Julie Clark
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Rice Krispies Chicken
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Use crisped rice cereal to make some of the crispiest chicken ever. These Rice Krispies Chicken Tenders is an easy family dinner recipe that the kids will beg for!
When the kids were younger, we made fried chicken strips all the time. We ate them so much we had to make a gluten free fried chicken recipe….and the kids fell in love with it!
Another fun recipe our kids love are these rice krispies chicken tenders. They have GREAT flavor and we love that rice krispy cereal gives them a special crunch, just like in our scotcheroo bars. This recipe for crispy chicken tenders is the ultimate in comfort food…easy enough for a weeknight but also fun when the kids friends come over.
What is the difference between chicken tenders and chicken breast?
This Rice Krispies Chicken Tenders recipe calls for using chicken tenders. So what is a chicken tender? Is it the same as the breast?
The chicken tender is a part of the chicken breast. When you look at a full large chicken breast, there is a long part attached to the underside of the breast that you can loosen and tear off with your hands. It’s a long strip…and this is the chicken tender. It’s tender and juicy. (source)
I use chicken tenders in our air fryer spicy chicken and they are great for chicken sheet pan dinners, too.
Can you use rice krispies to coat chicken?
Yes!! Rice Krispies Chicken is such a fun recipe! You can crush the rice krispies if you’d like, but we leave them mostly whole, which gives the most crunch and best texture.
You will need some type of “binder” that the crisped rice attaches on to. In this case it is the buttermilk mixture.
How does buttermilk affect chicken?
Soaking chicken or other meats in buttermilk make the meat tender. While harsher acids like lemon juice or vinegar can tenderize, they can also dry out the meat. But soaking chicken in buttermilk helps the chicken stay juicy while tenderizing the meat.
For optimum results you can soak the chicken in buttermilk for 8 hours which makes it ideal to prepare in the morning before you head out for the day. Be sure the chicken is in a glass bowl and is covered, then allow the chicken to marinate in the refrigerator.
How to Make Rice Krispies Chicken
This recipe takes planning ahead. The first step is to marinate the chicken, which needs at least an hour. Or prep this in the morning and let the chicken marinate all day.
- In a large shallow dish add in rice krispies and flour.
- Once chicken has marinated, shake off excess buttermilk mixture and dip chicken into the cereal mixture. Be sure to firmly press the chicken in to coat completely. This is a messy process. But sooooo worth it!
- Once chicken has been coated, allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes so the rice krispie coating will adhere better to the chicken. This is a trick you can use any time you are making a buttermilk fried chicken. Always allow it to sit. It thickens the coating and helps it not fall off the chicken.
- In a large pan add in 1-2 inches of oil and heat over medium high heat. Gently add in the dipped chicken pieces in a single layer once oil is hot. Once the chicken is frying, do not touch it until it’s time to flip it. Just let it snap, crackle and pop! 😊
- Cook for 4-6 minutes per side or until chicken has cooked through. The exact timing will depend on how thick the chicken tenders are.
How do you keep fried chicken from getting soggy?
Have you ever made fried chicken only to end up with it being soggy? Yeah…it’s not fun! But we have a trick to prevent this.
After you remove the chicken from the frying pan, place the chicken strips on a wire rack with paper towels underneath to catch oil drips. This helps air to flow around the chicken and keeps the chicken crispy on all sides.
Why is my fried chicken not crispy?
Here are a few tips to follow when making rice krispies chicken:
- The oil should come about half way up the chicken. The exact amount of oil you’ll need will depend on the size of your skillet.
- The oil should be hot BEFORE you put the chicken in the skillet. If you want to test the temperature, it should be about 350º Fahrenheit.
- Don’t overcrowd the chicken. Give the chicken room to have the oil brown it on all sides.
- Use our wire rack method that we talk about above. This is our KEY trick!
Can I bake Rice Krispies Chicken?
Yes! Chicken fingers are a great source of protein, but you may not want to depend on fried chicken.
For a healthier version, bake on a parchment paper lined baking sheet at 375ºF for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
What should I serve with Rice Krispies chicken?
We’d serve a crispy baked potato or sweet potato fries with this chicken. You can also serve a layered salad, Italian pasta salad or fruit salad.
Kids also love bacon baked beans along with chicken.
Dipping Sauces for Fried Chicken
Set aside the ketchup and try something new! Dip rice krispies chicken in one of these sauces:
- Homemade Barbecue Sauce
- White Barbecue Sauce
- Mustard BBQ Sauce
- Honey Mustard
- Ranch Dressing
- Chick-Fil-A Sauce
Other Chicken Recipes
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken
- Honey Garlic Chicken Wings
- Easy Chicken Marinade
- Grilled Lemon Lime Chicken Marinade
- Buttermilk Chicken
- Mayonnaise Chicken
- Baked Chicken Thighs
Use leftover rice krispies in our chocolate crunch bars.
Rice Krispies Chicken
Use crisped rice cereal to make some of the crispiest chicken ever. These Rice Krispies Chicken Tenders are an easy family dinner recipe that the kids will beg for!
Servings 3
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Marinating Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into thick slices (bought thin sliced chicken breasts, then cut in half)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 4 cups rice krispies cereal (or more as needed)
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- In a large bowl add in chicken, buttermilk, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning. Let chicken marinade at least an hour or up to overnight refrigerated. 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 cup buttermilk, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- In a large deep plate add in rice krispies and flour. 4 cups rice krispies cereal, ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- Once chicken has marinated, shake off excess buttermilk mixture and dredge each tender into the rice krispie mixture. Be sure to firmly press the chicken in to coat completely.
- Once chicken has been coated, allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes so the rice krispie coating will adhere better to the chicken.
- In a large pan add in 1-2 inches of oil and heat over medium high heat. Heat the oil to 350ºF. Then gently add in chicken strips in a single layer. Once the chicken is frying, do not touch it until it’s time to flip it.
- Cook for 4-6 minutes per side or until chicken has cooked through.
- Place the chicken strips on a wire rack with paper towels underneath to catch oil drips. This helps keep the chicken crispy on all sides.
Notes
- This is a messy recipe, to ensure the rice mixture adheres to the chicken, it is important to add pressure to almost “crush” the rice krispies. If desired, you can pulse the cereal to create more of a breadcrumb. If you choose to pulse it, you will not have the crispy outside.
- For a healthier version, bake on 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- For a gluten free version, leave out the flour, but remember to FIRMLY press the chicken into the rice mixture.
Nutrition
Calories: 383kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 1620mg | Potassium: 763mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2719IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 157mg | Iron: 13mg
I have not made this recipe but I gave it five stars because I love Rice krispie chicken! I’ve been eating it since I was a kid. My mom always dip the chicken and melted butter then Rice Krispies then sprinkled it with seasoned salt and baked it. I’m getting ready to make some right now.
Your chicken recipe came out delicious! Omg I’ll be making. Again ! It was so good! Thank you for sharing ! You should be so proud! Thank you
Does the chicken have to be thawed before soaking in buttermilk ?
Can you use whole milk instead of buttermilk ?
I tried these last night. They were good – I fried them in peanut oil so how could they be bad! I did find that there was too much dried Italian Seasoning. The buttermilk does make the chicken tender, but next time, instead of italian seasoning, I will add some shallot or onion and some jalapeno to the marinade.
You have the greatest recipes, I always get excited whenever I see your name in my inbox. Thank you
I’m new to Tastes of Lizzy T. I want to thank you for giving a healthier way of making this in the oven and also the nutrition facts. I’m on Weight Watchers and those two things are very helpful. I am going to try and make this in the next week or two. Sounds very good. I will do my in the oven. Thanks again.
For a while there was a gluten-free version of Rice Krispies but be careful because the regular Krispies has a wheat starch in it.
Great instruction for the first time cooking.