EASY homemade chicken tenders with a surprising ingredient in the breading! Nothing compares or can replicate this crunch. Skip the drive-thru line and make your own. They take about 30 minutes from start to finish and are super versatile!
My husband makes my favorite chicken tenders, ever. These are his very own creation, and I had to actually pry the recipe out of him! Ok, so I just had to ask, but actually getting it onto the paper wasn’t easy.
He doesn’t really do recipes, he just wings it.
I’ve kind of become the same way as my cooking grows a bit. I rarely measure during cooking, so many of my recipes are rough guesstimates on seasoning amounts. I always mess with recipes when I am following one, so I assume everyone else does too, and will just season to taste.
Do you do that?
It’s just a part of me won’t LET me make a recipe exactly as written. I was bugging Jeremiah to try a panko breading for the tenders for this meal! He said, and I need to train myself to agree, “Once you get something right you just have to leave it alone.”
I totally agree.
If you want some more recipes to futz with, I suggest these awesome ones:
Easy Homemade Chicken Tenders
These homemade chicken tenders use saltine crackers to make the breading super crunchy and full of flavor.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders, cut up into chunks (or however you like them!)
Breading:
- 1 sleeve saltine crackers
- 1/8 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Johnny's Seasoning Salt
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/4 teaspoon marjoram
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon parsley
Flour Dredge:
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Egg Wash:
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
For frying:
- 1 stick butter
- 3 cups canola oil
Instructions
- Crush crackers into little pieces, but not so fine that they are dust. Mix together with all the seasonings and 1/8 cup flour and set aside.
- Put eggs and milk into another container and whisk together until well combined.
- Place 1 cup flour plus the rest of the dredge seasonings in another dish. Mix well.
- Preheat the oil and butter over medium to medium-high heat.
- Coat chicken chunks in flour, then egg wash, and then roll in the cracker mixture. When oil is hot, place chicken chunks in and let cook until brown on one side. Flip over and brown the other side and cook until all the way done. (We cut one or two in half to check after the first batch is done.)
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 751Total Fat: 67gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 55gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 490mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 27g
Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate. If you are tracking these things for medical purposes please consult an outside, trusted source. Thanks!
Nicole Johnson
Nicole Johnson, a self-taught expert in grilling and outdoor cooking, launched Or Whatever You Do in 2010. Her blog, renowned for its comprehensive and creative outdoor cooking recipes, has garnered a vast audience of millions. Nicole's hands-on experience and passion for grilling shine through her work. Her husband, Jeremiah Johnson, also plays a pivotal role in recipe development, adding his culinary flair to the mix. Together, they form a dynamic duo, offering a rich and varied outdoor cooking experience to their followers.