Spice + Sauce = Extra Flavorful Chicken Tenders

Chicken tenders are a mainstay on the kid's menu, and I still crave them as an adult. I like to play with flavor and fire, though, so to kick up this classic chicken, I've super-seasoned the breading and drizzled on my favorite Spicy-Sweet Dipping Sauce (search for it on main recipes page). I also eat healthier these days, and like to spare myself the greasy mess of frying, so these tenders are baked. You'll find they are still super-crispy and moist on the inside—and seasoned to spicy perfection.

SERVING SIZE: 16-18 tenders PREP TIME: 40 mins COOKING TIME: 25 mins

Ingredients

For the Sauce

• 1 batch of Spicy Sweet Dipping Sauce (see recipe on main Recipes page)

For the Tenders

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for the flour

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for the flour

• 1¼ cups of whole milk

• 1 Tablespoon sriracha

• 3 cups panko bread crumbs

• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

• 1½ tablespoons dried cilantro

• 4 eggs slightly beaten

• ¾ cup All Purpose flour

• ½ cup olive oil

• 2 green onions, green parts only, cut very thin on an angle

• 2 red Fresno peppers, sliced very thin

Directions

1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Place 2 large cast iron skillets in the oven and heat to 400°F.

2. Place the milk and sriracha in a large bowl and whisk to combine.

3. Slice each chicken breast diagonally across the grain into 4 even strips (if the chicken breasts are large, you may get 5-6 strips). Season with the salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the milk mixture and stir to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, place the bread crumbs, garlic salt and cilantro in a large, resealable plastic bag. Shake well. Set aside.

5. Place the eggs in a wide, shallow dish.

6. Add the flour to a large plate. Season with salt and pepper and mix well with a fork. Place the plastic bag with bread crumb mixture next to the plate. Set a baking sheet alongside for the finished tenders.

7. Remove the bowl of tenders from the refrigerator. Dredge them in the flour to fully coat, and then dip into the eggs to fully moisten. To finish, drop 3-4 tenders at a time in the seasoned bread crumbs and shake to fully coat. Place on the baking sheet.

8. Carefully remove the skillets from the oven. Place ¼ cup of oil in each skillet and tilt the pans to coat the entire bottom. Arrange the tenders in the skillets. Bake until browned on the bottom, about 12 minutes. Using tongs, flip the tenders and bake until golden and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes more.

9. Remove from the oven and let the tenders rest in the skillets 5 minutes to slightly cool and let the crust harden. Transfer to a serving platter. Pour half of the dipping sauce evenly over top. Place the remaining sauce in a wide mouth bowl for extra dipping.

10. Sprinkle the green onions and red peppers over top.

11. Serve.

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