The Cozy Cookbook is here! These homemade Chinese chicken fingers are JUST like from a restaurant. Crispy and golden on the outside and filled with juicy chicken on the inside. Perfect with sweet and sour sauce!
Be sure to try my Crispy Crab Rangoon and Chicken Fried Rice!
Okay. I have a question for you guys. It’s about Chinese Chicken Fingers. (Go figure.)
…Do they have Chicken Fingers like this on the Chinese food menu by you? (And if I may, where are you from?)
I’m beginning to wonder if this is a regional thing, because if it is, then you’re going to have to move to New Hampshire.
The thick, golden brown batter is so crunchy and satisfying, I don’t even know how I managed to take a picture of these without just dropping my camera and mowing them down. (It wasn’t easy.)
The secret to these guys is in the self rising flour.
Self Rising Flour vs. All Purpose Flour
- Self rising flour contains a leavening agent that helps make baked goods rise. It’s often used to make biscuits and other fluffy baked goods.
Homemade Self Rising Flour
- 1 + 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt for each cup of flour.
Try These Next!
-
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
-
- Crab Rangoon
-
- Firecracker Chicken
-
- Chicken Fried Rice
-
- Chinese Chicken Salad
-
- Beef and Broccoli
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Chinese Chicken Fingers
Ingredients
- 2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup self-rising flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 cup Seltzer water
- 1 quart canola oil
Instructions
- Sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl and mix them until well-combined.
- Slowly add the seltzer water and mix until well combined. The batter should be slightly thicker than pancake batter. If needed, add more seltzer water or flour to adjust the consistency.
- Cut the chicken into strips and sprinkle with salt.
- Dunk the chicken into the batter, ensure each piece is thoroughly covered.
- Carefully lower the chicken into a preheated deep fryer and cook for about 10 minutes, until golden brown. They will be white for a while before they turn brown and start to look like real chicken fingers, have faith and be patient. You want that rich gold color! Serve warm, with sweet and sour sauce.
Notes
You'll need an oil thermometer if you’re not using a Deep fryer. Bring the heat up slowly until the oil is between 350 and 375 degrees F.
Be sure to try my Popcorn Chicken recipe next!
Nutrition
Where I live in the South they are served with a Mandarin sauce. Sometimes at a buffet you can get them where they are not over-fried. I will try this for sure.
Oh awesome Sheila!! I can’t wait for you to try these! ❤️ -Stephanie
Is the salt that you shake on the strips in addition to the salt that you placed into the batter mixture? Looks great!!!
Hi there! Yes, the salt is in addition to the salt that’s in the batter! 🙂
Loved this recipe. I am from Massachusetts living in TX and this reminded me of the chicken I would get on my pu pu platter at my favorite Chinese restaurant. I just need to find a good sweet and sour sauce. Thanks so much.
Hi Donna!! Oh I’m so so happy you enjoyed it!! La Choy makes a decent sweet and sour sauce but I know what you mean, the restaurant versions are still better! (And now I want a pu pu platter, lol.) Thank you for taking the time to comment and rate Donna! -Stephanie
Omg…. These are *AWESOME*… (I added a tsp of agave to the batter to sweeten it up😉
Hi Valerie!! YES I’m so happy you think so!! (And agave- that’s genius!! Definitely doing that be y time! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know!! -Stephanie
This recipe is exactly what I was looking for! I’m from the Merrimack Valley and these turned out how I remember having them in that area. I found some of the restaurants in Western MA and Eastern NY aren’t quite the same. Some put something in it that turns them yellow, probably turmeric. Yucky. These turned out perfectly. My husband says I make better Chinese Chicken Fingers than the local restaurants. Whip up some sweet & sour sauce and we are all set!
Hey Beth!! YAAAYYY that is so so great! You made my whole day! So happy you enjoyed them!
I’m from Maine, and now a Florida transplant 🙄 Gawd do I miss these! Just got a deep fryer just FOR THESE. LOL 😉 Thanks for the inspiration ❣️
Hey Valerie! Ohh what a great reason to get a deep fryer! I can’t wait for you to make these!! Wooo!! 🙌🏻
Definitely not regional- Perhaps New England? We had them in MA and have them in ME (where I am now). Thanks for this recipe! I have used it before and it’s great.
We had the same Chicken fingers in Massachusetts. We moved out 10 years ago and I cannot find one place in central Florida that makes them this way. I would always be sure to have chinese food whenever I went back to visit family. While I’ll still go back to visit family, now I don’t have to wait for Chicken fingers!!! Can’t wait to try this recipe. Thank you so much!!!
Hey Annie! That is awesome to hear that you can make use of this recipe!!! I love when people know what I’m talking about when I refer to these chicken fingers! 🙂 I hope you LOVE them!!! -Stephanie
Recipe was wonderful. I recommend this.
Hey Bettye! I’m so thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe and really appreciate you taking the time to rate and comment, thanks so much! -Stephanie
Stephanie, these turned out great with no modifications needed. As a frustrated person who moved out of NH in 2017, I can not find a decent Chinese restaurant here in Ohio. East coast chinese food is definitely a regional thing and my wife and I really miss the great food. You can not find red spareribs here or the absolute best red boneless ribs or chicken fingers like you get in NH and Ma. This is my go to recipe for home made chinese chicken fingers now and forever. Just a side note, I finally found the perfect red rib marinade for pork. Tastes just like east coast red ribs, but every ingredient is needed to obtain the exact flavor. Now with your awesome (aka wicked good) chicken finger recipe, I am another step closer to making all my “authentic” New England chinese food here in Ohio. Thank you for this great recipe. If you are interested in the red rib recipe, I will gladly give you the link to the author’s recipe as I don’t want to take any credit for it’s greatness.
Hey Lou!!! This makes me SOOOO happy that you enjoy this recipe and are able to make NH style Chinese fingers all the way from Ohio!!! WIN!!!!! I would ABSOLUTELY love the link to the Red Rib recipe, I have tried making that before and failed miserably! Feel free to email it to me! Stephanie@TheCozyCook.com – thank you so much! I owe you! Have a WICKED good weekend, lol. -Stephanie