Tag: chicken nuggets

Tortilla Crusted Chicken Fingers (Baked!)

Wait. Stop. I know what you’re thinking. These look EXACTLY like KFC chicken tenders, now how did she do that?! I’m an accidental genius, that’s how (and a very humble one at that). Read on.

These crazy, amazing, oven-fried crispiest-ever chicken fingers where never supposed to happen. It was around the holidays, Succot to be exact, and I decided to go with a Mexican-themed menu. We’d already had so many meals and I needed a break from the traditional! I made blackened fish tacos, guacamole, taco salad, black bean & chorizo chocolate chili, cornbread, empanadas, and Mexican hot chocolate brownies. Now there was lots of meat going on, but not much in the form of chicken, so I wanted to make sure we had something kid-friendly that matched the Mexican theme. I looked through my pantry for something “corny” and found a half-eaten bag of BBQ tortilla chips – perfect! OK maybe BBQ tortilla chips are not authentically Mexican but I figured it could pass.

And pass it did. Those chicken fingers never even made it to the table. They got passed around and were gone in seconds. And the crazy part is – I made them the most untraditional way – by dipping the chicken in oil instead of egg.

My youngest is allergic, and I wanted to make sure there was something for him to enjoy, so I decided to forgo the egg-dipping and just go for some oil as a binder. True oil is not as sticky as egg, so the chips did not adhere as well – but they were super ultra crispy.

They were also super ultra tasty – because I used BBQ tortilla chips instead of the plain old boring ones. The BBQ seasoning gives the chips a nice color, so even though they’re baked, they look fried. Just like those crispy cornflake chicken tenders you drool over in every fast food commercial.

Speaking of commercials, I had wanted to get these up for Superbowl Sunday this week, but they just didn’t make it. Maybe that’s because I, nor anyone I know, is interested in the game. We’re more like social media geeks than sports fanatics so if you ask my husband and I who played, we have no idea. The only thing I know about Superbowl Sunday is that Katie Perry wore a yalmulkah dress! And I only know that ‘cuz it was all over my whatsapp!

Superbowl or not, these crispy oven-fried chicken tenders are the perfect appetizer for any party. They also make the best child-friendly dinner, with a mayo-salsa sauce for dipping. My picky-eaters loved them, and I’m sure yours will too!

Related Recipes:

french fried chicken nuggets
nut crusted shnitzel

Post a Comment

French Fried Chicken Nuggets

I would imagine there are about as many Pesach minhagim as there are recipes. Each family has their own book of standards and mine is no different. Thankfully, my husband’s family grew up similar to mine so I don’t have to go eating shmaltz or anything! I always considered myself lucky that my family wasn’t that strict, but I guess compared to some people they are. Basically, we use nut oil, peel all fruits & veggies, use liquid sugar and salt (no other spices). The only processed foods that we buy are orange juice, chocolate, potato chips and lady fingers.

On the days leading up to Pesach, once the kitchen has already been cleaned, my mom likes to use many of the processed kosher for Pesach (non-gebroks) products in her cooking. This way, we don’t feel like we are eating Pesach food too early, and we don’t have to eat pizza out of a plastic bag on the front stoop. The following recipe is great for those who use processed ingredients on Pesach, and for those who only eat it before. The instant mashed potato flakes form a crust on the chicken that tastes similar to french fries. It also reminds me of tater tots.

 

1 year ago: breaded gefilte fish patties

Post a Comment

Busy in Brooklyn Lightens Up

At least for this week! :) After all that cheesecake, lasagna and blintzes, I think we all need to lighten up our menu’s just a bit. My husband decided to join the diet bandwagon as well, and I wanted to make him feel good about it. I figured for his first day of dieting, I would treat him to a special dinner. But not just any dinner. A dinner that would show him that you can have your fast food and eat it too!

This was my plan – make his favorite fast food, have it look delicious, taste even better, and keep it lighter than the deep-fried version!

The Steak Santiago sandwich from Subsational is among my husband’s favorites. It includes rib steak with lettuce, tomato, onion and their spicy mayo. To lighten this up, I made an open-face sandwich on a half of a whole wheat baguette with lean sandwich steak, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and sauteed onions. I whipped up some easy garlic mayo with a lowfat canola variety.

Next, onto the fries. Of course fried anything was out of the question. And I had to give the potatoes the boot as well. Instead, I roasted some butternut squash fries with some chili powder and smoked paprika. They came out delicious.

Finally, just for fun I had to throw in a few chicken nuggets. I dipped a few pieces of chicken breasts into light olive oil and flavored corn flake crumbs and baked until crispy (about 15 minutes at 400 degrees – 8 minutes on one side, 5 on the other).

Needless to say, my husband was more than satisfied with this lightened up version of his favorite fast food. Of course I won’t be doing this regularly, but it’s good to know that our favorite comfort foods can still be eaten, albeit on special occasions, and a little on the lighter side!

Post a Comment