Juicy, Crunchy Chicken Fingers

Here is the recipe for Laura Vitale’s delicious Chicken Fingers.  Enjoy!

Serves 4 to 6, as an appetizer or 3 to 4 as an entree.

Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 6 mins

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lbs of Chicken Tenderloins
1-1/2 cups of Buttermilk
1-1/2 cups of All Purpose Flour
1 tsp of Celery Salt
1 Tbsp of Paprika
2 tsp of Granulated Onion
2 tsp of Granulated Garlic
Salt and Pepper, to taste
A Few Dashes of Hot Sauce
Vegetable Oil, for frying**

Process:

1) In a large bowl, add the chicken and pour the buttermilk and hot sauce over the top, stir around until they are coated and allow it to sit at room temperature for about half an hour.

2) Take the chicken out of the buttermilk and place it in a clean bowl.

3) In a shallow platter, whisk together the flour, celery salt, onion, paprika, garlic, salt and pepper.

4) Dredge each piece in the flour, repeat the same steps again and place them on a platter to sit for about 15 minutes.

5) Add enough oil in a dutch oven or a cast iron skillet and bring it up to about 350 degrees.

6) Fry the chicken (you might need to do it in batches) and cook the chicken for about 3 to 5 minutes flipping them over as needed until they are golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels and serve right away!***

**As Laura mentioned, do not use Extra-Virgin olive oil.  It has a low smoke point and could make your chicken bitter tasting.  Use a high smoke point vegetable oil such as canola or peanut.

***Important note, don’t crowd your frying pan.  If you put too many pieces of chicken in at a time, it will reduce temperature of oil.  If this happens, your chicken could turn out soggy instead of crisp.

Many thanks to Laura Vitale for sharing this great recipe.  Be sure to visit her site for many more delicious recipes.