These baked chicken strips are easy to make when you’re craving something like fried chicken, but don’t actually want to deep fry anything.
The marinade is made with two simple ingredients: buttermilk and hot wing sauce.
I like this hot wing sauce because it only contains cayenne peppers, vinegar, salt, garlic and a little oil.
Just swirl them up together.
Small chicken tenderloins are the best to use, but you can also slice chicken breasts lengthtwise into 1″ wide strips.
Marinate the strips for 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
Mix together whole grain bread crumbs, panko bread crumbs, and grated parmesan cheese for the breading.
Drain each piece from the marinade, then coat with the crumbs.
Spread 3 T. oil over the bottom of a large baking sheet. Place in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and lay the coated chicken strips in a single layer.
Drizzle the chicken tops with another ~3 T. oil. Use an oil mister, or pour oil from a bottle with a small, narrow spout to coat the pieces as evenly as possible. (I was in a rush, and a bit lazy in the picture above, and used a spoon, which resulted in a clunky and messy job. See the picture below for a better job!)
Bake for 10-13 minutes until cooked through.
I used an oil mister to spray the top of these, which results in an even, prettier golden crust.
They’ll be crispiest fresh from the oven. The breading will soften, but these are delicious cold too, and would be perfect to pack for a picnic.
I think there’s still time for one more picnic before summer ends.
- 3 lbs. small chicken tenderloins, or chicken breasts cut lengthwise into 1" wide strips
- 1-1/2 c. buttermilk
- ¾ c. hot wing sauce (NOT "Tabasco" or hot sauce)
- 1-1/4 c. whole grain bread crumbs
- 1 c. panko bread crumbs
- ¾ c. grated parmesan cheese
- 6 T. oil
- Mix buttermilk and hot wing sauce together in a shallow pan. Add in chicken, coating well. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine bread crumbs, panko, and parmesan cheese well in a shallow dish or loaf pan. Allow excess marinade to drip off each chicken strip before dredging it in the crumb mixture.
- Spread 3 T. oil over the bottom of a large baking sheet. Heat in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove baking sheet from the oven and place the coated chicken strips in a single layer. Use an oil mister or oil bottle with a small, narrow spout to drizzle another 3 T. oil over the chicken tops.
- Bake for 10-13 minutes until cooked through.
- Notes: Prep time does not include marinating time (1 to 1-1/2 hours); Hot wing sauce usually contains only cayenne peppers, vinegar, salt, garlic and a little oil.
