Homemade Chicken Tenders

Name: Homemade Chicken Strips (AKA Chicken Fingers)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 3 pounds chicken tenders; 1 ½ cup milk; 1 Tablespoon lemon juice; 1 Tablespoon cornstarch; 1 ½ teaspoon granulated sugar; pinch ground black pepper; 1 ½ cup panko bread crumbs; ¾ cup all-purpose flour; 1 ½ Tablespoon onion powder; ½ teaspoon oregano; 1 ½ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 pinch ground garlic; 2 ½ cups vegetable or peanut oil

Updated: December 20, 2023 | 92 Comments

12.56

1.57

Print Recipe

Jump to Recipe

Facebook Pinterest X

Our families gobble up these Homemade Chicken Fingers every time we make them. The recipe includes instructions for baking and frying.

This recipe serves 8 and costs about $12.56 to make; that’s just around $1.57 per serving!

The finished Chicken fingers recipe with text overlay for Pinterest.

Table of Contents

Homemade Chicken Strips Recipe

We’ve all thrown a bunch of frozen chicken nuggets on a plate and put it in the microwave for a minute and called it dinner, right? This is great and certainly necessary at times. But what about some better-tasting chicken fingers than the frozen kind?

Homemade chicken fingers are so much better tasting than the frozen kind. We think they’re even better than what you can get at a restaurant. This is one of those meals that the kids will love just as much as the adults.

In this post, we’ll show you just how easy this recipe is to put together. In fact, we are going to share with you two different ways to make these Chicken Fingers: fried and baked!

You can skip the restaurant and the frozen brands by making these chicken fingers at home instead. The crispy outer layer atop the juicy chicken fingers will be your new go-to recipe on those nights when you need an easy dinner everyone will love.

Make sure you serve these along with our Copycat Chick-Fil-A Sauce!

PRO TIP: We always have a few pounds of these in the freezer so we can get dinner on the table fast!

What You’ll Love About Homemade Chicken Fingers

Crunchy Texture: The Panko bread crumbs add a crispy texture that is a satisfying crunch in combination with the juicy tender chicken tenders.
Versatility: These can be made for a summertime lunch or a weeknight meal. Make them in the oven or fry them on the stovetop. Dip them in your favorite sauce so there will be something for everyone.
Easy Preparation: The recipe is so simple that you can get your kids involved in the process. It uses staple ingredients you most likely already have on hand.

Chicken Fingers Recipe Ingredients & Cost

Recipe Cost: $12.56

Per Serving: $1.57

1 1/2 cups milk – $0.29
1 Tablespoon lemon juice – $0.06
3/4 cup all-purpose flour – $0.06
1 Tablespoon cornstarch – $0.03
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar – $0.02
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs – $1.95
1 1/2 Tablespoon onion powder – $0.15
1/2 teaspoon oregano – $0.02
1 1/2 teaspoons salt – $0.02
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper – $0.02
3 pounds chicken fingers – $8.97
Optional for frying: 2 1/2 cups vegetable or peanut oil – $1.20

The recipe cost is calculated by the amounts needed for the recipe. To find out more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained. The pricing for this recipe was updated in June 2023.

How to make Chicken Tenders

***For complete recipe instructions, see the recipe card below.

Marinate: whisk together the marinade ingredients in a large bowl.
Chill: set the chicken in the bowl and chill in the fridge for fifteen to sixty minutes.
Coating: using a pie plate, whisk together the ingredients for the coating.
Prep for Frying: place two cups of oil in a deep skillet and heat oil over medium-high heat.
Prep for Baking: preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, line a baking sheet with foil, and set a wire rack on top of the foil. Spray the rack with nonstick cooking spray.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and cover each piece in the coating.
To Fry: fry the chicken pieces for three to four minutes on one side before flipping and frying for two to three minutes on the other side. Set the fried chicken on a paper towel-lined plate while you fry the remaining pieces.
To bake: place them on the wire rack and spray the tops with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for fifteen to twenty minutes, flipping and spraying the chicken tenders halfway through. Cool for five minutes before serving.

Chicken Strips Recipe Variations & Substitutions

Sometimes we omit the seasonings in the coating mixture and use 2 tablespoons of dry ranch seasoning or onion soup mix instead.
If you want to spice things up a little, add 2 Tablespoons of Franks RedHot hot sauce to the marinade.

How to Store Homemade Chicken Tenders

How to Serve Chicken Fingers

You can keep the cooked chicken tenders at room temperature for up to 2 hours before they will need to be refrigerated.

How to Store Homemade Chicken Strips

Place leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

How to Freeze Chicken Tenders

It’s best to freeze these after cooking them.

How to Freeze Homemade Chicken Tenders after Cooking

Cool them to room temperature and then place them into a freezer-safe Ziploc bag. You can freeze them this way for 4-6 months.

How to Cook Frozen Chicken Fingers

Whether they were initially fried or baked, it’s best to reheat chicken fingers by placing them on a baking sheet and heating them in a 350-degree F oven for 20-25 minutes.

Homemade Chicken Fingers FAQs

What is chicken fingers made of?

Chicken fingers which are also known as chicken tenders or chicken strips. They are pieces of chicken that are found on either side of the breastbone. The raw meat is covered in a flour mixture and then put on a baking sheet to bake or into hot oil to fry.

Why are they called chicken fingers?

Listen to this riddle, “why are chicken fingers called chicken fingers if chickens don’t have fingers?!” Seriously though, why are they called chicken fingers? They are called chicken fingers because strips are cut from a tenderloin that is cut to be a finger’s width in thickness.

Get Kids Involved in making these Homemade Chicken Strips

Ages 2-3: Let them help measure and mix the marinade and bread crumbs mixture. They can also lay paper towels out on a plate for you.

Ages 4-5: Let them help make the marinade and put the chicken in the marinade.

Ages 6-8: Have your kiddo dip the chicken in the bread crumbs and coat the pieces before frying or baking. Teach them the importance of washing their hands and the work surface after handling raw chicken.

Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe.

Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe unsupervised while you do the happy dance in the corner!

Chicken Strips Recipe Budget Tips

Skip the lines at the drive-thru and save your money but making these Homemade Chicken Fingers at home instead of eating out.

Overhead picture of homemade chicken fingers on a platter with a small bowl of dipping sauce.

More Main Dish Recipes

Like it? Save for later!

Pin For Later

A close up picture of homemade chicken fingers on a platter

Homemade Chicken Strips (AKA Chicken Fingers)

Recipe Cost 12.56

Serving Cost 1.57

Author Jess Jankowski

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Our families gobble up these Homemade Chicken Fingers every time we make them. The recipe includes instructions for baking and frying.

Servings: 8 people

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 55

Equipment

large bowl
whisk
pie plate
large deep skillet
baking sheet
wire rack
tongs
Measuring spoons
measuring cups
mixing spoon
Liquid measuring cup

Ingredients

3 pounds chicken tenders

MARINADE:

1 ½ cup milk
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
pinch ground black pepper

COATING:

1 ½ cup panko bread crumbs
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ Tablespoon onion powder
½ teaspoon oregano
1 ½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pinch ground garlic

FOR FRYING:

2 ½ cups vegetable or peanut oil

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

PREP THE CHICKEN:

Trim the chicken of any of the white membranes.

MARINATE THE CHICKEN:

In a large bowl whisk to combine the marinade ingredients.
Add the chicken, cover, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, but no more than 60 minutes.

MAKE COATING:

In a pie plate whisk together all of the ingredients for the coating.

HEAT THE OIL OR OVEN:

If frying the chicken, place 2 cups of oil in a large deep skillet. Heat oil over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 360 degrees F. Line a large plate with 3 layers of paper towels.
If baking the chicken, move the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack right in the pan right on top of the foil. Spray the rack with nonstick cooking spray.

COAT CHICKEN:

Take 2 chicken tenders out of the milk marinade and let the excess marinade drip off. Then, place the chicken in the bread crumbs mixture and cover all sides with the bread crumbs. Transfer chicken tenders to a clean plate and repeat the coating process with the remaining chicken tenders.

FRYING INSTRUCTIONS:

Once the oil is up to temp, add 2-3 pieces of chicken to the hot oil. Fry for 3-4 minutes or until golden. Then, flip the chicken and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the chicken is golden and the chicken registers 165 degrees F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the chicken.
Move the chicken fingers to the paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Repeat the frying with the remaining chicken. Serve.

BAKING INSTRUCTIONS:

Place the coated chicken tenders right on top of the wire rack set inside a baking sheet. Generously spray the tops of the chicken with nonstick cooking spray.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping and spraying halfway through, until golden and crispy and the chicken registers 165 degrees F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the chicken. Cool for 5 minutes and then serve.

Video

Nutrition

Love this recipe?Follow @EasyBudgetRecipes or tag #EasyBudgetRecipes!