Crusted Cheez-It Fried Chicken Tenders

Snack harder by making Cheez-It fried chicken, I black barn dare you. In case you couldn’t get enough of our other decadent fried chicken recipes (Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich, Instant ramen fried chicken, etc.), we decided to step up our game with recipes using Cheez Its, everyone’s favorite cheese cracker snack if we’re being honest with ourselves (sorry, Cheddar Bunnies). Also, we are fried chicken crazy–we’re talking Norm Macdonald signing a KFC contract-hyped.

Norm Macdonald being the creepiest Colonel Sanders irl. Source: Giphy
These crunchy cheese chicken tenders take only 20 minutes (!!!) to make. All you need to do is make and season a Cheez-It crumble. Once fried, the ridges of the crackers make the a really satisfying crust. You can also make crusted chicken using any crackers or cereal you can think of–Corn Flakes, puffed rice and even bacon if you’re clinically insane (read: perfect and don’t ever change).

Step up your snack game with this easy Cheez-It fried chicken recipe that uses crushed cheese crackers to crust crispy fried chicken strips.
Crusted Cheez-It Fried Chicken Tenders Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sliced chicken or chicken tenders
- 1 1/2 cups Cheez-Its or other cheese crackers
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1-2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
- Gently pat dry the chicken in paper towels.
- In a food processor or in a plastic bag using a rolling pin, grind the Cheez-Its or cheese crackers until they resemble a coarse crumb. Combine with salt, pepper, Italian Seasoning and garlic powder. Spread across a plate.
- In a small mixing bowl, beat egg and milk until consistent.
- In a medium skillet, heat vegetable oil on medium heat until 375 degrees F.
- Individually dip chicken strips into egg / milk mixture and then gently dip into cheese cracker crumbles. Gently shake off any excess.
- Carefully dip breaded tenders into heated oil and fry until golden, 3-5 minutes.
- Place fried chicken tenders on paper towel.
- Transfer to preheated oven until ready to serve. Garnish with sliced lemon wedges.
Made Cheese Its Fried Chicken at home? Tag your Cheez-It crusted chicken photos with #PateSmith or share them in the comments for the chance to be featured onsite!





