Hey everyone, I’m making Crispy Chicken Tenders with this absolutely amazing Copy-Cat Chick-Filet Sauce. I promise you are going to love this recipe. I am excited to share my Fine Wine pairing with this amazing appetizer. Before I go forward with the recipe, a word about the Grand Cru AVP wine I will be pair this evening. This Label has a reputation for being a absolute Finest of Wines from our very own vineyards in Napa Valley. I have been saving this Grand Cru selected bottle of AVP for about 3 years for that perfect occasion. Tonight is that night.
Best Crispy Chicken Tenders
As you know, my name is Candice, and today I’m going to be showing you how to make these crispy chicken tenders in the air fryer. They have this irresistibly crispy exterior, and then on the inside, they’re just perfectly juicy and tender. So if you have an air fryer, you have got to make this recipe. Before discovering this on Tik Tok, my son would only eat Kick Your Butt Hot Wings. My sons always see who can eat the most and the hottest wings. I think it’s stupid, but they have done it their entire lives, and later, when their stomachs hurt, I was like, was it worth it? Obviously, because they do it again and again.
You’ll notice that these aren’t your typical Crispy Chicken Tenders that your mother would make for the entire family. Big juicy chicken breasts, dipped in egg and flour. Which don’t get me wrong, I’ll take my mom’s homemade fried chicken any day. But this is prepared in a way I’ve never seen before, and boy is it delicious.
You will not regret making the Best Crispy Chicken Tenders Recipe
Oh, by the way I will try and keep this short and to the point, so that we can get to the best part. I forgot to tell you I am going to show you the secret to making a Copy-Cat Chick Filet Sauce. This is my son’s new favorite. It is perfection at its finest. That tangy but sweet BBQ sauce is so yummy, just thinking about it makes my mouth water. This stuff is so good, and I’m not trying to brag or nothing, but it is spot on. Even though it’s not my original recipe, I take credit for it when I prepare it. So, like I was saying before, about 3 months ago, my youngest son Nathaniel found it on Tik Tok. It’s super easy to make, and it has literally become one of our favorite go-to appetizers.
Let’s get into it.
Preparing to cook with Chicken *Top Priority*
Because I’m dealing with chicken and cross contaminating I get everything ready and set up before I slice the chicken and make a mess. (FYI: I am very crazy when it comes to the fat on chicken and the veins; all that gross stuff so I did all the preparation before the Wine and Dine).
Starting with the Chicken Marinade
- You want to add a 1/4 cup of mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
- 1 pressed garlic clove into a large bowl
- and then give it a good mixing set aside
Next, toss a pound of cut chicken meat into that bowl. Evenly spread all the good batter all over your chicken tenders. Then use tongs to evenly coat the chicken in the marinade. Then set the chicken aside for a few minutes. You can even marinate it overnight for extra flavor. Which is what I intended to do for this wine and dine but did not have the time last night.
Pairing With 2017 Grand Cru AVP Fine Wine
I will be pairing my appetizer with a glass of the Grand Cru AVP. I have been savoring this bottle for a special occasion. Every one in our Fine Wine Club raves about it all the time. Very excited to see how it pairs with this appetizer. (I will update after Wednesdays Wine and Dine).
Now for the Breading with a twist
- In a medium sized bowl add 1/2 a cup of plain breadcrumbs
- 1/2 a cup of panko style breadcrumbs
- and a 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese I use the grated dry parmesan its perfect
- add 3/4 teaspoons of salt
- 1/8 of a teaspoon of black pepper WHISK IT TOGETHER
Now generously coat the chicken tenders in the breading mixture one at a time. I like to press the crumbs into the chicken as much as possible. To really get the most crispiness out of these tenders. But my husband doesn’t like a lot the breading so, I try to please everyone. Most of the time I make 2 different sizes of chicken and 2 different batches.
Because I work them in batches; I prepare the thicker strips first. Air Fryer is usually ready by then so I place the first batch in the basket. Spray the chicken side I will be placing down on the basket, then spray top side with coconut spray or if I’m out, I’ll use regular butter spray.
Place them about 3/4 inch apart. Depending how big your Air Fryer is mine is not to big so I place 4-5 Strips again depends on size of chicken.
Next, I set the temperature at 400 degrees Fahrenheit turn timer to 5 minutes. Then flip them and set timer for another 4-5 minutes until Gold Crispy Chicken. (A good way to know if your chicken is done is by inserting a meat thermometer into the center of the chicken and it should read at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit).
In the meantime, here is how to make that amazing Chick-filet sauce.
- Add 1/2 a tablespoon of boiling water I put it in Microwave for 30 seconds
- 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and then stir it until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Then set it aside.
- Now in a small bowl add 1 cup of mayonnaise,
- A 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce,
- 1 and a 1/2 tablespoons of yellow mustard,
- Then go ahead and add the sugar syrup and whisk everything together until it is well combined.
TIPs: Do not over fill the basket because they tend to not cook evenly, and if you follow these tips you’ll have perfect crispy chicken tenders that are juicy and fabulous every time.
Homemade Buttermilk Ranch to dip your Best Crispy Chicken Tenders
- In a bowl at 1/2 a cup of sour cream,
- 1/3 cup of mayonnaise,
- 1/4 teaspoon of Dijon mustard.
- Then pour in 1/2 a cup of buttermilk
- squeeze in 1/2 a teaspoon of fresh lime juice.
- Then add 1/2 a teaspoon of onion powder,
- 1/2 a teaspoon of garlic powder,
- 1/2 a teaspoon of granulated sugar
- 1/2 a teaspoon of dry dill.
All right, the last batch of chicken tenders is done, and while they’re still warm, you want to enjoy them because you really want to get the most out of that crispy crust. This is any ones air fryer dreams are made of! This is really, really good! The outside of this chicken is just so crispy and perfectly golden brown. Now the inside, it is so, so moist and tender And the sauce is to die for.
Best Crispy Chicken Tenders Paired with our Grand Cru 2017 AVP Fine Wine hope you enjoyed the show. See you here next Wednesday, and every Wednesday after that. Take a look at these awesome gadgets, from awesome bottle openers to kids’ toys and unique gifts for men.
COMMENTS FROM THE AUTHOR:
I wanted to come on and thank each of you that came on my offer page to check out my recipe and took the time to like my recipe I hope each of you have enjoyed this crispy chicken tenders and Chickfilet sauce as much as my family has because it is hmm hmm yummy. Thanks again and I will be sharing more of my families favorite recipes right here so stay tune for more. Very Grateful that everyone is loving this as much as my family enjoys it! It’s been a year since I first wrote this article and so much love thank you everyone June 27, 2024.
Here is another wonderful Wine pairing from this morning Dec. 9, 2023 Chris Babb. Take a look it looks so amazing
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