Tiny Chicken Tenders
By America's Test Kitchen KidsPublished on February 17, 2023
Time
1½ hours
Yield
Serves 3 to 4 (Makes 18 nuggets)
WHAT KIDS ARE SAYING
"It was so fun! I got to work by myself. I would give it ten million stars!" —Jennifer, recipe tester, age 8
Ingredients
Vegetable oil spray 4 cups water 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon table salt, measured separately2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1½ cups panko bread crumbs 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 large eggs 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons onion powder ½ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set one cooling rack inside baking sheet. Spray rack with vegetable oil spray.
- In large bowl, combine water, sugar, and 2 tablespoons salt. Whisk until sugar and salt are dissolved.
- Place chicken on cutting board. Use chef’s knife to cut each breast diagonally into three roughly equal pieces, then cut each piece crosswise into three even pieces (see photo, “Step-by-Step: How to Cut Chicken into Tenders”).
- Add chicken to water mixture in bowl. Wash your hands. Let sit for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in medium microwave-safe bowl, combine panko and oil. Use rubber spatula to toss bread crumbs to coat evenly with oil. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds. Use oven mitts to remove bowl from microwave.
- Use rubber spatula to stir bread crumbs, scraping bottom of bowl. Return bowl to microwave and heat until light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes longer, stopping to stir and scrape bottom of bowl every 30 seconds.
- Use oven mitts to remove bowl from microwave. Let cool slightly.
- In shallow dish, whisk together eggs, flour, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt.
- Line large plate with paper towels. When chicken is ready, use slotted spoon to remove chicken from brine and place on paper towel–lined plate. Discard brine in sink. Use more paper towels to pat chicken dry all over.
- Dredge chicken pieces in egg mixture, followed by bread crumb mixture (see photos, “Step-by-Step: How to Dredge Chicken”). Place coated chicken pieces on greased rack in rimmed baking sheet. Wash your hands.
- Place baking sheet in oven and bake until chicken is crisp and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Use oven mitts to remove baking sheet from oven and place on second cooling rack (ask an adult for help). Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve.
Time
1½ hoursYield
Serves 3 to 4 (Makes 18 nuggets)WHAT KIDS ARE SAYING
"It was so fun! I got to work by myself. I would give it ten million stars!" —Jennifer, recipe tester, age 8Ingredients
Vegetable oil spray
4 cups water
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon table salt, measured separately
2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1½ cups panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon pepper
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Vegetable oil spray
4 cups water
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon table salt, measured separately
2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1½ cups panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon pepper
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Vegetable oil spray
4 cups water
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon table salt, measured separately
2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1½ cups panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon pepper
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Just add your favorite dipping sauce! These baked chicken nuggets are juicy and perfectly seasoned, thanks to a quick 15-minute brine. Their satisfyingly crunchy outer crust is full of flavor from spices and pre-toasted panko bread crumbs. As kids set up their breading assembly line, have them think about why each step is important in creating a crunchy coating. The egg-flour mixture makes a "glue" that helps the bread crumbs stick to the chicken. Although the chicken has some moisture on its own, it can’t hold onto the breading as well as the egg mixture can. To see this for themselves—have kids dredge one piece of chicken in just the breadcrumb mixture and compare to the ones dipped in the egg mixture first. How well does the breading stick to each?
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set one cooling rack inside baking sheet. Spray rack with vegetable oil spray.
- In large bowl, combine water, sugar, and 2 tablespoons salt. Whisk until sugar and salt are dissolved.
- Place chicken on cutting board. Use chef’s knife to cut each breast diagonally into three roughly equal pieces, then cut each piece crosswise into three even pieces (see photo, “Step-by-Step: How to Cut Chicken into Tenders”).
- Add chicken to water mixture in bowl. Wash your hands. Let sit for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in medium microwave-safe bowl, combine panko and oil. Use rubber spatula to toss bread crumbs to coat evenly with oil. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds. Use oven mitts to remove bowl from microwave.
- Use rubber spatula to stir bread crumbs, scraping bottom of bowl. Return bowl to microwave and heat until light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes longer, stopping to stir and scrape bottom of bowl every 30 seconds.
- Use oven mitts to remove bowl from microwave. Let cool slightly.
- In shallow dish, whisk together eggs, flour, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt.
- Line large plate with paper towels. When chicken is ready, use slotted spoon to remove chicken from brine and place on paper towel–lined plate. Discard brine in sink. Use more paper towels to pat chicken dry all over.
- Dredge chicken pieces in egg mixture, followed by bread crumb mixture (see photos, “Step-by-Step: How to Dredge Chicken”). Place coated chicken pieces on greased rack in rimmed baking sheet. Wash your hands.
- Place baking sheet in oven and bake until chicken is crisp and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Use oven mitts to remove baking sheet from oven and place on second cooling rack (ask an adult for help). Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve.
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