Fried Chicken Strips Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you get batter to stick to chicken strips? ›

Step 1: Pat the chicken dry

Just as important as the first patting down of the chicken's surface, the final pat down of your meat after covering it with breading helps every piece of crunchy coating adhere. After coating chicken in an egg and breading layer, gently pat all sides.

If the oil isn't hot enough when you start frying the chicken, the chicken will absorb too much oil and won't get crispy. You want to make sure that the oil is at the right temperature before you start frying the chicken. The ideal temperature for frying chicken is around 350°F.

Prepare the breading station: Place flour in a shallow bowl. Place eggs and water in a second shallow bowl. Place bread crumbs in a third shallow bowl, and mix in ground black pepper and cayenne pepper. Coat chicken in flour, then eggs, and then bread crumbs, one piece at a time, and set aside.

You should always start with a layer of flour. This helps absorb moisture on the surface of the chicken, which would keep the breading from sticking and make a mess in the hot oil. The flour also gives the egg something to cling to—otherwise it would slide right off the chicken.

Following the normal process of flour, egg & coating put them in the fridge before you fry them, this allows the coating to stick. I make sure my chicken is dry and room temperature, dip in egg, then breadcrumbs.

Double Dredge

The best way to ensure the breading will stay on the chicken is to double down on the flour. This creates a super thick, extra crispy coating on your chicken. After dredging the chicken in seasoned flour, dip it into an egg wash and place it back into the flour.

Now, that's no mystery, but what you might not know is that it's important to allow the chicken to rest before frying so the coating has a chance to hydrate and get a little sticky. Otherwise, it can slide right off of the chicken when it's placed in the hot oil.

You Don't Start Dry

The first step to breading chicken is crucial; make sure the chicken is completely dry before starting the dredging process. Using a paper towel, pat the meat dry on all sides. Excess moisture will cause the flour to get soggy and thus will not adhere properly to the chicken.

To the confusion, chicken tenders and fingers are sometimes sold as chicken strips. This may be a result of the actual chicken meat being cut into strips before they are breaded and fried. According to the USDA, strips, unlike tenders and fingers, do not actually have to be made from breast meat.

How do you keep breading on chicken tenders? ›

Use beaten egg, any kind of milk, or a combination of both, and then dip the pieces into the breading. Alternatively, put the breading in a gallon-sized bag or large paper bag, drop the chicken in, and shake, shake, shake. Once coated, press the breading against the chicken firmly.

Pressure fryers allow the exterior of the chicken to get extra crispy, yet at the same time, it also creates meat that's ultra juicy and succulent inside. Pressure fryers can also fry chicken extremely fast, which allows KFC to cook big batches to keep up with customer demand.

Chinese stir-fried chicken is extra tender due to the velveting technique. Chicken is sliced into thin, even-sized pieces and then marinated briefly in a mix of baking soda, cornstarch, wine, and seasoning. This seals in moisture and tenderizes the chicken.

The key is to coat, dip, and re-coate. The basic problem with batter that won't stick is that the food is too wet. Dry it out first, with paper towels or place in a tray in the refrigerator for a few hours.

But taking the extra time to soak your meat in buttermilk and let the flour set will ensure that your breading is fully adhered for the perfect breaded pork chops or breaded chicken. This creates a final result that is crispy on the outside, juicy in the middle, and altogether irresistible.

But why is battered fried food so tricky? First, if the fryer oil temperature isn't at the right level, it won't keep the batter adhered to the food. That's because the batter is at a lower temperature than the oil in the fryer, which causes the batter to ooze off and not stick.