This is my very favorite Chicken Tender Recipe. It does take some work so I only make it once a year. The pancake batter gives it a sweet taste and brining the breasts over night makes the chicken super juicy and flavorful. The breading is light as air and the flash frying makes the tenders not greasy at all. I think you will enjoy!
Pancake Battered Chicken Tenders
Serves – 4 to 6
Prep Time – 20 Minutes
Cooking Time – 45 minutes
Does Not Store or Freeze Well
Level Of Difficulty ~ Semi Difficult
Ingredients
- 2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 2 C Complete Pancake Mix
- 1 C Milk
- 1 T Paprika
- 1T Garlic Powder
- 2 t Chili Powder
- 1 T Onion Powder
- 4 Cups Vegetable Oil
- Salt
- Cast Iron Skillet
*The day before you plan to make this dish, place breasts in a bowl, cover with water and add 2 – 3 T of salt, let sit in fridge over night. When you plan to cook, take breasts out of the salt water and dry breasts on paper towels.
Steps
- Mix the pancake mix, spices and milk in a bowl really well until the consistency is smooth.
- Dry the chicken thoroughly, slice into strips. You should get about 20 strips total depending on how thick or think you want your tenders.
- Heat the oil in your cast iron skillet until it is very hot but not smoking.
- Test the temp of the oil by dropping a little of the pancake batter into the oil, its ready if the batter immediate turns brown and floats to the top.
- Cover a cookie sheet in foil and keep next to the frying skillet.
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
- Set up your batter station near the skillet. Chicken – Batter – Skillet
- Dredge each tender through the batter until it’s well coated and let the excess drip off.
- Immediately place battered tenders in skillet.
- You must work quickly and try to get 4 to 6 in the skillet at a time so the oil doesn’t cool from too many tenders at once.
- The tenders should float and you need to turn once while frying.
- Take the tenders out and place on the cookie sheet and fry a new batch.
- When finished frying all the chicken, place cookie sheet in oven and bake tenders for 20 minutes more.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauces.