In the world of culinary delights, few dishes can match the allure of perfectly fried crispy chicken. Japan has a huge variety, ranging from potato-chip-crisp Karaage to crackling Tebasaki wings to light and airy Toriten, but there's always room for more. For this panko chicken tenders recipe, I've mashed up the marinade from my karaage with the breading technique from my Japanese Cutlet to develop a party-friendly finger food that's flavorful and juicy on the inside, with an irresistibly crispy coating. It's also easy enough to prepare for a family-friendly weeknight dinner.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Marinating the breast tenders in ginger, sake, and soy sauce makes them plump and tender and infuses them with loads of extra flavor, making this the best chicken tenders recipe. The flavor burst out of the chicken when you take a bite, filling your mouth with umami.
- Frying the panko tenders at a higher temperature allows you to brown the crust without overcooking the delicate breast meat, keeping them juicy and tender.
- The fluffy panko breadcrumbs give the tenders a crispy texture, and the breaded shell stays crisp longer than a starch or flour coating, which makes it well-suited for packing into bento box lunches.
Ingredients
- Chicken tenders - Also known as "fingers" or "tenderloins", these are flaps of meat attached to each breast. As the name implies, they're super tender but don't contain much fat, which can make them a bit bland and dry. Marinating and frying them at a high temperature gives the breast plenty of flavor, allowing you to crisp up the outside without overcooking the center. You can also cut skinless chicken breasts or skinless chicken thigh into 1-inch thick chicken strips.
- Sake - Sake is an alcoholic beverage frequently used in Japanese cuisine because it contains a high concentration of amino acids. The alcohol burns off when you cook the food, leaving behind the taste of umami imparted by the amino acids.
- Soy sauce - This is the primary seasoning for the tenders, infusing the pieces with salt and umami. I recommend using Japanese soy sauce such as Kikkoman for this.
- Ginger - Ginger adds a zingy flavor and contains proteolytic enzymes that make the meat even more tender. Other options for seasoning include black pepper, paprika, onion powder, or garlic powder.
- Flour & egg - Coating the chicken cutlets in a combination of flour and egg creates a sticky surface that makes the panko breadcrumbs stick to them.
- Panko - Panko means "bread crumbs" in Japanese, and it's a unique style of breadcrumb that uses only the white part of the bread torn into small shards. Because each crumb is larger and airier than regular breadcrumbs, it creates a lighter and more crispy texture than a crust made with traditional breadcrumbs. You can purchase them already made, but you can also make them yourself using these instructions.
How to Make Crispy Panko Chicken Tenders
The first step to making my best fried chicken tenders recipe is to marinate the chicken fillets. This gives them flavor that bursts from the inside when you take a bite. Mix the sake, soy sauce, and ginger together, and then work the tenders into the mixture. I recommend letting this marinate in an airtight container in the fridge for at least an hour (or up to one night), but it's best to prep this in the morning to fry up for an evening meal.
When it's time to cook the panko fried chicken, fill a deep, heavy-bottomed pot with one and a half inches of vegetable oil and heat it over medium heat to 355°F (180°C). Place a wire rack on a baking sheet and line with paper towels. Add the beaten egg mixture and panko to separate shallow bowls to set up your breading station.
Drain off any excess marinade from the breast meat, and then pat it dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the flour over the dried pieces and roll them around to give them a thin, even coating. The flour and egg act as glue to hold the panko bread crumbs on, so don't miss any spots.
To panko crust your chicken pieces, use one hand to dip the flour-coated chicken in the egg wash and use the other to mound up bread crumbs onto the fillets and pat them in. This way, you avoid breading your fingers.
To fry the breaded chicken pieces, carefully lower them into the oil and fry them in batches until the panko crumbs turn golden brown. This should take about three minutes, but cooking times will depend on the size of your tenders. You can use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature rises above 160°Fahrenheit or 71°Celsius. You also want to make sure you flip them over once or twice so that they develop an even, beautiful golden-brown crust.
Drain the panko chicken in a single layer on paper towels placed on a cooling rack to preserve their crispy crust, and serve immediately.
Serve Panko Chicken With
These juicy chicken tenders have plenty of flavor from the marinade, so they don't really need a sauce. However, I like to squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice on mine to accent the savory chicken flavor. You could also sprinkle them with flaky salt (like Maldon or kosher salt) or grate some Parmesan cheese on top to boost the savory taste.
You could also use your favorite dipping sauce, such as ketchup, sweet chili sauce, or honey mustard. For something creamy, you could make the tartar sauce from my Chicken Nanban recipe, and Ponzu makes a refreshing sauce.
In Japan, fried foods are often served with a salad made from thinly shredded cabbage, but this would be delicious with my citrusy No-Mayo Coleslaw. It would also go great with my Japanese Potato Salad or my Hawaiian Macaroni Salad. Leftovers are perfect for packing into a bento; just follow my instructions for this Chicken Teriyaki Bento and substitute in this panko chicken recipe for the teriyaki.
FAQ
The panko crust makes these chicken tenders fairly easy to air fry and still get a crispy texture. To make crispy air fryer chicken tenders or panko chicken strips, first, preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C). Line up the cutlets in an air fryer basket, leaving a little space between each one. Then, spray both sides with a light, even coating of oil. How long they take using this cooking method will depend on your air fryer, but 3-4 minutes per side should be enough.
These can also be prepared in an oven set to 390°F(200°C). To make baked panko chicken tenders, line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and line up the breaded cutlets, leaving an inch between each strip. Spray the tops of the panko chicken strips with oil or nonstick cooking spray and place the baking sheet in the preheated oven. Check the cutlets with an instant-read thermometer for an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C). It should take about 8-10 minutes to cook, but it may require a few additional minutes, depending on the size of your tenders and the accuracy of your oven. You'll want to flip the pieces over halfway through. This baking option makes preparing these panko tenders fairly easy and convenient.
📖 Recipe
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Ingredients
Instructions
- Add the 2 tablespoons sake, 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce, and 10 grams grated ginger to a bowl and mix to combine. Add the 450 grams chicken tenders and coat each one with the marinade. Let them marinate for at least an hour.
- When you're ready to fry the chicken, preheat a pot with 1 ½ inches of vegetable oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot to 355°F (180°C).
- Use paper towels to pat the chicken dry.
- Sprinkle ⅓ cup all-purpose flour onto the breast meat and dust each finger in a thin even coating of flour. Shake off excess flour. Whisk the 1 egg in a shallow bowl. Add panko to a shallow dish.
- To bread the tenders, use one hand to dip them in the egg and another hand to dust them with 70 grams panko.
- Scoop the panko over the tenders and gently pat it to get the breadcrumbs to adhere.
- Deep fry the panko chicken tenders until golden brown and cooked through (about 3 minutes). Be sure to flip them over periodically so they brown evenly.
- Drain the panko-crusted chicken on a wire rack lined with paper towels, and serve with lemon wedges or your choice of dipping sauce.
Drew711 says
Panko tenderloins at home with steamed rice and stir fried bok choy is a great meal. We add on some katsu sauce. Often serve with tofu kaarage and vegetable potstickers
Malina Carrillo says
Works as advertised.
Marc Matsumoto says
I'm happy to hear you enjoyed it Malina!
Kathy Stroup says
Now those are some delicious chicken tenders! I've often found Katsu bland, but this technique would give the chicken so much flavor. It's not over the top, so kids would love them, too.
Your panko breading always looks so immaculate! I try to follow your method, but mine never look quite as perfectly crispy and evenly browned. Guess I need to practice!