I don’t get my deep fryer out from the back of the pantry often, but when I do I make sure it’s for something good. I’m not getting it out to make salad. I want something breaded, something crunchy. This copycat of Chili’s chicken crispers hit the spot. Great breading that sticks. None of this take-a-bit-all-the-breading-falls-off stuff. A bit crunchy, with tender juicy chicken inside. And a crazy-good honey mustard dipping sauce that I’ll be making for other things too (like nuggets).
Crispy Leftovers
I had a few of these copycat Chili’s chicken crispers leftover. I reheated them for lunch the next day. Much to my happiness, they stayed a bit crispy crunchy. That’s a major plus for me because as much as I love deep-fried food, I can’t eat 4 servings at once so there’s gonna be leftovers!
I get out my big deep fryer when it’s time to fry a large batch of food. It comes to temperature quickly and it maintains that temperature perfectly. It has a built-in oil filter and storage unit so I can re-use the oil several times.
As much as I love the honey mustard dipping sauce, my malt vinegar aioli is also excellent for dipping these crispers.
Try my copycat of PF Chang’s crispy honey chicken too. Not eat-with-your-hands kinda food, but might darn tasty too!
Copycat Chili’s Chicken Crispers
Ingredients
For the honey mustard dipping sauce
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- pinch cayenne pepper
For the chicken crispers
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- ¼ cup milk
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup self-rising flour if you don't have any you can make it by combining 1 cup of all-purpose flour with 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 chicken tenderloins
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
For the honey mustard dipping sauce
- Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the chicken crispers
- Whisk the egg, milk, broth, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
- Whisk in the self-rising flour and let rest 5 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 350 F.
- Place the all-purpose flour in a shallow bowl or pie plate.
- Working in batches, roll each tenderloin in the all-purpose flour. Shake off any excess then transfer to the batter. Coat well, shake off any excess, then fry 7-9 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Serve with the honey mustard dipping sauce.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
