Homemade Raising Cane's Chicken with Crispy Tenders and Tangy Smoky Sauce
By Ethan Parker
Prep
30 min
Cook
25 min
Total
175 min
Servings
4
Chicken tenderloins are the primary ingredient in this dish․ Choose tenderloins of roughly the same size so that they are coated and cooked evenly in buttermilk․ This chicken dish tastes similar to a menu item at Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers and features both breaded and sauce-covered chicken‚ as well as a sauce with smoky and tangy flavors․
Buttermilk‚ eggs‚ garlic powder‚ Cajun seasoning‚ and onion powder are included in the marinade to season the tenderloins before coating․ Baking soda and cornstarch are mixed with salt‚ garlic powder‚ Cajun seasoning‚ and black pepper to make the flour coating mix․ Mayonnaise and ketchup‚ mixed with garlic salt‚ Worcestershire sauce‚ smoked paprika‚ onion powder‚ and black pepper‚ are used in the sauce recipe․
Fish pieces marinated in fish filets are breaded‚ left on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes‚ and breaded a second time before frying․ Do not partially baste the fish before frying․ Preheat frying oil to 350°F․ The most common error when making this dish is using too many fish pieces in the pan․ Overcrowding will lower the temperature of the oil and cause soggy‚ not crispy‚ breading․
Serve the chicken tenders with a side of Cane's dipping sauce․ Store leftover chicken and dipping sauce in separate‚ covered containers in the refrigerator․ Do not refrigerate leftover chicken tenders in the dipping sauce․ The breaded coating will not stay intact․
Why you'll love this recipe
- Buttermilk‚ egg‚ and Cajun seasoning in the marinade flavor the chicken tenderloins‚ which are then breaded․
- Double battering increases the batter coating of fried foods by battering twice‚ once for each piece of food that has been removed from the batch to be fried․
- The sauce has mayonnaise‚ ketchup‚ Worcestershire sauce‚ and other common ingredients that provide a smoky‚ tangy contrast․
- Chicken tenderloins are a good choice for this cooking method because they are relatively small and can be prepared and served as individual morsels without the need to cut up larger chicken breasts․
- Cajun seasoning is included in the chicken marinade and breading recipes to give the meat flavor․
- A wire rack offers these advantages: letting the first coating dry before cooking and draining oil from the chicken when it's removed from the pot․
Ingredients
- •2 lb chicken tenderloins
- •2 cups buttermilk
- •1 egg
- •1 tsp garlic powder
- •1 tsp Cajun seasoning
- •1 tsp onion powder
- •2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- •1 tbsp baking soda
- •1 tbsp corn starch
- •1 tbsp salt
- •1 tbsp garlic powder
- •3 tsp Cajun seasoning
- •fresh black pepper (to taste)
- •5 cups oil (for frying)
- •½ cup mayo
- •¼ cup ketchup
- •½ tsp garlic salt
- •1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- •½ tsp black pepper
- •¼ tsp smoked paprika
- •¼ tsp onion powder
Instructions
- 1
In a bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, and onion powder.
- 2
Place the chicken tenderloins in a large gallon-sized resealable bag and pour the marinade over the chicken.
- 3
Seal the bag and refrigerate the chicken for at least 2 hours.
- 4
In another bowl, thoroughly combine the flour, baking soda, corn starch, salt, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, and fresh black pepper.
- 5
Heat 5 cups of oil in a frying pot to 350°F (175°C).
- 6
Remove one piece of chicken at a time from the marinade and coat it fully in the dredge mixture.
- 7
Set the coated chicken on a wire rack to rest for at least 10 minutes.
- 8
Dredge the chicken again in the flour mixture, repeating with all chicken pieces.
- 9
Fry the chicken for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C).
- 10
Remove the fried chicken and place it on a wire rack to drain excess oil.
- 11
Repeat the frying process until all the chicken is cooked.
- 12
Combine the mayo, ketchup, garlic salt, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, smoked paprika, and onion powder in a bowl until smooth and creamy.
- 13
Serve the crispy chicken with Cane's sauce.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
957
Protein
85g
Fat
32g
Carbs
76g
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