Crunchy chicken taco fingers (baked!)
Adapted from recipetineats.com
Recipe video above. Fun and delicious! Tacos stuffed with crunchy chicken fingers coated in a Mexican seasoned crumb. Wouldn't discourage skipping the tacos and just munching on the chicken sticks. :) See notes for dipping sauce suggestions!Handful of my "great golden baked crumbed things" tricks on show here - oven toast the panko first (it will never go golden in the short bake time to cook the chicken), a streamlined single extra-strong dredge batter, a touch of mayo (replicate
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Ingredients
- 1 500g/ 1 lb chicken tenderloins (, cut in half lengthways into 16 x 1.5-2cm / 0.6-0.8" strips (or breast, Note 1))
- 2 1/4 cups panko breadcrumbs ((Note 2))
- 1 pieces olive oil spray
- 2 tsp paprika ((regular or sweet, not hot or smoked))
- 1 tsp garlic powder ((sub onion powder))
- 1 tsp onion powder ((sub garlic powder))
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper ((optional))
- 1 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt ((halve for table salt))
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tbsp flour (, plain / all-purpose)
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise (or 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil)
- 1 pinch of salt
- 12 taco-size soft tortillas ((Note 4))
- 1 batch Taco Slaw
- 1 large avocado (, sliced)
- 1 sriracha (, for drizzling (Note 5))
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped coriander/cilantro leaves
Steps
- Toss panko with seasoning, oil spray, bake 7 min at 200°C/400°F (180°C fan). Coat fingers in dredge then crumb, spray generously, bake 12 minutes on rack. Use for tacos - or munch dipped in Avocado Sauce!
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan-forced).
- Mix and spray - Mix the panko and Taco Seasoning in a bowl. Pour onto a tray, spray with oil, spread out, then spray again (from height, directly down, so the panko doesn't blow off).
- Bake for 7 minutes, mixing once, until golden brown. Scrape into a 20cm/8" pan (or similar, ease for crumbing multiple pieces).
- Rack - Put a rack on the used tray and spray the rack with oil (Note 6).
- Dredge batter - Whisk the Dredge ingredients in a bowl until lump free (it will seem too thick at first, trust, it will thin to maple syrup constancy). Add all the chicken, toss to coat.
- Crumb - Pick up a piece of chicken with one hand, let the excess batter drip off. Lay it down in the crumbs. Repeat with 2 - 3 more pieces. With your clean hand, cover with breadcrumbs, press to adhere, lay on rack. Repeat with remaining chicken.
- Warm tortillas - Separate tortillas into 2 stacks, wrap with foil.
- Bake - Spray generously with oil. Put in the oven with the wrapped tortillas. Bake for 12 minutes - thin strips cook fast! (Note 7).
- Serve - Serve, stuffed in tortillas with fixings of choice. My assembly order: take a warm tortilla, pile in a generous amount of Taco Slaw. Top with 2 avocado slices, crunchy chicken finger, drizzle with sriracha, sprinkle with coriander. BITE!