Crispy Baked Chicken Fingers with Whole-Grain Panko
Delicious and satisfying crispy baked chicken fingers with homemade whole-grain panko breadcrumbs
Ingredients
- 16 slices 35-calorie Whole Grain Bread
- 4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
THE PANKO:
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- Using the shredder blade on your food processor, tear up 16 slices of 35 Calorie bread and run them through the shredder 2-3 slices at a time. 16 slices makes about 7 cups of crumbs.
- Spread the crumbs on two baking sheets in an even layer and place in the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes mixing/turning frequently, or until crumbs are dry and crispy. The goal is to dry them out evenly, so you want to make sure you mix/turn them every 5 minutes or they will over-bake.
- Let cool completely on baking sheets. You can use the panko crumbs immediately when cool, or store them in an air-tight container for up to 3 weeks.
THE CHICKEN FINGERS:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Trim boneless, skinless chicken breasts and slice on a diagonal into strips, usually about 5-6 strips per breast. Season with salt and pepper.
- Prepare your dredging station: one plate or dish with 2 cups of flour, one plate or dish with 3 cups of panko (add more as necessary), and bowl with two eggs whisked with two TBSP water. Prepare two baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray.
- Dip a chicken strip in the flour, covering evenly with a light coating. Dip in egg and coat evenly, dip in panko and coat evenly. Shake off any excess panko and place on the baking sheet. Repeat until all fingers are prepared.
- Spray the tops of the chicken fingers with a light coating of non-stick cooking spray, and bake for 35 minutes, or until chicken fingers are crispy and chicken is fully cooked.
- Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
I like to use a low calorie whole grain bread because it reduces the calorie content and typically has fewer carbs that standard whole grain, but can use any bread you like. Whole grain will give a nuttier, deeper flavor and provides a more golden crispy crust on the chicken compared to a standard white panko.
Recommended Products
This site contains affiliate links to products. If you click-through and purchase an item, you will not pay a penny more than you otherwise would, but we may receive a small commission to help us keep the food in Foodie*ish. Thanks for your support!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 4 fingersAmount Per Serving: Calories: 768Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 319mgSodium: 466mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 105g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a recipe based on factors such as precision of measurements, brands, ingredient freshness, or the source of nutrition data. We strive to keep the information as accurate as possible, but make no warranties regarding its accuracy. We encourage readers to make their own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.