Cajun Chicken Tenders
Crispy fried chicken tenders don't just come from a freezer or drive through window. They're easy to make, and a family dinnertime favorite!
Servings: 10 tenders
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups All-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning can increase to up to 4 tablespoons if you want it really strong
- ½ teaspoon Onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tablespoon Water
- 2 pounds Boneless skinless chicken breast trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1" thick strips
- canola, vegetable, or peanut oil for frying (amount depends on your frying vessel, but my 12" cast iron skillet holds about 24 ounces of oil)
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with paper towels, and if you have one, place a wire rack over the baking sheet. Set aside.
- In a large, shallow bowl or dish with sides, mix together the flour, cajun seasoning, onion and garlic powders. Set aside.
- In a second bowl, beat the eggs and water. Set aside.
- Dry the chicken really well with paper towels, then dip one piece at a time into the flour then the eggs, and then back into the flour, pressing to coat the chicken well. Set aside on the wire rack or baking sheet.
- Repeat with the remaining tenders and set them aside while you heat the oil.
- Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches in a large cast iron skillet or deep pot. Heat on medium-high to 375 (you can use a deep-fry thermometer to check if you aren't sure).
- Slowly add three to four pieces of coated chicken, reduce heat to medium-high, and allow them to fry until just brown on one side, about 5 minutes, then turn and cook until golden on the second side; 6 to 7 minutes more. Transfer to the wire rack and baking sheet to drain and repeat with the other tenders. Make sure to stay by the stove!
- If your oil starts to smoke, turn the heat down or pull the skillet off the burner carefully for a minute or two. If your chicken is cooking too slow and the breading is soggy or falling off, turn the heat up. Fully cooked chicken should register 165 degrees on a digital meat thermometer. If it's browned but not fully cooked. Heat oven to 400 degrees and cook until the chicken reaches a safe temperature.
- Serve the tenders warm with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
Cajun seasoning is my family's favorite seasoning blend, but feel free to use any seasoning that your family enjoys.
Nutrition
Serving: 1chicken tender | Calories: 239kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 119mg | Potassium: 403mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 764IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 2mg
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