Fried Chicken Strips

Chicken strips are a restaurant standard, but they taste so much better prepared at home. Add these Fried Chicken Strips to your meal planning rotation.

Fried chicken strips are certainly a crowd pleaser, as many a restauranteur can attest. They appeal to diners of all ages, a ubiquitous player on the kids’ menu.

What most people don’t know is that it is super easy to make fried chicken strips YOURSELF — for a fraction of the price you’d pay at your local McDiner.

These Fried Chicken Strips are also the protein building block for a number of recipes, including Chicken Parmesan, fried chicken salad, chicken piccata, chicken and noodles, or just plain eatin’ with a side of fries and some BBQ sauce.

Therefore, it’s in your best interests to learn how to cook breaded chicken pieces yourself! Don’t ya think?

Making Fried Chicken Strips at Home

At first it might feel intimidating to make fried chicken strips at home. But with all things, a little practice will get you feeling like a pro in no time. If you’ve never done this before, you might have a few questions. Happily, I’ve got answers.

Do you need a fryer?

The good thing is that you don’t need a fryer. In fact, you don’t have to use a ton of oil, either. I prefer to fry chicken strips in a shallow amount of oil to reduce the fat in the finished product.

Can you fry chicken in olive oil?

Use an oil that can handle high heats without smoking. That makes avocado and grapeseed oil good choices. Other options include lard, vegetable shortening, or peanut oil. You can use olive oil, but it’s best not to use virgin or extra-virgin oil as they aren’t at their best at high heats.

How do you make fried chicken strips?

Scroll down for the complete recipe. The Cliff Notes’ version is this: Bread the chicken by dipping it in beaten egg and then a combination of bread crumbs, flour, and seasonings. Fry the chicken in hot oil in a skillet until the coating is crisp and the meat is no longer pink. If you can take an internal temp, that’s ideal. I let it get to an internal temperature of 160 degrees and then let the residual heat finish the cooking for me.

How to make this good and cheap:

Here are some of the strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:

• Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. When I find regular kitchen staples on sale, I buy a lot. I’m currently using a price book to track prices and that’s saving me money. For this recipe, keeping an eye on the prices of chicken can help keep the price down. Buy low whenever you see a great price and stash the chicken in the freezer. It’s a great way to save money on your groceries without clipping a single coupon. 
• Make your own breadcrumbs. I never buy commercial breadcrumbs. Not when I have children who eschew the heels of the bread loves. It’s one of the things I always have in my freezer. Whiz a few slices of bread through the food processor and you’re set for breadcrumbs.

How I make this recipe easy:

This recipe really couldn’t be easier than it is, but having the right kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs.

Here are the tools that I use for this recipe:

• cooking tongs – These are great for moving the chicken pieces in the pan.
• a great skillet – I love this one so much, I have TWO!

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Fried Chicken Strips

Chicken strips are a restaurant standard, but they taste so much better prepared at home. Add these Fried Chicken Strips to your meal planning rotation.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken, chicken strips, chicken tenders, fried chicken

Servings: 4

Calories: 612kcal

Author: Jessica Fisher

Ingredients

• 2 egg
• 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp dry parsley flakes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp dried rubbed sage
• 1 1/2 lb chicken tenders
• 4 to 6 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

• In a shallow dish, beat eggs until well combined. In another shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs, flour, parsley flakes, salt, pepper, and sage.
• Dip the chicken pieces in the egg and then roll in the flour mixture.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat 4 Tablespoons olive oil until very hot. Fry the chicken strips, working in batches. Don’t move them around too much in the pan. Flip after about 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove to a cooling rack set over paper towels to drain. Serve hot or cold.

Notes

Use an oil that can handle high heats without smoking. That makes avocado and grapeseed oil good choices. Other options include lard, vegetable shortening, or peanut oil. You can use olive oil, but it's best not to use virgin or extra-virgin oil as they aren't at their best at high heats.

Nutrition

Calories: 612kcal | Carbohydrates: 26.8g | Protein: 56.3g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 6.4g | Cholesterol: 233mg | Sodium: 794mg | Potassium: 507mg | Fiber: 1.4g | Sugar: 1.5g | Calcium: 790mg | Iron: 0.7mg