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!
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- Sweet and Sour Chicken
-
- Crab Rangoon
-
- Firecracker Chicken
-
- Chicken Fried Rice
-
- Chinese Chicken Salad
-
- Beef and Broccoli
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Rate and Comment!
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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
Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe!! My husband an I are also from NH, and these are definitely like the chicken fingers at my favorite restaurant. My husband has been gluten free for almost 10 years, and Chinese chicken fingers are one thing we hadn’t been able to find a comparable sub for. I followed your recipe, subbing out the self rising flour for gluten free measure-for-measure flour with baking powder added (and I had to sub water with lemon for the seltzer, since I had none on hand). He was ecstatic! He said they tasted like he remembered! Going to try it again with seltzer to see if it changes the batter thickness.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! It can be hard to get a meal husband approved😜 Thanks for the review!
Made these today and they turned out awesome. Thank you for the recipe. I didn’t have self rising flour so I used some baking soda. Also, just tap water instead of seltzer. I’ll try it again next week with the seltzer water.
That’s awesome Matt!! I’m so happy to hear that!! 🙌🏻 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
We live in Massachusetts (Lakeville specifically) and YES indeed!! These are the chicken fingers we know and love! And I do believe “our” Chinese around these parts is totally regional!!!! These look amazing! Can’t wait to try them!
Hey Sherry, I’m so happy that you know these beloved chicken fingers as well as I do and I hope you love the recipe! Happy fourth!!! -Stephanie
Going to make these for suppah tonight……..I’m originally from MA and we used to get these in our Chinese restaurants in all the restaurants we went to……moved and didn’t find them on other menus……..guessing it’s a New England thing? These pictured look just like what we used to get 🙂
Also lived in New Hampshire and the one Chinese restaurant there did have them……. 🙂
How can I make this 5 star? Moved to VA from MA – Chinese food here is not good – not a big fan of eating out – I like knowing what goes in our food. Made these yesterday- they taste very good. I followed the recipe and made sure the batter was very thick, but I somehow lost the batter. After cooked, there was hardly any on the chicken, but it tasted very good. I also fried mine in a pan….we were hungry and I didn’t want to wait to clean the fryer off. How can I keep the batter on the chicken next time? Any tips? Thanks!
Hey Christna! I’m so happy that you liked the recipe! The batter however isn’t going to stay on the chicken unless you fry it, putting it in a pan will subject the batter to heat but not enough to cook it, so it’ll just slide right off. Deep frying is a must, unfortunately. BUT, you can save the oil in the deep fryer for a few days if you wanted to fry something else before you clean it! 🙂
I made this and my first batch was perfect, however the ones that sat in the batter to wait to be fried came out like beef jerky :(. I think the batter seized as it was waiting to be fried. So I guess my suggestion for anyone making a lot is don’t. I had really BIG chicken breasts, used 2, but cut them out very small so it took a lot of batches of frying.
Oh and I also had to add more water to the mixture because it was like a dough ball with just the 1/2 cup.
I’d definitely make this again, but smaller batch.
Our local (Southern NH) Chinese restaurant has been closed and we were craving Chicken Fingers. These were AWESOME and really hit the spot. Thank you.
Hey Monica! I’m so happy that you enjoyed the Chinese Chicken Fingers!! I am SURE that I would be familiar with the Chinese restaurant you speak of as I am also from Southern NH! Small world! 🙂 I hope you have a wonderful day and long weekend! -Stephanie
It seems like this recipe is a huge hit with local north easterners who have moved away. If you find out how to make any other regional Chinese dishes They’d be a huge hit I’m sure!
Recipes like this make my day! I grew up in Massachusetts and so badly miss the local Chinese take out from the area! Living in Los Angeles for 5 years, I’ve realized theres nothing like it anywhere outside the north east. I’m going to make this tonight!
Hey Steve! I’m so happy you discovered this and can give it a try tonight! I hope you LOVE it, and I’m glad you’re making the duck sauce that Nicole shared as well! 🙂
My husband and I lived in Lake Elsinore and after the Chinese buffet there closed we tried the Chinese buffet restaurant in Murrieta and they chicken fingers…….not sure if the place is still there though………they were just as good as what was offered in Brookline at the Golden Temple…….that’s how good they were 🙂
NEAT!! I love when people have an appreciation for the chicken fingers around here! 🙂 They’re just so good!
I was surprised to see the Golden Temple they had the best chicken fingers! These are very similar. It’s nearly impossible to find that kind of chicken in Alaska.
Thanks
Great to hear that Stacey!!
These were amazing!! My family loved them brought us back to MA lol. Thank you!
Sooooo happy to hear it!! Thank you so so much for taking the time to leave a review too!! You’re the best!!