Recipe: Saltine Crusted Chicken Tenders

Some folks think of chicken tenders as “kid food.” But not at our house. We love to splurge on the deliciousness of a perfectly crafted fried chicken finger served with the perfect dipping sauce – like my honey mustard, ranch or comeback sauce.

But making them doesn’t have to be complicated.

One of my favorite ways to make this dish involves seasoning the chicken tenderloins with salt, pepper, garlic powder, some poultry seasoning and my secret weapon – chicken bouillon for a punch of flavor.

So, what’s a chicken tender anyway?

When we talk about chicken tenders, we can be talking about two different things:

• Chicken tenders – the prepared dish (also called chicken strips or chicken fingers).
• Chicken tenders – the raw meat (also called chicken tenderloins).

Everyone pretty much knows what we’re talking about when we’re talking about the dish chicken tenders – golden fried strips of chicken typically served with a dipping sauce.

When we start talking about the raw meat that the dish is made from, things get a little more complicated. But have no fear … I’m here to help.

Strolling through the butcher section of the grocery store, it’s likely you’re going to find some things labeled chicken tenders, chicken tenderloins or even chicken breast strips.

Chicken tenders and chicken tenderloins are the same thing. They’re the tenderloin of the chicken. They’re white meat found right next to each chicken breast. Each chicken has two tenderloins. Many grocery stores sell separate packages of chicken tenderloins.

Chicken breast strips, however, are strips of meat cut from a chicken breast.

In most cases, these two pieces of meat can be used interchangeably, though the specific size of each might mean different cook times.

While I do often make chicken tenders using the same buttermilk marinade as my Almost Famous Fried Chicken, the wet marinade adds a degree of difficulty when it comes to getting the breading to stick to the chicken. So, for this recipe I like to use dry seasoning and a quick three-part dredge.

After seasoning the chicken, I toss it in plain all-purpose flour. This helps create a dry foundation for our breading to stick.

Next, it’s a quick dip in egg wash. This is the glue that’s going to hold our breading on.

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Then it’s a generous coating in crushed saltine crackers – often pressing a little to get the coating thick enough.

After a short rest, they’re ready to be fried.

Do they have to be fried?

If frying these isn’t your thing, these chicken tenders can be baked or air fried for a healthier option.

Air fryer: Spray the basket of the air fryer with a little nonstick cooking spray. You can also spritz the chicken tenders with a little nonstick spray for extra browning. Cook on 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway through or until an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted in the center of the chicken tenders.

Oven: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. You can also spritz the chicken tenders with a little nonstick spray for extra browning. Bake for about 15 minutes – turning halfway through – or until an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted in the center of the chicken tenders.

Saltine Crusted Chicken Tenders

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 5

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken tenderloins
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 chicken bouillon cube, crushed (or 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder)
• 2 sleeves saltine crackers (about 72 crackers)
• 2 large eggs, beaten until smooth
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• Vegetable or peanut oil for frying

Instructions

• In a small bowl, whisk the salt, pepper, garlic powder, poultry seasoning and chicken bouillon together.
• Put the chicken tenders in a large bowl or zip-top bag. Add the seasoning and toss to coat. Set aside and allow to marinate for about 20 minutes.
• Finely crush the saltine crackers using a food processor or food chopper, or by placing the crackers in a zip-top bag and crushing with a rolling pin.
• Set up a dredging station by placing the flour, beaten eggs and crushed crackers in three separate, similarly sized shallow dishes.
• Toss each chicken tender in flour.
• Dip in the egg wash, coating both sides, then allow the excess egg to drip away.
• Coat in the cracker crumbs, pressing a little to get the crumbs to stick.
• Place the prepared tenders on a large baking sheet.
• Pour 2 to 3 inches of cooking oil into the bottom of a deep Dutch oven. Heat over medium heat to about 365 degrees.
• Once at temperature, cook 3 to 4 tenders at a time in the oil for about 4 minutes, or until golden brown and the center reads 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. The exact cook time will vary based on the thickness of the chicken.
• Drain on a large pan lined with a cooling rack.
• Adjust the heat to maintain the oil temperature at about 365 degrees.
• Work in batches, keeping the cooked tenders in a warm oven until serving.

This recipe originally appeared on SouthernBite.com. For more great recipes, visit the website or check out “The Southern Bite Cookbook.”