Seasoned Tender & Crispy Chicken Strips at Home

Um Um Good and I am not talking about soup here!

Did you ever wonder how the extra crispy got that way?  Those yummy crumbles adorning the tasty chicken or fish?  Well I did.  Low and behold Ree Drummond demonstrated her technique and this old dog learned a new trick.  It was just like the light bulb turning on when I saw it and then I thought, "Why hadn't I thought of that?"

Yes that saucy Ree Drummond, "The Pioneer Woman" out on the prairie with her tousled hair children and her hunky hubby has out witted me again!  It sure makes life fun to learn a new trick or two now and then!  So I have adapted her recipe and emulated her procedure here and we enjoyed these tasty chicken pieces last night at supper.  They met with great reviews and the licking of chops!

The key is to pour an appropriate drizzle of buttermilk into the seasoned flour and whisk just enough to make it a bit clumpy.....thus the extra crispy effect! Then after a short soak in buttermilk the chicken pieces take a bit of a roll into the clumpy bumpy breading!  Next they are fried to golden perfection.

There is nothing like cast iron when it comes to frying chicken.

Ingredients for Seasoned Tender Crispy Chicken Strips:

3-4 pounds chicken breasts skin and bone removed and cut into serving sized strips across the grain of the meat
1 1/2 C. fresh buttermilk
3-3 1/2 C. regular all purpose flour
3-4 t. seasoned salt  (I use Lawry's but whatever you like.)
2-3 t. paprika
1 1/2 t. black pepper
vegetable oil for frying
optional dipping sauces for serving


Place the chicken strips in a flat dish with at least a 2" rim and pour 1 cup of the buttermilk over the pieces stirring them about to coat the pieces.  This can be done the night before and left refrigerated or 15-20  minutes prior to frying. 

Dust off your cast iron skillet or chicken fryer if you are fortunate enough to have one and pour 3/4"-1" vegetable oil in the bottom of the pan.  If you don't have cast iron choose something with a heavy broad bottom.  Leave this just sitting on the stove at the ready for now but do NOT turn on the heat yet.

Using a large deep platter or a 9" x 13" pan, combine the flour and seasonings and whisk all together until well blended.  Gradually drizzle in 1/4-1/2 cup of buttermilk and stir lightly using a fork to achieve the "clumps".

Heat the oil over medium high heat.

Start removing the chicken from it's liquid and one at a time place the strips into the flour mixture turning to coat well.  Place 'em onto a platter.  Continue coating the chicken until they are all ready to be cooked.

Prepare a rack on which to drain the cooked chicken pieces.  I use cooling racks in a half sheet pan and leave it resting in the oven turned at it's lowest heat setting.  I place the pieces on this as I fry and remove them when done. They stay warm and crisp.  Any excess oil drips onto the pan below the racks!

When the oil is hot begin cooking a few strips at a time.  I do 4 per batch. It should take 1 1/2-2 minutes or so on each side.   When golden and crisped remove to the oven rack and continue until all of the batches have been cooked.  Do not allow them to burn!

Serve with BBQ sauce, honey mustard, ranch dressing, or any dipping sauce you like!  Yield 6 servings.