Crispy Cornflake Chicken Tenders
Cornflakes make a crust that regular breadcrumbs just can’t match. It’s thick, craggy and loud when you bite in, and it stays crunchy for a good while after frying. Crush them in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin, but not too fine. You want some bigger pieces left in there, because those are what give the tenders their rough, bumpy look.
The milk bath matters more than you’d think. Three hours in milk with garlic, paprika and a little ginger keeps the chicken juicy and seasons it all the way through. I skipped it once when I was in a hurry, and they came out dry and kind of bland. Fry them in small batches so the oil stays hot, and drain them on a rack instead of paper towels so the bottoms don’t go soft.
Crispy cornflake chicken tenders with a thick, crunchy coating and juicy meat inside. The chicken soaks in a seasoned milk marinade, then gets a coat of flour, egg and crushed cornflakes before a quick fry. Serve them hot with honey mustard or your favorite dipping sauce.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Whisk the milk with 1 teaspoon each of the garlic powder, paprika and ginger, plus a pinch each of the salt and pepper. Add the chicken, make sure every piece is submerged, cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.2 cups 2% milk, 1 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 2 1/4 lb chicken tenderloins
- Put the cornflakes in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin or the bottom of a glass until mostly coarse crumbs, with some larger pieces left. Tip them into a shallow dish and stir in a pinch of the paprika and garlic powder.7 oz cornflakes
- In a second shallow dish, mix the flour with the remaining paprika, the rest of the salt and pepper, and a pinch each of the remaining ginger and garlic powder.3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- Beat the eggs in a third shallow dish until smooth.2 large eggs
- Lift each tender out of the milk and let the excess drip off. Dredge it in the seasoned flour, dip it in the egg, then press it firmly into the cornflakes on both sides. Set the breaded tenders on a wire rack while you finish the rest.
- Heat the oil to 350°F in a deep fryer or heavy pot. Fry the tenders in batches of 4 or 5 for 3 to 4 minutes, until deep golden and cooked through (165°F inside). Drain on a wire rack.6 cups vegetable or peanut oil
- Serve the tenders hot, with honey mustard, ranch or barbecue sauce for dipping.
Nutrition
Notes
To bake instead of fry, spray the breaded tenders with oil and bake on a rack set over a sheet pan at 425°F for 18 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway. Leftovers crisp back up in a 400°F oven or air fryer in about 5 minutes.
You might also like our Homemade Honey Mustard Sauce.
my kids said these are better than the drive thru lol. the 3 hr milk soak is worth it, super juicy
baked them at 425 like the note says to skip the oil. not as crunchy as fried but still really good
made these for game day with the honey mustard, gone in minutes. crushing the flakes by hand gives the best texture