Chicken Tenders with Basmati Rice and Homegrown Broccoli
This is one of those recipes that I tend to change up a little bit every time. I had always wanted to make my own chicken nuggets, strips, tenders, or whatever you want to call them, and tried out a few different methods. I’ve found that pan-cooking them seems to yield the best results, and I’ll outline the basic recipe for you below, which is what I used to make chicken tenders last week.
Ingredients: 1 Boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup dry bread crumbs (plain)
1 egg
½ cup of milk
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
Garlic
Salt
Pepper
Spices to taste
Directions:
Cut the chicken into thin strips or small, nugget-sized pieces. Whisk egg and milk together in a small bowl (if you want spicy tenders, use Frank’s Red Hot sauce instead of milk). In another small bowl, mix bread crumbs and seasonings to taste. I also like to add in paprika, Italian seasoning and a little bit of some cayenne pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Dip each piece of chicken in the egg mixture to coat, then place in the breadcrumbs and use a spoon to fully coat. Sometimes I do two coats of breading…so I dip it back in the egg and then back in the breading a second time. You can also do the first coat with flour. The double-coating helps it stick better while cooking. Once chicken is coated, place it in the skillet. Cook over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, carefully turning over each piece occasionally. You may need to add a little extra oil as you go, too, to be sure that the tenders don’t burn or stick to the pan.
I like to serve these with a side of rice and a veggie. This time, I was extra excited because I had some new basmati rice – which I must digress a bit here to tell you about. If you have never had basmati rice, I highly recommend trying it. It’s a long-grain rice, available in white or brown, that is fragrant and not sticky like normal white rice. I’m telling you: once you try it, you won’t go back. There’s one problem, though. Basmati rice is freaking expensive—compared to regular rice, anyways! I just double-checked pricing from my local grocery store, and the cheapest I can get it for is $4.99-$5.99 for a 2-lb bag. 
At any rate, the basmati rice pairs well with the chicken tenders, and I decided to go for a side of broccoli. I realized that I still had some broccoli in the freezer that came from my summer garden. I hadn’t actually tried using any of the frozen broccoli yet, so I was very curious how it would turn out. 
It took a little while in the steamer for the broccoli/ice chunk to thaw, but once it did, it cooked quickly and it turned out way better than I imagined! It tasted so fresh! Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m going to do broccoli in my garden again this year. At least not without some more research first. They tend to get these caterpillar/worms that are really hard to find & get out. Yuck. Extra protein, anyone? Don’t be too grossed out, though. I was very careful to inspect this broccoli as I was blanching and prepping to freeze it. I think we were in the clear. Well that’s it for this week’s (er..last week’s?) adventures in Dana’s kitchen!
ABOUTME
Hi there! My name is Dana and I live in West Michigan with my husband, Tom and our dog Copernicus. I created this space as a place to share the things I learn along this journey I call life. I work in marketing and I'm a sort of Jane of All Trades, interested in all things nature, gardening, cooking, exploring and learning new things. This blog is a conglomeration of my interests, hobbies, life and life lessons. Thanks for stopping by!