These potato chip crusted chicken tenders are super crispy on the outside, while still deliciously moist on the inside. Serve with homemade honey mustard!
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
The chicken tenders are best eaten the same day. But will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The honey mustard will keep in the fridge for up to 10 days.