Chicken fingers don’t have to be just the classic kid’s meal. I know plenty of adults who enjoy them as well, but most adults are a little more discriminating about the quality that they like to have. Personally, I like chicken fingers that have good crunch and flavor to them but are not covered with a ton of breading or coating and taste greasy from the deep-frying. It’s a tricky balance, but it can be done if you put your mind to it. I came across this recipe in Saveur magazine for some chicken fingers that looked great, seemed simple to make and even had a nice dipping sauce on the side to make.

Homemade Chicken Fingers

For the Chicken Fingers:

2 pounds, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cunt into 3-inch long by 1-inch wide strips

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups panko breadcrumbs or finely ground fresh breadcrumbs

Vegetable or canola oil, for frying

For the Dipping Sauce:

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon dry mustard powder

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the dipping sauce, in a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise with the honey, dill, mustard powder and lemon juice. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste and stir together until the sauce is smooth. Set the sauce aside.

For the chicken fingers, in a medium bowl, toss together the chicken strips, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and mustard powder. Set the chicken aside. Place the all purpose flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow dishes; set the dishes aside. Pour the oil into a large Dutch oven until it reaches a depth of about 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer inserted into the oil registers 325 degrees. Working in batches, coat the chicken in the flour, shake off any excess, and then dip the chicken in the eggs; shake off any excess and the roll the chicken in the breadcrumbs. Set the chicken aside and repeat with all of the chicken pieces until they are all coated. Working in batches, fry the chicken pieces until they are golden brown and crisp all over, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat the process with the remaining chicken until all of the chicken is fried. Serve the chicken with the dipping sauce.

These were very easy to make and came out perfect. They were nice and crisp on the outside and were cooked ideally on the inside. The sauce had some great flavor with the honey and the dill and I also made the avocado ranch dipping sauce I have made in the past as well to give us a choice of sauces. Everyone loved them and these are great for a meal, a party or as an appetizer. I even used the leftovers as chicken for a buffalo chicken pizza I made the next day.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. I have some great side dishes I have tried recently along with a few other dishes that have been great for sharing. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!