Sticky Fingers Recipe
Breaded chicken strips with a choice of sauce served with blue cheese.
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Ingredients
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Chicken & Breading
Sauces (choose one or offer multiple)
Blue Cheese Dip
Garnish & Serving
Method
Chicken & Breading
Prep chicken
Slice the chicken breasts into 3/4-inch wide strips (about 10–12 strips from 1 lb). Pat dry with paper towels.
Buttermilk soak
In a shallow bowl, whisk the eggs into the buttermilk until combined. Add 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper if desired. Submerge the chicken strips and let sit 15–30 minutes in the fridge (this tenderizes and helps the breading stick).
Prepare dry mixes
In a shallow dish combine the flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. In a second shallow dish combine panko and grated Parmesan.
Bread the strips
Remove a strip from the buttermilk, shake off excess, dredge first in the seasoned flour (press lightly), dip back into the buttermilk, then press into the panko-Parmesan mixture until well coated. Place on a wire rack and repeat with remaining strips.
Heat oil and fry
Pour oil into a large skillet to a depth of about 1/3 inch and heat over medium-high until it reaches 350°F (or a bubble test shows steady bubbling). Fry chicken in batches, 2–3 minutes per side, until golden brown and internal temperature reads 165°F, turning once. Do not overcrowd the pan. Transfer cooked strips to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain and keep crisp; hold in a warm (200°F) oven if making batches.
Sauce (Sticky Honey-Sriracha)
Combine honey, hot sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves and butter melts. Simmer gently 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened and glossy. Taste and adjust heat or sweetness: add more hot sauce to increase heat or more honey for sweetness. Keep warm.
Toss option: For a sticky glaze, place hot fried chicken strips in a large bowl, pour 3–4 tbs of the warm sauce over them and toss quickly to coat. Serve remaining sauce on the side for dipping.
Blue Cheese Dip
In a small bowl mash half of the blue cheese into the sour cream and mayonnaise with a fork, leaving some chunks for texture. Stir in lemon juice, chives, salt, and pepper. Fold in remaining crumbled blue cheese. Chill at least 10 minutes for flavors to meld. Adjust seasoning to taste.