flour
4. Dip into egg mixture
5. Dredge in flour and panko mixture
6. Place breaded chicken strips on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
7. Fry chicken in preheated 350° oil in a frying pan
8. When the chicken strips are completely cooked through, place them on a baking rack over a baking sheet.
Crispy Chicken Strips Recipe Tips
- Try to keep strips about the same thickness. This helps with equal cooking times. When cooking, I try to select evenly sized pieces for each batch.
- Preheat oil to 350 degrees
- Cook strips in small batches. Do not overcrowd the pan
- Make certain the temperature comes back to 350 degrees between each batch
- To keep warm, place chicken strips on a baking rack on top of a baking sheet in a 250° oven until ready to serve
Serving Fried Chicken Strips
These chicken strips are delicious with just about any side dish.
- Tomato Soup
- Caesar Salad
- Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
- Blue Cheese Wedge Salad
- Couscous Salad
- Pasta Salad
- Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
- Fresh-cut veggies with hummus
Dipping sauces
Serving these chicken strips with your favorite dipping sauce adds extra flavor to the strips!
How to Store Crispy Chicken Tenders
To keep warm, place chicken strips on a baking rack on top of a baking sheet in a 250° oven until ready to serve. For best results, use within 15-30 minutes.
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Cooked chicken tenders can also be frozen. Allow chicken to cool, then place in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place in freezer until frozen. Then remove chicken and place in a freezer bag. Freeze up to 3 months.
How to reheat
Three ways to reheat chicken tenders:
- Microwave - Place chicken tenders on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 30 second intervals until heated through. The time will vary depending on how many chicken tenders you are reheating.
- Oven - Preheat oven to 400°F. Place chicken tenders on a baking sheet and cook for 5-7 minutes until heated through. To keep chicken crispy, place a baking rack on the baking sheet and then place the chicken on top of the rack. This allows circulation around the chicken which helps crisp the coating on all sides.
- Air Fryer - Preheat your air fryer to 375°F. Cook chicken tenders in a single layer for 5-7 minutes until heated through.
The same methods can be used to reheat frozen chicken tenders, however, you will need to increase the time to reheat.
Crispy Chicken Strips FAQs
The actual cooking time will vary depending on the size of your strips. Plan on 3-4 minutes per side. The strips are fully cooked when the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
The temperature of your oil is probably too hot. Remove the chicken strips and place on a baking rack over a baking sheet. Place in a 350° oven for 5-10 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Check out all my Chicken Recipes.
Fried Chicken Strips Recipe
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Fry Thermometer
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 chicken breast (boneless, skinless)
Flour Coating
- ½ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
Egg Coating
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk
Breading
- ½ cup flour
- ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Cooking
- 2 cups oil (canola or vegetable oil)
Instructions
Chicken
- Cut into strips. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel2 chicken breast
Breading
- Combine flour and salt together in a bowl½ cup flour, ½ teaspoon salt
- Combine eggs and milk in another bowl2 eggs, ½ cup milk
- Combine additional flour, salt, panko crumbs, and seasonings in a third bowl½ cup flour, ¾ cup panko bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon pepper
Assemble Chicken
- Dredge chicken into flour. Shake off excess flour
- Dip into egg mixture
- Dredge in the panko mixture
Cook
- Preheat oil to 350°F. The amount of oil used will vary depending on the size of your pan. You want the oil to be about ½ inch - 1 inch deep.2 cups oil
- Add 3-4 chicken strips to hot oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and fully cooked through. The internal temperature of the chicken should be 165°F.
- Remove and place on a baking rack over a baking sheet
- Bring oil back to 350°F and continue cooking
Notes
- Try to keep tenders about the same thickness. This helps with equal cooking times
- Preheat oil to 350 degrees
- Cook strips in small batches. Do not overcrowd pan
- Make certain the temperature comes back to 350 degrees between each batch
- Keep warm by placing chicken strips on a baking rack on top of a baking sheet in a 250 degree oven until ready to serve
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in February 2020. The recipe and images have been updated.
Valentina says
If ever there was a perfect chicken strip, this is it! The crispy factor is spot on and the color is beautiful 🙂 ~Valentina
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
Can never go wrong with a plate full of tenders Kathy! Pinned and excited to serve up at our house.
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Chicken tenders are always a favourite and homemade is totally the best! These look delicious, Kathy! I could easily have them for dinner or Friday night with just some dip. So golden brown and crispy too - YUM!
David @ Spiced says
Your daughter sounds like my younger sister growing up. No matter where we went out to eat, she would always order chicken strips. It's amazing she didn't turn into one! Chicken strips are one of the few things that Robbie will eat, too. We took him out a couple of weeks ago, and he got chicken strips. I might've stolen one, and it was awesome. Now I want to make your homemade version! These look delicious, Kathy!
Kathy says
She will order other things too, but it does seem to be her go-to favorite.