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Crack Chicken Tenders


  • Author: Lina Quinn

Description

Let me introduce you to the most addictive chicken tenders you’ll ever make. We call them “crack” chicken because, well, you literally cannot stop eating them. I made these for my brother’s football watch party last year and I swear grown men were fighting over the last piece. They’ve got this perfect blend of crunchy, spicy, and sweet with a secret sauce that’ll make you want to lick your fingers, the plate, and possibly your neighbor’s plate too (don’t do that last one). These aren’t your basic drive-thru tenders – these are the kind that’ll get you texts at midnight asking for the recipe.


Ingredients

Scale

 

For the Chicken:

  • 2 lbs chicken tenders (or chicken breasts cut into strips if you’re feeling industrious)
  • 2 cups buttermilk (the secret to tender chicken, trust me)
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce (Frank’s, Tabasco, whatever you’ve got)
  • 2 cups panko breadcrumbs (the REGULAR ones are fine, but get the panko if you can)
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan (the dry kind in the shaker works best here)
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder (not garlic salt – we’re controlling our sodium here, people)
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika (regular works too, but smoked gives that extra oomph)
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust if you’re a spice wimp)
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar (THE SECRET INGREDIENT)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • Cooking spray or 2 tablespoons melted butter

For the Crack Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup mayo (full fat – we’re not here to count calories)
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (the grainy kind is best)
  • 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce (sweet baby ray’s is my go-to)
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder if you’re lazy like me sometimes)
  • Salt and pepper to taste