You know what sucks? That Chick-fil-a is closed on Sunday's (real hot take, I know) because a tray of Chick-fil-a nuggets would be the perfect addition to any Super Bowl party. But don't worry, these potato chip crusted chicken tenders are just as good! They're both super crispy and incredibly juicy. I've also included the recipe for easy, homemade honey mustard but you can serve them with whatever sauce your heart desires!
These chicken tenders are super easy to make and just require a few simple tricks to maximize the flavors!
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Ingredient Notes
You just need a few simple ingredients to make these potato chip chicken tenders!
Chicken - Make sure you cut the chicken breasts into small, bite-sized pieces!
Vodka - Adding vodka to the eggs is my secret ingredient for making crispy chicken tenders!
Cornstarch - Cornstarch helps the tenders fry up nice and crispy while sealing the juices inside!
Potato Chips - I love making these tenders with classic Lay's Potato Chips! But you can use whatever type of chips you prefer (Kyle loves jalapeno kettle cooked chips)! Crushed Doritos are also a fun option.
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Chicken Tenders
Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized (2 inch) pieces and evenly coat with kosher salt. Don’t go too crazy, but a nice even layer is good! Dry brine the chicken for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
In a small bowl, mix together the flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Then sift the ingredients together onto a medium size plate.
In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and vodka.
On another medium plate, crush up your potato chips into small even pieces. Try not to leave any large pieces because those are more likely to fall off when frying. I usually crush about half the bag at first because you can always add more.
Pour 2-4 cups of vegetable oil (you want it to be about 2 inches deep) into a large, heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat until the oil reached 370°F. Place a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet and position it next to your stove. [I love this thermometer because it clips to the pot.] You can tell if it's ready by dropping a little bit of flour in and if it sizzles, it's ready.
Lightly coat the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, then dip in the egg/vodka mixture, and lastly coat with crushed potato chips. You want to firmly press the potato chips onto the chicken as opposed to just sprinkling them, this will make them stick better.
Note: I only prepare a few at a time because it takes me 3-4 batches to fry them all and I don’t want the potato chips to get soggy while waiting.
Add 5-6 pieces at a time (make sure they aren't crowded in the pan) and fry for 5-7 minutes. They will be a dark golden brown. Note: I like to fry a single tender first and cut it in half after about 5 minutes to make sure the timing is right. Use an instant thermometer to make sure the chicken reaches 160°F in the center.
Serve with homemade honey mustard or homemade ranch dressing!
I also love to serve these potato chip chicken tenders with my homemade fried okra or fried pickles!
Tips for the Best Chicken Tenders!!
For perfect, juicy chicken tenders every time, make sure to read all my tips and tricks!
Bite-Sized Pieces
Obviously bite-sized pieces are great because they're, well, bite-sized, but there's even more to it than that! Smaller pieces cook a lot faster which is a big plus when deep frying. The longer the cook time, the more likely the outside will burn or get overdone. 2 inch pieces cook in about 5-7 minutes which is the perfect amount of time to achieve a crispy crust and still tender meat inside. Also, smaller pieces means more of that yummy potato chip crust per bite!
Dry Brine
Dry brining is a fantastic way to add flavor and tenderize your meat. Since we're working with little 2 inch pieces, we only have to dry brine the chicken for about 30 minutes. What is dry brining? It's literally just a fancy way of saying that we're going to salt the meat and let it sit for a while. The salt draws the juices to the surface of the meat and then dissolves forming a brine that is then reabsorbed by the meat. This leads to super tender, juicy, and flavorful chicken!
Vodka
If you haven’t heard of this trick, you’ll never fry chicken another way again! I mix vodka with my egg before applying the potato chip coating. This is the key to getting that super crisp exterior! Just trust me, it's so worth it!
What kind of vodka to use? I use Tito's because it's the best 'multipurpose' vodka in my opinion. It's not cheap but it's also not expensive. I like to drink it but I also don't mind using it to cook with. You can buy cheaper vodka just for cooking but I always have Tito's on hand and I don't cook with it that often.
Use a Meat Thermometer
Using an instant read thermometer is the best way to tell when your potato chip chicken tenders are done and to make sure you don't overcook them! After about 5 minutes, start checking until the chicken reaches 160°F in the center.
Recipe FAQ's
The chicken tenders are best eaten the same day. But will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Place the tenders on a baking sheet and heat in the oven at 400°F for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. This keeps them more crispy than if they were reheated in the microwave.
Yes! I prefer them fried, but you do you. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 425°F. Prepare the tenders according to the recipe, then bake for 10-15 minutes or until they reach an internal temp of 160°F.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
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Recipe Card
Potato Chip Crusted Chicken Tenders
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken Tenders
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- ¼ cup vodka
- 1 large bag Lay's classic potato chips, or whatever chips your heart desires
- 2-4 cups canola oil, for frying
Honey Mustard
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 ½ tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Instructions
Chicken Tenders
- Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized (2 inch) pieces and evenly coat with kosher salt. Don’t go too crazy, but a nice even layer is good! Dry brine the chicken for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- In a small bowl, mix together the flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Then sift the ingredients together onto a medium size plate.
- In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and vodka.
- On another medium plate, crush up your potato chips into small even pieces. Try not to leave any large pieces because those are more likely to fall off when frying. I usually crush about half the bag at first because you can always add more.
- Start heating 2-3 inches of vegetable oil in your Dutch oven or large pot (about 2-4 cups depending on the size of your pot) over medium-high heat while you bread the chicken tenders. You want the oil to reach about 370°F. You can tell if it's ready by dropping a little bit of flour in and if it sizzles, it's ready.
- Lightly coat the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, then dip in the egg/vodka mixture, and lastly coat with crushed potato chips. You want to firmly press the potato chips onto the chicken as opposed to just sprinkling them, this will make them stick better. Note: I only prepare a few at a time because it takes me 3-4 batches to fry them all and I don’t want the potato chips to get soggy while waiting.
- Add 5-6 pieces at a time (make sure they aren't crowded in the pan) and fry for 5-7 minutes. They will be a dark golden brown. Note: I like to fry a single tender first and cut it in half after about 5 minutes to make sure the timing is right. Use an instant thermometer to make sure the chicken reaches 160°F in the center.
- Let cool for 10 minutes on a paper towel before eating.
Honey Mustard
- Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl. That's it!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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Lisa A. says
My kids loved them! Will definitely make again!
Michele @ BaconFatte.com says
You had me at Titos... Learned some new tricks in this recipe, and I absolutely can't wait to try them out!