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–+ servings
chex mix chicken tenders on a sheet pan.

Chex Mix Chicken Tenders

Rebecca Eisenberg
Using Chex Mix flavors here isn't just a gimmick — these are genuinely really good chicken tenders. A three hour bath in a buttermilk brine keeps the chicken tenders juicy, while the crushed Chex cereal provides lots and lots of crunch. For maximum Chex Mix flavor, don't skip on the dipping sauce!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 4 hours
Servings 13 tenders

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs chicken breast (cut into 2" strips)
  • 1½ quarts vegetable oil (or peanut oil, for frying)

Chex Mix Seasoning Blend

  • 1½ tablespoons seasoned salt
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1½ teaspoons onion powder
  • 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne (or red chile powder, optional)
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon MSG

Buttermilk Brine

  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Chex Mix seasoning blend

Breading Mixture

  • 1 cup flour
  • ⅓ cup corn starch
  • 1 cup crushed Chex corn cereal (2 cups whole Chex)
  • 2 tablespoons Chex Mix seasoning blend

Dipping sauce

  • ⅓ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon sriracha

Instructions
 

Brine the chicken

  • Cut the chicken into 1-2" strips. You should get about 6-7 strips from each chicken breast, and may end up with some awkwardly shaped strips. That's okay!
  • Combine all the ingredients for the brine in a large gallon resealable bag.
  • Add the chicken to the brine in the bag. Press out any air, and squeeze the chicken around so it's all evenly coated.
  • Chill in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours but no more than 8 hours.

Breading

  • Scoop plain Chex cereal into a bag, seal tightly, and crush the Chex into pieces. Combine crushed Chex, flour, corn starch, and 2 tablespoons remaining Chex Mix seasoning blend in a wide, shallow bowl.
  • Unseal one corner of the bag with the chicken and brine and pour the brine into a second wide, shallow bowl. Get as much of the liquid out as you can.
  • Unseal and roll the top of the bag down. Pick one hand to be your "wet" hand and one hand to be your "dry" hand. (I find it's easiest to use my dominant hand as my "dry" hand and my non-dominant hand as my "wet" hand).
  • Working with no more than 3 chicken strips at a time, pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Then use your dry hand to lay it flat in the breading mixture and push some of the flour and Chex on top of it. Flip it over and press it flat in the breading mixture again. Make sure all sides are fully coated.
  • Use your dry hand to pick the chicken strip up out of the flour and lay it down in the dish with the excess brine, being careful not to let your fingers touch the liquid. Then, use your wet hand to flip the chicken strip over and make sure it's fully coated, then pick it up, letting any excess liquid drip off, and lay it back in the breading.
  • Use your dry hand to flip the tender over, pressing it into the dry mixture so that it's fully coated on all sides. Remove from the breading mixture to the cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Repeat until all chicken strips have been breaded and rested for 10 minutes.

Frying

  • While the chicken tenders rest, begin heating about 1½" of vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet over low-medium heat. Make sure to leave plenty of room for the oil to bubble up. Set up a cutting board to put your breaded chicken tenders on to rest before frying. Line a sheet pan with paper towels and a cooling rack. Set it aside near the stove.
  • When the oil hits 350°F it's ready for frying. If you don't have a thermometer, dip the end of a wooden chopstick or wooden spoon in the oil — if you see lots of vigorous bubbles around it, the oil is ready.
  • Work in batches to fry the chicken strips for 3-4 minutes per side (or until 160°-165°F internal temperature). Add more oil and adjust the temperature if needed between batches; there should be enough oil that it comes about halfway up the strips when they're laying flat in the skillet or submerges them completely.
    Remove the strips to the cooling rack and repeat until all the strips have been fried.

Dipping Sauce

  • Combine mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, and Sriracha in a small bowl. Adjust proportions to taste.

RECIPE NOTES

  • The 10 minute resting time is crucial for making sure the breading sticks to the chicken tenders post frying. If you skip this step you'll end up with breading that slides off the chicken when you bite in.
  • The amount of oil you need depends on how big your skillet is!
  • Make sure you dispose of the oil properly — use a funnel to pour the cooled oil into a large bottle and throw it away. Don't pour it down your sink.