Chicken fingers, tenders marinated in buttermilk, breaded with panko and sesame, baked, served with tangy orange sauce
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Chicken Fingers! The ultimate finger food, perfect for dipping.
For this Baked Sesame Chicken Fingers recipe, we first marinate the chicken tenders in buttermilk. We then roll the fillets in a breadcrumb mixture with crunchy panko breadcrumbs and sesame seeds that have been browned and tossed with a little olive oil to keep them from drying out in the oven.
We bake the tenders while quickly tossing a flavorful orange marmalade and sriracha sauce.
Aside from the marinating time (which you can do hours in advance if you like), the whole dish comes together quickly. It’s kid-friendly, adult-friendly, and party-friendly.
Incidentally, it took us several tries to come up with this particular recipe (my sweetie can attest to the dry and chewy droppings that even he didn’t want to eat), and I couldn’t be happier with the result. I hope you like it too!
Sesame chicken fingers with a spicy orange dipping sauce
ingredients
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1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lb chicken keeper
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1/2 Cup buttermilk (may include a scant 1/2 cup milk mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice)
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1 tablespoon Orange jam
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1 teaspoon soy sauce
Bread:
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1 1/4 cups Panko bread crumbs
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1/4 Cup raw Sesame seeds
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1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Dipping sauce:
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1/2 Cup sweet orange marmalade
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1 tablespoon soy sauce
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1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce
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1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar
method
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Marinate Chicken:
Combine marinade ingredients (buttermilk, jam, soy sauce) in a medium bowl. Place the chicken breasts in the marinade and stir to coat them completely with the marinade. Cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour (or longer).
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Prepare breading:
While the chicken is marinating, prepare the breading. Heat a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the panko breadcrumbs to the dry, hot skillet, spreading the breadcrumbs so they’re in an even layer in the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium, stirring frequently, until the breadcrumbs begin to brown.
Once you can see visible browning, stir in the raw sesame seeds. Continue cooking in the pan, stirring frequently, until the mixture is a deep golden color. Remove from stove.
Stir in the olive oil and salt and stir until all of the breadcrumbs and sesame seeds are lightly coated in the oil.
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Breaded dredger chicken:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a roast with aluminum foil and place a baking rack on top. Brush or spray the grate with some cooking oil. Place the toasted breadcrumb mixture in a shallow bowl for dredging.
Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade one at a time (do not wipe off the marinade) and toss in the breadcrumb mixture. Place them on the prepared rack on the roasting pan.
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Bake:
Bake chicken breast fillets at 400°F for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
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Prepare the dipping sauce:
While the chicken tenders are baking, prepare the dipping sauce. In a small bowl, stir together orange marmalade, soy sauce, Sriracha hot sauce, and seasoned rice vinegar.
Serve the sesame chicken fingers with the tangy orange dipping sauce.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 698 | calories |
| 32g | Fat |
| 73g | carbohydrates |
| 32g | protein |
