Chicken Tenders

Back in college, when my food budget was about $20/week, I discovered this recipe for chicken tenders. Andy and I would make it on an occasional Saturday night as our splurge meal. But even now that I can afford a decent dinner, I still love making these tenders.

First, I bought a package of chicken tenderloins (or if you want, you can buy a package of skinless, boneless chicken breasts and just cut them into halves or thirds). Then, I sandwich the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap, spaced about 2-3 inches apart. Now the fun part: pound the chicken to flatten it until it's about 1/4 inch thick. You can use a meat tenderizer if you want, but I just use a bottle. It works the same for me. Just be careful not to pound the chicken too hard, because it flattens very easily.

Next, get your breading ingredients ready. I set up a breading assembly line with one plate of flour, one bowl of whisked eggs, and one plate of breadcrumbs. This part is kind of messy, so it's nice if you have someone helping you out so that you can wash the breading gunk off your hands occasionally. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the flattened chicken tenders, then coat one tender in the flour, coat with the scrambled eggs, and finally coat with the breadcrumbs.

You should end up with a nice, breaded tender, as seen above (although after a couple tenders, your hands get really gunky). Now, in a 12-inch skillet, heat a few tablespoons of canola oil with a couple tablespoons of butter over medium heat, and add some tenders to the skillet. Fry about three minutes on each side, and set on some paper towels to drain.

Like most fried foods, these tenders are best eaten fresh. If you have to reheat this, try reheating it for a few minutes in the oven at 350F. It just doesn't taste that good when it's microwaved. I serve this with a lemon wedge squeezed on top and some honey mustard (the only one I buy is Ken's Honey Mustard Salad Dressing, because I like it sweet). Enjoy!