The challenge is, how to make crispy tender chicken fingers without having to deep fry them? With this baked sesame chicken finger recipe we first marinate the chicken tenders in buttermilk. Then we dredge the tenders in a breadcrumb mixture with crispy panko breadcrumbs and sesame seeds that have been browned and mixed with a little olive oil so they don’t dry out in the oven. We bake the tenders while quickly mixing together a spicy sauce made with orange marmalade and sriracha. Not counting the marinating time (which you can do hours in advance if you want), the whole dish comes together quickly. It’s kid-friendly, adult-friendly, and party-friendly. By the way, it took us several tries to land on this particular recipe (my sweetheart can attest to the dry and tough rejects that even he didn’t want to eat), and I couldn’t be more pleased with the result. I hope you like it too!
1 1/4 cups panko breadcrumbs 1/4 cup raw sesame seeds 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Dipping sauce:
1/2 cup sweet orange marmalade 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce 1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar
Once you can see visible browning, stir in the raw sesame seeds. Continue to cook in the pan, stirring frequently until the mixture is a deep golden color. Remove from heat. Stir in the olive oil and the salt and stir until all of the breadcrumbs and sesame seeds are lightly coated with the oil. Remove the chicken tenders one at a time from the marinade (do not wipe off the marinade) and dredge them in the bread crumb mixture. Place them on the prepared rack on the roasting pan. Serve sesame chicken fingers with the spicy orange dipping sauce.
