Ranch Lovers’ Chicken Fingers.
These ranch chicken fingers are a ranch lover’s dream! Breadcrumbs with crushed cheddar crackers and ranch seasoning make the perfect coating for these chicken tenders. Serve with ranch and it really takes it over the top!
A big old plate of chicken fingers is on the menu today.
Sounds like a perfect monday to me!
These chicken fingers are coated in crunchy breadcrumbs with lots of homemade ranch seasoning and crispy crushed cheddar crackers. Then, they’re baked until the inside is tender and the outside is crunchy and the flavor explodes.
Plus, we’re dipping them in ranch too!
I’m coming at you today with some non-Thanksgiving food, finally! I figure we could all use a break and eat some “regular” food as my family requests – ha! These chicken fingers are something I make frequently because, of course, my kids are obsessed with chicken fingers or nuggets.
I mean, who isn’t?! I made chicken fingers like this before we even had kids, and I will tell you that just about every other week Eddie and I make a big salad with chopped up chicken fingers like these for dinner.
It’s one of our favorite meals.
So time for cheddar ranch chicken fingers!
These are alllll about the ranch.
We have a heavily ranch flavored breadcrumb mix combined with crushed cheez-its. And then we’re dipping the chicken fingers in my buttermilk ranch too.
Ranch all around!
Sounds crazy, coming from me who didn’t even love ranch until I started making my own!
P.S. wait did you hear me say that we’re crushing cheddar crackers into our bread crumb mixture? Um, yes. Hello. I want to eat chicken fingers crusted in cheddar crackers all day long.
The cheddar flavor gives these a savoriness that just can’t be beat.
This method of chicken fingers is the same one I’ve shown you here on the site for over a decade. It’s just my favorite! And once you have it down, you can always make crispy baked chicken fingers.
A wire rack is a must. Place the wire rack on a baking sheet and spray with nonstick spray.
Once the chicken is breaded, place it on the sprayed wire rack. I like to also mist the chicken fingers as this helps with the golden crunchiness on the outside.
Bake and gently flip the chicken strips once during cook time.
And done!
That’s it. Crispy, baked chicken tenders anytime you want them. You can do a regular plain old chicken finger or really up the ante with spices and seasonings.
I have two favorite dips that we rotate for chicken fingers. First, my homemade ranch. Which is out of this world. I also love it because you can use dried OR fresh herbs, depending on the season and what you have available. You can also use greek yogurt or sour cream.
Second, my howsweeteats house sauce, which is kind of like a homemade version of chick fil a sauce. It is divine! I always serve those with the pretzel crusted chicken strips and it does not disappoint.
If you want a side dish to serve with these, my parmesan roasted broccoli, crispy smashed potatoes, broccoli slaw, brussels slaw or hot honey brussels are my top five!
Now, you have the perfect setup for chicken fingers and dip for dinner! Winning all around.
Cheddar Ranch Chicken Fingers
Cheddar Ranch Chicken Fingers
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken tenders
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 ½ cups breadcrumbs
- ½ cup crushed cheez-its or cheddar crackers
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried chives
- ½ teaspoon dried dill weed
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- ranch dressing, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. Spray the rack with nonstick spray.
- Season the chicken tenders all over with salt and pepper. Place the breadcrumbs in a bowl. Stir in the crushed cheez-its, garlic powder, chives and dill.
- In another bowl, lightly beat the eggs.
- Take each chicken tender and coat it in the beaten egg. Dredge it through the breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently so the crumbs adhere. Place the tender on the rack and repeat with remaining chicken. Once all the chicken is finished, spray it with avocado or olive oil spray so it gets golden in the oven.
- Bake the chicken for 12 minutes. Flip it gently and spray the other side with the oil spray. Bake for another 10 to 12 minutes.
- Let cool slightly before serving with the ranch dressing.
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
That perfect dip though!
2 Comments on “Ranch Lovers’ Chicken Fingers.”
yum. What a great idea to add crushed cheddar crackers! This is going on my meal plan for the week…
A packet of ranch seasoning mix gives extra flavor to chicken fingers and makes them seem like an extra special treat. Dip them in Ranch dressing for a double dose of Ranch deliciousness! https://www.mybalancenow.biz/