Chicken Strips With A Nutty Finish

Chicken strips coated in breading are tasty but there are other ways to eating your chicken strips.

Have you tried coating your chicken strips with nuts? The flavor enhancing qualities of nuts vs bread crumbs is massive. Nuts contain natural fats and oils that are good for you and using them as a crust eliminates the need to fry your chicken strips.

This recipe calls for pecans to crust your chicken strips but you can use almonds, cashews, or just about any other nut.

Give these chicken strips a try, you won’t be disappointed.

Instructions

• 1 and 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts or tenders

• 2 cups pecans

• 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 2 large eggs

• chopped parsley for garnish, optional

Instructions

1. Set out 3 medium size bowls. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat/parchment paper or coat heavily with nonstick spray. Set aside.

2. If using chicken breasts, pound down and cut into strips. If using boneless, skinless chicken tenders (chicken tenders are the lean strips of meat found attached to the underside of chicken breasts – they can also be purchased separately.) – cut in half lengthwise. Set aside.

3. Pulse 1/2 cup of pecan halves in a food processor or a blender until fine crumbs are formed. Be careful not to pulse into a nut butter, just a few pulses until they are ground up. See photo above in this post for a visual. In one of the medium bowls from step 1, mix the pecan crumbs with flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. Set aside.

4. Pulse the remaining pecan halves into coarse crumbs– larger pieces than the ground pecans from step 3. Pour them into another medium bowl. Finally, whisk the 2 eggs until beaten in the 3rd medium bowl.

5. Coat each chicken strip in the flour/ground pecan mixture, shaking off any excess. Then, dip in egg and let any excess drip off. Then, generously roll in the coarsely chopped pecans, shaking off any excess. Place the chicken strips on the prepared baking sheet.

6. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn each piece over and continue baking until the outside is crisp and the centers are cooked through, about 10 minutes more. Baking times may vary, just make sure yours are cooked through. If you like them browner, bake longer. Careful, you don’t want to burn the nuts.

7. Serve chicken fingers with a garnish of parsley, some honey mustard, and/or your favorite condiment. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Recipe source: Sally’s Baking Addiction

Photo source: Van Chaplin; Styling: Vanessa McNeil Rocchio-Southern Living