STEP #1 – MARINATE THE CHICKEN STRIPS

Rinse your chicken strips and pat them dry with paper towels. Sprinkle all sides of each chicken piece with sea salt, freshly-ground black pepper and garlic. Transfer the chicken to a large zippered plastic bag and add the lemon juice and olive oil. Massage the plastic bag to make sure all pieces of chicken are covered in marinade. Allow the chicken tenders to marinate for 45 minutes to 2 hours.

STEP #2 – BROWN BREAD CRUMB MIXTURE

Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees. Add the Panko bread crumbs, shredded coconut (or shredded parmesan cheese) and melted butter to a quart-sized zipper bag. Shake and massage the bag to distribute the butter evenly throughout the crumb mixture. In a flat even row, lay the crumbs down on a small baking tray. Bake in the oven for a total of 5-6 minutes maximum, stirring the crumb mixture half way through. The crumbs should be a nice golden-brown color.

STEP #3 – TAKE OUT THREE SHALLOW BOWLS

BOWL #1: Add the flour and spices (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried basil, and dried parsley).  Mix well.

BOWL #2: Whisk together the eggs and water.

BOWL #3  Add the pre-browned Panko bread-crumb mixture to this bowl.

STEP #4 – DIP & ROLL THE CHICKEN STRIPS

DIPPING BOWL #1: Working piece by piece, begin by rolling the chicken tenders in the flour mixture. You want each chicken strip to be well floured. Gently shake off any excess flour.

DIPPING BOWL #2: Again working with single pieces of chicken, roll the chicken strips in the egg wash. Thoroughly coat each piece.

DIPPING BOWL #3: Bury the chicken tenders deep within the bread crumb mixture and press, press, press the crumbs into the chicken fingers to make sure each piece is thickly coated.

BAKING TRAY: Transfer the breaded chicken tenders to a baking tray lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Space the chicken fingers out a bit so they’re not touching.

STEP # 5 – 450 DEGREE OVEN

Bake the chicken fingers for 6-8 minutes on the first side. Then using a pair of tongs, flip the chicken fingers over and bake for another 6-8 minutes.

STEP # 6 – SERVE & ENJOY

Serve your golden, crunchy chicken tenders with yummy homemade honey mustard sauce or your favorite tangy BBQ sauce. Enjoy!