Crispy golden chicken strips (Printable)

Tender chicken strips with a crispy, golden crust, great with barbecue or honey-mustard sauces.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.1 lb chicken breast fillets, cut into strips

→ Marinade

02 - ½ cup buttermilk
03 - 1 teaspoon salt
04 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
05 - ½ teaspoon garlic powder
06 - ½ teaspoon paprika

→ Breading

07 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
08 - 1 teaspoon salt
09 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
10 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 2 large eggs
12 - 1 cup panko breadcrumbs

→ For Frying

13 - Vegetable oil, for deep frying

→ To Serve

14 - Barbecue sauce
15 - Honey-mustard sauce

# How To Make:

01 - In a bowl, whisk together buttermilk, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Add chicken strips and marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours refrigerated.
02 - Place seasoned flour (with salt, black pepper, smoked paprika) in a shallow dish. Beat eggs in a second bowl. Place panko breadcrumbs in a third shallow dish.
03 - Remove chicken strips from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Dredge each strip in flour, dip into beaten eggs, then coat evenly with panko breadcrumbs.
04 - Pour vegetable oil to a depth of 2 inches in a deep skillet and heat to 350°F (175°C).
05 - Fry breaded chicken strips in batches for approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown and fully cooked. Drain on a wire rack or paper towels.
06 - Serve hot with barbecue sauce and honey-mustard sauce for dipping.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The buttermilk marinade does something almost magical—it keeps the chicken impossibly tender while the outside gets shatteringly crisp.
  • You can have hot, restaurant-quality tenders on the table in under 30 minutes, which feels like winning at dinner on a busy weeknight.
  • The three-station breading setup means you can get into a rhythm and actually enjoy the process instead of feeling rushed.
02 -
  • The marinade time is not optional if you want tender chicken—rushing this step means a tougher, less forgiving result.
  • Oil temperature is everything; too cool and you get soggy, too hot and the outside burns before the chicken cooks through.
03 -
  • Invest in an instant-read thermometer—it removes all the guesswork from both oil temperature and chicken doneness.
  • Don't skip letting the oil heat for a few minutes after you reach temperature; it needs to stabilize so your first batch isn't greasy.
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