Lemony Cornmeal Chicken Tenders
Chicken tenders are a frequent meal at our house and I have come to believe that my children need them to survive. While the frying process is a little messy, the result is homemade chicken strips that are delicious, freezer friendly and free from the preservatives found in most fast-food and grocery store varieties. Make these chicken strips for an evening meal, or once cooked, let them cool and then place in a resealable bag and freeze. Reheat the desired amount in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes. To cook more chicken tenders simply the double the recipe. This recipe has been adapted from Giada DeLaurentis’ Crispy Chicken with Rosemary-Lemon Salt.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of organic, pasture raised, if accessible chicken tenders
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 2 tablespoon kosher salt
- zest of 4 lemons
- 1 teaspoon of your favorite herb, chopped thyme, sage, rosemary, etc (optional)
- oil for frying, I use extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil
Instructions
- Fill a medium sized skillet with ¼ inch of extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat.
- In a pie pan combine the cornmeal, kosher salt, lemon zest and herbs (if using) and mix well. Dredge the chicken in the cornmeal mixture.
- Once the oil is hot add four to five chicken tenders to the skillet and cook for four minutes. Turn the tenders over and cook for an additional four minutes.*
- Remove the tenders from the skillet and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and let cool.
Notes
*Please note that if the tenders do not sizzle loudly when you place them in the skillet, the oil is not hot enough. If there is little or no sound when you begin to cook them, remove the tenders and wait until the oil has heated a bit longer.