You’ll be shocked at how easy it is to make perfectly crisp homemade baked (not fried!) chicken fingers at home along with a dip that will quickly become a favourite in your house just like it is in ours!
If you’ve been buying chicken fingers pre-made and want to create something more wholesome for your crew … try this recipe! These chicken fingers have so much flavour thanks to the Spicy Maple Mustard and are super crispy, moist and tender. The secret to crispy chicken fingers is in the coating which gets a quick toast in a pan with some extra virgin olive oil before being baked. We go out of our way to buy organic chicken that is sourced from a local farm that cares for their animals and I would urge you to do the same! Like most kids, there are few things that my kids like more than chicken fingers for dinner. They’re fun to eat, taste great and can be dipped … and anything that can be dipped earns huge bonus points in the kid world!
I partnered with Maison Orphée this month to create this recipe using some of their amazing products: have you tried any of them? I’m SO impressed; we’ve used them for years! I LOVE their extra virgin olive oils, I buy it every week (we go through a lot of olive oil and theirs is such a beautiful product) along with their coconut oil and grey sea salt that I buy for everyone I know, and Maison Orphée has just come out with a line of new mustards and vinaigrette dressings (that double as a marinade) that are all sooooo good!
I had my cousin Steph over the other night, and she can’t eat gluten. So of course I tried to make a gluten free version and bam, nailed it! It’s so easy guys – just substitute the flour for cornstarch and the Panko for gluten-free Panko (there are so many varieties on the market now!). Of course, like always, make sure that your ingredients like your spices are gluten free if serving it to someone with celiac disease. Many spices are not suitable.
Oven Baked Chicken Fingers with Spicy Maple Mustard Dip
Perfectly crispy baked chicken fingers in a few simple steps served with a spicy maple mustard dip that everyone will love!
Ingredients
Spicy Maple Mustard Dip
- 1/4 cup Maison Orphée Spicy Maple Mustard
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup optional, depending on how sweet you like it
Chicken:
- 3 pounds chicken tenders or chicken breast cut into strips about ½” thick
- 1/2 teaspoon salt I use Maison Orphée Fine Grey Sea Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Flour coating
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Egg coating:
- 4 free range eggs
- 1 tablespoon Maison Orphée Spicy Maple Mustard
Panko coating
- 1/4 cup Maison Orphée extra virgin olive oil
- 2 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper (you can alternately place a metal baking rack on each baking sheet, both work).
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To prepare the dip, stir the mustard and mayonnaise together in a small bowl. Add maple syrup to taste, stir well, and refrigerate until ready to use.
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Place the chicken in a medium bowl and season with the salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder. Toss to coat and set aside.
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In a separate shallow medium bowl or pie plate, stir together all of the flour coating ingredients and set aside.
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In a separate shallow medium bowl or pie plate, whisk together the eggs and mustard and set aside.
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To make the panko coating, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and add the panko bread crumbs, salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon, tossing until the panko is lightly toasted and fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat, place in a large shallow dish and set aside.
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To assemble the chicken fingers, lightly dredge a piece of chicken on all sides in the flour coating (shaking off the excess), followed by the egg mixture (again on both sides) and then the panko mixture, being sure to lightly press some panko on all sides of the chicken finger. Place the finger on the prepared baking sheet and repeat this process with the remaining chicken fingers until they are all coated.
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Bake the chicken fingers for approximately 15-20 minutes or until the chicken fingers are golden brown and the internal temperature is 165F. Remove from the oven and serve immediately with the dipping sauce.
Recipe Notes
To make these gluten free simply substitute corn starch for the flour and gluten free Panko for the regular Panko crumbs, being careful that all of your other ingredients are free of gluten of course.
Thank you to Maison Orphée for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own.
Hi Tori love the recipes and following along with your insta stories! And thank you for replying with a question I had on instagram in regards to a rug Jillian posted ANYWAY! I’m wondering if you have any good vegetarian recipes for the crock pot that I can put on in the morning and leave all day. Thanks so much! Natasha.
Hi Natasha! Thanks for the note! I personally don’t cook with a crock pot that often but have been asked a few questions about it… I’ll add it to my list and hopefully will carve out some time to create a few recipes! Take care, Tori
This looks amazing! I am
Going to try to convert to gluten free .thanks for the recipe
Thanks Monica would love to hear how they turn out! Tori
I made them gluten free. I swapped Panko crumbs for Natures Path corn flakes (ground up) and used quinoa flour. They are a household staple now. Thank you!
These were so yummy! I made with honey mustard as that’s what I had and they were so tasty, and my toddler loved them as well! I made some into bite sized nugget pieces and they were a huge hit as well. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Thanks Jacquie! LOVE the idea of making them into bite sized pieces, brilliant!!!
Another new family favourite!! We only had the Maison Orpheé Dijon so we added some more maple syrup. Worked perfectly! I also swapped the salt and garlic powder for Herbamere salt substitute and Mrs. Dash as my one son can’t have salt. Everyone still loved them!
Will be having leftovers for school lunch, either with some fresh cut veggies on the side or as a wrap.
Ps you may want to check the servings you have noted or else you’ll be short for the next family get together 😉
Thanks so much Nadya!! Love the subs! May I ask how many it served in your family? Never want anyone to go hungry! Tori
I would be able to freeze them and warm them up right? 🙂 just checking
Hi Samantha! Yes I believe you could – I’m not sure about the temperature that I would cook them at to reheat them but would love to hear how they freeze if you give it a whirl! I’ll have to try it next time:). Tori
I always make double and freeze them. I put them in the oven at 400 and check them after 15 min to see if they are heated through. Hope that helps.
Thank you so very much for including GF options it Is appreciated more than you can know
When it is not a choice to be GF finding recipes that produce both good flavour and quality sans masses of sugar is a constant challenge
Hi Bonnie! My absolute pleasure! Glad it is helpful!
Do you have a favourite gluten free Panko option?
Hi Melissa I believe I tried the Kikoman brand last time and it was awesome!
I have done them with Chex Gluten free rice cereal and with Nature’s Path Gluten Free corn flakes. Both have turned out great!
I have also frozen them and reheated. I believe I did 10 min at 400, but can’t remember exactly.
Loved this recipe and the chicken came out nice and crispy!
I just discovered your recipes and absolutely love them!
Thanks Nicole!
I made this last night and it was a total winner! Kids and husband all agreed it is a “make again”! I used corn starch and gluten free bread crumbs and no one could tell it was GF!
So great to hear your family liked it!
Awesome chicken strips and the sauce was so yummy! My husband loves chicken strips.
Excellent!! Made my own GF breadcrumbs (allergy) but now I see some of the previous comments have easier suggestions that I’ll be trying next time. This is a recipe I’ll be hanging on to forever.
Thank you Christine so happy you love them!!!
THE BEST chicken tenders I’ve ever had! Thanks for the recipe Tori! 🙂