Confession time: I have the palate of a (mature) 9-year old. And not a 9-year old on MasterChef Jr. Like, your average kid. I could eat chicken strips, fries, mac ‘n cheese, and Smuckers Uncrustables forever and be happy. However, I’m almost 3 times the age of my palate, so I try to force myself to branch out. Not to mention, fried chicken strips aren’t the healthiest meal choice. I decided to find a baked variation to make one of my favorite meals a little healthier, and I used this recipe from Your Life Uncommon. She says it tastes like KFC fried chicken, and while I disagree about that, this chicken has quickly become a favorite in our home! After I made it for the first time, my husband asked for it again and again, so that’s always a good sign!
Here are the ingredients you will need:
Chicken Strips (I usually get 1 package, which contains 7-8. That’s the perfect amount for the 2 of us!)
Milk (You just need enough to submerge your strips in…probably a few cups worth)
Submerge your chicken strips in milk for at least 30 minutes. I’ve read that this helps tenderize the meat, but I honestly have no idea what that means. I’m pretty sure there’s some food science behind it, but as long as we know it makes the chicken better, who really cares? Moving on.
Go ahead and preheat your oven to 400 degrees. While your chicken is tenderizing (maybe…who knows…), prepare your seasoning mix.
After combining my ingredients, I always thoroughly mix it up with a fork to ensure all of the ingredients are evenly distributed. I don’t want one random strip only covered in paprika, and I’m thinking you don’t either.
After your chicken strips are done tenderizing (or just enjoying a random milk bath…), remove them from the fridge and shake off any excess milk. Then, coat each strip with the seasoning mix. I combine my seasoning mix in a mixing bowl (Who’d have thought?), so I can simply drop the strips in and cover them with seasoning.
Once all of your strips are coated, place them in a greased baking dish. I always use my Pyrex glass baking dishes, and so far they’ve worked great for me. Bake your strips for 15 minutes, then flip each strip and bake for 15 more minutes. I always cut into a strip after 30 minutes to ensure they’re fully cooked. Make sure your strips are cooked all the way through because raw chicken is totally gross.
Once your strips are done cooking, take them out, pair them with your favorite side, and enjoy!
You’ll notice I still have some “uncooked” seasoning mix on my strips. Oops. That happens to me sometimes. They’re still delicious, so if it happens to you too, don’t sweat it. Also, if you’re interested in those scrumptious potatoes in the picture, I’ll be posting a recipe for those soon, too! Hooray!
Hope you’re having a wonderful week!
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