Crispy potato flake chicken tenders are the ultimate in shortcuts! Also affectionately called mashed po’tenders, this kid favorite features crunchy chicken tenders coated in mashed potato flakes and fried to perfection.
Sometimes grandmas know best.
Especially when it comes to cooking up kid favorites.
This idea came from my grandmother who used potato flakes as breading for fried chicken.
She swore up and down that this was the secret to the best crispy fried chicken.
And I grew up loving her chicken.
But I don’t always have the time to make from scratch fried chicken or chicken tenders for my kids.
Fortunately these potato flake chicken tenders make it easy to make a really crispy crunchy fried chicken tender dish that my kids go crazy for!
You only need 4 ingredients and a few minutes and dinner is done!
Ingredients
To make these you’ll need:
- Chicken– Frozen chicken breast tenderloins thawed
- Mashed potato flakes– AKA instant mashed potatoes in a box.
- Eggs and water– To dip the tenders in
- Oil– Peanut oil tastes the best for frying these in, but canola oil also works.
How to Make
Potato flake chicken is one of those handy meal ideas that saves busy nights when I don’t have much time to get a meal on the table.
To make them, pour oil into a heavy bottomed skillet until the oil is half an inch high.
Heat the oil to 350 degrees.
While the oil’s heating, set up your breading station.
To do this, add the potato flakes to a paper plate and set it aside.
Then, crack the eggs in a shallow bowl, add the water, and whisk together until smooth.
Set the eggs aside.
Next, prep the chicken by patting it dry on both sides using paper towels.
Then, working with one piece at a time, dip the chicken in the egg wash so it is evenly coated.
Let excess egg wash drip off the chicken and then toss it in the potato flakes, pressing them into coat the chicken if necessary.
Repeat this process a second time so the chicken has two coats of both the egg wash and the potato flakes.
The put the prepared chicken onto a waiting plate and repeat this process until all the chicken’s been double coated.
Using tongs carefully transfer 3 to 4 pieces of chicken to the hot oil and fry for 4-5 minutes, flipping as needed.
Transfer the cooked chicken to a paper towel lined plate to drain off excess grease and cool, repeating until all the chicken’s been fried.
Serve warm and enjoy!
Serving Ideas
These are delicious with a side of fries or even over salad for crispy chicken salad.
And don’t forget to serve up a side of your favorite dipping sauce.
We love dunking these in:
- ketchup
- barbecue sauce
- honey mustard
- buffalo sauce
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To make sure they are as crispy as possibly, I highly recommend reheating them in the oven or on the stove and avoiding the microwave.
Can I air fry potato flake chicken tenders?
Yes!
You can air fry them but you’ll need to liberally spray them with cooking spray, flipping halfway through, and then also spraying the other side.
Tips and Tricks
- I highly recommend using peanut oil to fry these if there is no peanut allergy in your house. It yeilds the tastiest results.
- While you don’t absolutely have to double coat these to get crispy chicken, a double coat will create the absolute crispiest, crunchiest results.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan while frying or the chicken won’t cook evenly.
Other Recipes with Chicken Tenders
Crispy potato flake chicken is a yummy main your kids will love!
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other recipes with chicken tenders?
Try these:
If you’ve tried this POTATO FLAKE CHICKEN or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Crispy Potato Flake Chicken
Ingredients
- 6-8 frozen chicken breast tenderloins thawed
- 1 4 oz pkg mashed potato flakes
- 5 eggs + 1/4 cup water
- canola oil for frying
Instructions
- Add oil to a heavy bottomed skillet, roughly 1/2 inch high, and heat to 350°.canola oil
- While the oil's heating, add the potato flakes to a paper plate. Set aside. Crack the eggs in a shallow bowl, add the water, and whisk together until smooth. Set aside.1 4 oz pkg mashed potato flakes, 5 eggs
- Pat the chicken dry on both sides using paper towels. Then, working with one piece at a time, add the chicken to the egg wash- turning to evenly coat.6-8 frozen chicken breast tenderloins
- Let excess egg wash drip off the chicken, then transfer it to the potato flakes, turning to evenly coat and pressing in gently to ensure it sticks- if necessary.
- Repeat for a second coating of both egg wash and potato flakes, the transfer the prepared chicken to a waiting plate and continue, one piece at a time, until all the chicken's been double coated.
- Using tongs carefully transfer the chicken to the hot oil, working in batches of 3-4 to avoid overcrowding, and fry for 4-5 minutes- flipping as needed.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a paper towel lined plate to drain off excess grease and cool, repeating until all the chicken's been fried.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- I highly recommend using peanut oil to fry these if there is no peanut allergy in your house. It yeilds the tastiest results.
- While you don't absolutely have to double coat these to get crispy chicken, a double coat will create the absolute crispiest, crunchiest results.
- Don't overcrowd the pan while frying or the chicken won't cook evenly.
Nutrition
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