How to Make Crispy Chicken Strips

Raising Cane’s Could NEVER!

I can’t be the only person who despises Raising Cane’s chicken? Imagine having a bad day, coming home from work wanting those leftovers you saved from the night before, and you find out someone ate them. That’s the build up and disappointment they give me every time I eat them. So I decided to master this recipe to give you consistent flavorful and crispy chicken strips every single time!

These bits of heaven are everything you love about restaurant style chicken tenders, only better. These homemade chicken strips deliver even more crunch, more flavor, and a deeply satisfying texture in every bite. The secret is a special pancake like batter technique that creates an extra layer of coating around each strip. As the chicken fries, that layered batter hydrates, puffs, and crisps up into a shatter worthy crust that stays light, airy, and incredibly crunchy.

Strips made to perfection!

Each strip is seasoned from start to finish with savory spices, smoky paprika, and aromatic onion and garlic notes that lock bold flavor into every layer. The seasoning blends into the dredge, the batter, and the chicken itself, so every bite tastes fully seasoned instead of bland or flat. The result is a chicken strip that is juicy on the inside and impossibly crisp on the outside, with a golden exterior that rivals any fast food favorite.

To take things even further, these crispy chicken strips are paired with a signature dipping sauce that goes beyond Cane’s signature sauce. This version is richer, slightly smoky, and carries a savory sweetness that balances the tang of mustard and the umami (I know y’all are sick of that word, but oh well) of Worcestershire and BBQ sauce. A touch of liquid smoke adds depth, while honey and hot sauce create a smooth, flavorful finish that complements the crunchy chicken perfectly.

Whether you are feeding a hungry crowd, meal prepping for the week, or looking for a comfort food classic with upgraded flavor and texture, these crispy chicken strips are a guaranteed hit. Serve them fresh out of the fryer with a chilled bowl of the smoky sweet dipping sauce and enjoy the perfect combination of crunch, tenderness, and bold homemade flavor. This crispy chicken strips recipe is designed to draw you away from those flavorless fowl (pun intended) strips, making it a must save chicken recipe for your kitchen.

Grocery List for the Crispy Chicken Strips

For the Chicken

• 3 chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 1 tsp salt (Badia black garlic salt recommended)
• 1 tsp pepper (Badia pineapple pepper seasoning recommended)
• 2 tsp all purpose seasoning
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp mustard for binder

Flour Dredge

• 1.5 cups all purpose flour
• 3 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp all purpose seasoning
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp smoked paprika

Wet Batter

• 1/2 cup potato starch
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 whole egg
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• Ice cold club soda (enough to form a pancake like batter)

Better than Cane’s Sauce

• 1/2 cup mayo (Kewpie recommended)
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp BBQ sauce
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp garlic paste or garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp hickory liquid smoke
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 1 tsp onion powder

Oil for frying

Print Recipe

How to Make Crispy Chicken Strips

Author: Patrick Lee

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 7 mins Rest Time 5 mins Total Time 27 mins

Cooking Temp: 350  F Servings: 4

Best Season: Suitable throughout the year

Description

These crispy chicken strips feature a pancake like batter that creates an extra crunchy coating with incredible texture and flavor. Juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and paired with a smoky sweet dipping sauce that tastes even better than Cane’s signature sauce.

For the chicken

Cook Mode Cooking Mode Disabled

Servings

• 3 chicken breasts (cut into strips)
• 1 tsp salt (Badia black garlic salt recommended)
• 1 tsp pepper (Badia pineapple pepper seasoning recommended)
• 2 tsp all purpose seasoning
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp mustard for binder

For the flour dredge

• 1.5 cups all purpose flour
• 3 tbsp baking powder
• ¹⁄₂ cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp all purpose seasoning
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp smoked paprika

For the wet batter

• ¹⁄₂ cup potato starch
• ¹⁄₂ cup all purpose flour
• 1 whole egg
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• Ice cold club soda (enough to form a pancake like batter)

For the Better than Cane's sauce

• ¹⁄₂ cup mayo (Kewpie recommended)
• ¹⁄₄ cup yellow mustard
• ¹⁄₄ cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp BBQ sauce
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp garlic paste or garlic powder
• ¹⁄₂ tsp hickory liquid smoke
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 1 tsp onion powder
• Oil (for frying)

Instructions

1. Season the chicken strips with salt, pepper, all purpose seasoning, onion powder, and smoked paprika. Add mustard as a binder and mix well.
2. Combine the flour dredge ingredients and set aside.
3. Mix the wet batter ingredients until smooth and pancake like.
4. Pour the wet batter over the chicken and marinate for 1 hour.
5. Coat the chicken in the dry dredge and place on a wire rack to hydrate while the oil heats.
6. Mix all sauce ingredients and chill for at least 30 minutes.
7. Heat oil in a heavy pot to 350 degrees.
8. Fry strips in small batches for 5 to 7 minutes until golden, crispy, and 165 degrees internal.
9. Serve hot with the smoky sweet dipping sauce and enjoy.

Keywords: crispy chicken strips, homemade chicken tenders, better than Raising Canes, crunchy chicken recipe, fried chicken strips, pancake batter chicken, crispy chicken batter, chicken strip sauce, smoky dipping sauce, comfort food recipe, family dinner recipes, homemade fast food style chicken

Rate this recipe