Eating these chicken fingers instantly brought me back to my childhood – specifically Burger King’s 8-piece chicken strips with sides of BBQ and sweet & sour sauces. They’re a unique take on the traditional breaded chicken cutlers… subtle hints of Asian flavors with a crunchy panko crust.

I don’t have kids, but I would imagine this would be a very kid-friendly weeknight dinner. The recipe says to marinate for 1-3 hours, but go ahead and marinate all day if that’s easier for you. I think I made these on a “work from home” day or on the weekend, so those awkward hours didn’t affect me.

Healthy Alternative: Rather than frying in oil, bake the chicken fingers in the oven at 400 degrees, turning once, until golden (remember, the broiler is your BFF for an awesome 30 second crisp!).

So. Enjoy these. They’re pretty fantastic. Side dish recommendations…  a side salad or steamed sugar snap peas.

Asian Chicken Fingers

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken tenders
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon chili oil
• 2 tablesppons rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons sweet & sour sauce
• 1 cup panko
• Sesame oil (if you don’t have this, you can use olive oil)

Directions

1. Whisk garlic, soy sauce, chili oil, rice vinegar, ginger, brown sugar and sweet and sour sauce in a bowl.
   
2. Place chicken in bowl, cover and marinate for 1-3 hours in the fridge.
   
3. Spread out the panko on a medium plate. Pat the chicken dry and press into crumbs until well-coated. Repeat for all chicken strips.
4. Drizzle sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken on each side until golden.
   
5. Place on a paper towel to soak up lingering oil.
6. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce (I used sweet & sour sauce).

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