Crispy Chicken Fingers with Honey-Mustard Sauce

By Addie

Far from ordinary, these crispy chicken fingers are what most aspire to be — juicy inside, crunchy and flavorful outside and because they are baked, they are healthier and less messy to prepare than the fried kind. They owe their extra tenderness to a quick marinade in low-fat buttermilk, which has a gentle acidity that makes it an ideal tenderizer.

You can prepare the fingers a few hours in advance and refrigerate on baking trays until you are ready to bake and serve. I like to offer them with sweet-tangy honey-mustard sauce for a more upscale dipping option, as well as old-fashioned, all-American ketchup.
Crispy Chicken Fingers with Honey-Mustard Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut across into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
• Cooking spray
• 4 cups whole-grain corn cereal such as Corn Chex or corn flakes
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• Honey-mustard sauce (recipe below)

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the chicken and buttermilk in a shallow dish, turning the chicken once to coat with the buttermilk. Cover and chill for 15 minutes. Coat two baking sheets with cooking spray.

Put the cereal in a sealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Transfer the crumbs to a shallow dish and season them with the salt and pepper. Dip each piece of chicken in the cereal to fully coat and arrange on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Let chicken cool slightly on the baking sheets; it will become crispier. Serve with the mustard sauce.
Yield: 4 servings

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Honey-Mustard Sauce

• 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tsps. mayonnaise
• 2 Tbs. honey

In a small bowl, stir together the mustard and mayonnaise until smooth. Stir in the honey.