Baked Chicken Fingers Recipe

Boneless chicken has been on sale for the last couple of weeks. This is a great recipe to use and make ahead a time and freeze. !

Kids love chicken fingers.  What’s not to love?  Moist white-meat chicken encased in a crunchy, crispy crust and dipped in your favorite sauce.  But, honestly, I can’t afford the fat and calories that go along with these little strips from heaven.  So, oven-frying the chicken is the way to go.

I have been using the same chicken breader for years, “House Autry” chicken breader.  This is what my mom uses for chicken, fish, pork, and green tomatoes, so this is what I use, too.  But, if you have a favorite brand, stick to that one. Baked chicken fingers aren’t as crispy as the deep-fried ones, but they are tasty (and much healthier.)  The great thing about this chicken recipe is that the measurements are“guesstimates.” Rule of thumb is to start with the lesser amount of breader, then add small amounts as you run low.  You can use any dressing or marinade you prefer or none at all.  However, marinating your chicken will result in a more tender and flavorful meat.

Of course, when boneless, skinless chicken breasts are on sale, stock up and make a big batch of baked chicken fingers, doubling or tripling the recipe.  Bake as directed, and when the chicken fingers are cool, place in quart-size freezer bags and freeze flat for up to 3 months.  Simply reheat and enjoy.

The kids can eat these treats with their favorite dipping sauce.  For the grown-ups, chicken fingers are tasty in a wrap with shredded cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes.  If you have leftovers, toss a few chicken fingers on top of a green salad for a light meal.  And, chicken Parmesan mini-subs are a snap to put together using chicken fingers, pasta sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.  Enjoy!

 

Baked Chicken Fingers 

1 ½ lbs. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips|
1/3 c. Italian dressing
1/3 c. to ½ c. chicken breader

Place chicken strips in a gallon-size storage bag and pour Italian dressing over chicken.  Seal and marinate for 20 minutes to overnight.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray broiler pan with butter-flavored non-stick spray.  Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade.  Shake excess from chicken and roll strips in breader, carefully coating all sides.  Place breaded chicken fingers on prepared broiler pan.  Lightly spray  baked chicken fingers with butter-flavor spray.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes.  Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Dipping sauce: Combine ½  c. yellow mustard, ½.c. honey, 1 t. poppy seeds; serve with chicken fingers.

Check out more chicken recipes:

Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe
Quick Chicken Pot Pie
Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken