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Why I Love These Crispy Chicken Strips
My goal is not to disrupt the frozen food industry. Instead, if I can convert just one person into believing that good, crispy chicken tenders can be made at home, I’ll consider it a goal accomplished!
But I get it. The frozen chicken strips that we’re all so accustomed to eating have a consistent outcome. They’re quick and easy, requiring minimal effort to get from the freezer to the oven, and on a busy night, that’s hard to argue with.
Why these chicken strips are better than other recipes: They’re real pieces of chicken (nothing fake here!), and there’s a triple coating that gets super crispy right in the oven. No air fryer needed!
Here are 5 more reasons to love these chicken strips:
- A really crispy outside with tender chicken inside.
- Baked, not fried, so there is no hot oil to heat and dispose of.
- Triple coating (flour, buttermilk/egg, and cereal) that sticks to the chicken.
- A few spices add lots of flavor without being too spicy for kids.
- Perfect for dipping, slicing on top of salads, or using as leftovers.
Baking Tip
How to Ensure the Chicken Is Crispy
There are 3 main steps that will ensure the final baked chicken strips are crispy:
- Three coatings on each chicken strip: flour mixture, egg mixture, and cereal mixture. Each coating is essential in helping the other coatings stick. When each coat works as it should, the end result is a crispy chicken tender.
- High oven heat will allow the coating to dry on the outside of the chicken and become crispy. If you have a convection setting on your oven, now is the time to use it!
- Fit the baking sheet with a wire rack. During baking, air will freely move under and over the wire rack, which makes sure all sides of the chicken are evenly crispy. This also helps to prevent a soggy bottom!
The ingredients are simple and can be found in most pantries. In fact, I often have Chex cereal leftover from making batches of party mix during the holidays and need ways to use it up! Maybe you’re in that same boat too.
Crispy Chicken Strips Ingredients
Each ingredient plays a specific role in making sure that you get a perfectly crisp chicken strip:
- Chicken breast – Boneless, skinless chicken breast gives you the size of strips that cook quickly while staying tender in the oven. Just slice each breast into about 4-5 pieces.
- Chex cereal – Once crushed, it becomes the main crunchy coating, creating a crust that crisps beautifully while baking in the oven.
- Parmesan cheese – Mixes into the cereal for a salty, nutty flavor.
- All-purpose flour – The first dry layer that lightly coats the chicken, so the wet mixture and crunchy coating can stick to the surface.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch blends with the flour to keep the crust light and crispy.
- Garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper – Provide some of the seasoning when mixed with the flour. Since this is the layer that’s the closest to the meat, the seasoning is super important. The cayenne pepper adds some heat without being too spicy (and you can always leave this one out).
- Kosher salt – Seasons the chicken to make sure there’s lots of flavor.
- Egg and buttermilk – Combines together to create the liquid that helps the cereal coating adhere to the chicken.
- Honey mustard sauce – Totally optional to serve on the side, but it’s delicious. Make sure to check out my recipe for honey mustard sauce!
The full amount of each ingredient can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Crispy Chicken Strips
There are 5 steps to prepare these baked crispy chicken strips:
Step 1: Prep – Preheat the oven to 375°F. Fit a wire rack into a baking sheet and set aside.
Step 2: Prepare the chicken – Slice each chicken breast into 4-5 even strips so they cook evenly. Then, set them aside.
Step 3: Prepare three plates – In a shallow bowl or pie plate, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and salt. In a second shallow bowl, whisk the egg and buttermilk together until completely smooth. In a third shallow bowl, combine the crushed Chex cereal and grated Parmesan cheese.
Step 4: Assemble – Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dredge the strip in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess to leave a thin, even coating. Dip the floured strip into the buttermilk-egg mixture, letting the excess drip back into the bowl, then roll it in the cereal-Parmesan mixture, gently pressing so the coating adheres all over. Place the coated strip on the prepared wire rack and repeat with the remaining chicken, leaving a little space between each piece.
Step 5: Bake – Bake in the preheated 375°F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the coating is golden and the chicken registers about 160°F in the thickest part. Let the strips rest on the rack for a few minutes so the juices can settle and the temperature finishes rising (to the correct safe internal temperature of 165°F). Then, serve warm with honey mustard sauce.
Recipe Tips
- Remove any fat from the chicken – You don’t want too much fat in each chicken strip, so if there is any on the breast, make sure to remove it.
- Crush the cereal with texture in mind – Aim for a mix of finer crumbs and small pieces so you get full coverage on the chicken plus lots of crunchy bits.
- Do not skip the wire rack – Elevating the chicken allows hot air to circulate underneath, keeping the bottom crisp rather than steaming while baking.
- Adjust the heat for your crowd – For kids or those who do not like gentle heat, reduce or omit the cayenne.
- Press the coating gently – After rolling in the cereal mixture, use your hands to lightly press the crumbs onto the chicken. This way, they’ll stay attached while baking, making them crispy.
- Use an instant-read thermometer – Checking the internal temperature is the best way to avoid overbaking and ensure the chicken stays juicy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not at all! Many kinds of cereal will work to create the necessary crispy exterior. I have used cornflakes, which work tremendously as well!
No, the chicken strips will still be crispy even if the convection setting is not used. Some ovens do not have a convection setting, so that should not stop you from making these strips.
Of course! An air fryer is pretty much a little convection oven.
A chicken tender is an actual part of a chicken. They’re a small piece of meat attached to the underside of the breast or breast bone, often used for their tender texture and small size. In this recipe, we’re simply taking chicken breasts and slicing them to make strips. Chicken breasts are easily found in grocery stores, whereas chicken tenders can be more difficult to find for some.
Follow These Tips
Serving
Once the chicken strips have baked and rested, serve them hot or warm. Set out a few dipping sauces like honey mustard, barbecue sauce, and ranch so everyone can choose their favorite.
Serve alongside roasted vegetables, a simple green salad (slice and add the strips on top), or baked fries for a complete meal.
Storage
Refrigerate – Let the cooked chicken strips cool completely on the rack. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. For the best flavor and texture, enjoy within 2-3 days.
Freeze – You can freeze these, but they will not have the best texture after defrosting, so I would recommend against doing so.
Reheat – From the fridge, place strips on a wire rack set on a baking sheet and warm in a 375°F oven until heated through and crispy again. If possible, avoid reheating these strips in the microwave, which can tend to make the coating soft and chewy rather than crispy.
More Dinner Recipes
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Baked Crispy Chicken Strips
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts each breast sliced into 4-5 tenders
- 3 cups crushed Chex cereal
- ⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 large egg whisked
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- honey mustard sauce to serve
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack to elevate the chicken and set aside.
- Prepare the chicken: Cut each breast into desired pieces, about 4-5 slices per breast. Then, set them aside.2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- In three low bowls or pie plates, prepare the coatings: In one bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and salt. In the second bowl, whisk the eggs and buttermilk until smooth. In the last bowl, combine the crushed cereal and the Parmesan cheese.3 cups crushed Chex cereal, ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, 2 tbsp cornstarch, 1 ½ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, 1 large egg, ¾ cup buttermilk, ⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Assemble: Dredge the chicken pieces first in the flour mixture, tapping off any excess. Next, dip the chicken in the egg mixture and allow the excess to drip off. Finally, roll the chicken in the cereal mixture, making sure the chicken is evenly coated on all sides. Lay the chicken on the prepared baking rack and continue until all of the chicken is coated.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken registers 160°F, 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for a few minutes. The internal temperature of the strips will finish cooking to a safe internal temperature of 165°F during this time. Serve immediately with honey mustard sauce (if desired).honey mustard sauce
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
Styling: Addelyn Evans | Photography: Dera Burreson
These were the crispiest chicken strips we’ve ever made. Very tasty and so easy to do!
Really thank you for the great job, for the effort and your time. Thank you for not sharing your recipes but also bringing the joy to people, educating and sharing your traditions.
Oksana from Niagara Falls, Canada
I am cooking this because you made it look so good and easy! It is still in the oven and taking a little longer to brown, so will get back with result!
Sounds great.
Great recipe. made it for dinner relaxing saturday night. The honey mustard sauce excellent
Delicious! For the honey mustard dressing I used a Blood Orange Olive Oil. It upped the flavor of the honey mustard dressing.
I’ll be adding this to my repertoire of recipes.
Loved everything about these chicken strips. I did think it needed a little more spicing up. The crispness was awesome. I didn’t make the dipping sauce but used sweet and sour as well as plum sauce as a dip.