Oven Baked Chicken Fingers
I never had any children and neither has David. As a friend of ours once told us – “we have been in retirement mode for a long time now!” I always wanted to have some little munchkins around. I love children and they love me. All my life, I have always been “that” favorite aunt. Unfortunately I couldn’t have any… My body wouldn’t have been able to bring a little one to term… C’est la vie!
We are free to go as we please, get up when we want when we’re not working and eat whatever and whenever we want… not too shabby! On the other hand, I was also the “aunt” that ended up babysitting quite often… preparing 3 meals a day plus mid-afternoon snacks. It was a lot to handle for a few days when you don’t have the experience of being a parent…
It was when I was babysitting my godchild Emily for 5 days that I first came up with “child friendly” menu items. I made her my first Oven Baked Chicken Fingers ever. They were alright and she didn’t complain but she sure never asked for more…
A few years later, I was in a relationship with someone else who had a young daughter, Mackenzie. That really put me on the spot to make a wide variety of recipes for her. Although she was curious about trying new foods (like me), she still wanted to enjoy “kid” stuff!
Frying is not my forte. Although I have a few recipes that I’ve posted on Club Foody that are fried, if I can avoid the fryer at any time, I will. This is exactly what I did with this featured recipe… my Oven Baked Chicken Fingers!
Served with a dipping sauce like Honey Mustard, kids just love those little chicken strips! As I’ve never been a fan of fast food, including fried food, this is not the kind of dish I was crazy about. The first time I made them for Emily, she was a real “trooper” – being a favorite aunt has some serious benefits! Although they weren’t anything fantastic, she still ate these oven baked chicken fingers and I knew I had to bring my “A” game. After a couple of attempts, I finally got it… nice and crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. That became my “kid” dish to serve when having these little people over…
Having Mackenzie every second weekend, it was a dish she really enjoyed. Not only did I have her participate in the preparation but I also showed her a “healthier” way to cook food; baked not fried!
Whenever we had a “oven baked chicken fingers” night, she knew that she would have to put her little apron on, tie her hair back and help me in the kitchen. She was an amazing little girl that I really loved and connected with so well. Unfortunately her father showed me his true colors and that was it… I had to leave him. The sad part of all this is I’ve always missed her…
I have to respect and congratulate all of you with children out there! This is not only a serious task but also a major commitment. As a parent figure to those cute little ones, you have to be careful about everything you do, say, make, achieve, and so on. After all, they look up to you…
Bon Appétit!
Check out these other yummy finger food recipes…
– Coney Island Hot Dogs
– Baked Chicken Drumettes (or wings)
– Italian-Style Bruschetta
– Grilled Fish Tacos
– Chicken Gyros
– Carnival Corn Dog
and for even more chicken recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Poultry
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Oven Baked Chicken Fingers
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Ingredients
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (slightly over 1 lb), cut into strips of 5-inch long by 1-inch wide
- 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp. garlic salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 3 large free-run eggs, beaten
- 2 cups Panko® breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF
- Lightly coat a baking sheet lined with foil using cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large re-sealable plastic bag, combine flour, cayenne pepper, garlic salt, and freshly ground black pepper; close and shake well to combine.
- In a shallow bowl, add the beaten eggs.
- In another shallow bowl, combine breadcrumbs and cheese; stir to combine.
- Place a few chicken strips in the flour mixture; close the bag and shake until well coated. Dredge the floured strips in the eggs and then in the breadcrumb mixture, making sure they are well coated.
- Arrange the chicken fingers on the prepared baking sheet and transfer to the preheated oven. Bakes for 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 165ºF.
- Turn the heat to broil and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
- Serve immediately with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
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