Southern Baked Crispy Chicken Tenders with Sweet Potato Fries and Herb Cabbage Salad Recipe
This Southern ‘Fried’ Baked Chicken Strips recipe offers a healthier twist on classic fried chicken by baking instead of frying, resulting in crispy, golden chicken tenderloins coated in a flavorful spice blend. Served alongside perfectly seasoned sweet potato fries and a refreshing cabbage salad with a zesty ranch dressing, this meal is both comforting and satisfying with a balance of textures and bright flavors.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Southern American
- Diet: Low Fat
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 600 g chicken tenderloins (tenders/mini fillets)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 60 g unsalted butter
- Olive oil spray
- 150 g plain (all-purpose) flour
- 90 g panko breadcrumbs
- 1½ tsp sea salt flakes
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
Sweet Potato Fries
- 2 large sweet potatoes, sliced into 1 cm (½ inch) thick fries
- 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp sea salt flakes
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Ranch Dressing
- 60 ml buttermilk
- 60 g whole-egg mayonnaise
- 60 g sour cream (can be substituted with Greek yoghurt)
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (can be substituted with apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar)
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill, plus extra to garnish (optional)
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt flakes
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp sea salt flakes
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Cabbage Salad
- 300 g finely shredded green cabbage
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill (optional)
- ¼ tsp sea salt flakes
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven and baking tray: Preheat a large deep baking tray in a 220°C (425°F) (200°C/400°F fan-forced) oven to ensure it’s hot when the chicken is placed on it.
- Make the flour mix: In a large, shallow bowl, combine plain flour, panko breadcrumbs, sea salt flakes, black pepper, sweet paprika, dried oregano, dried thyme, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir well to blend all the coating ingredients evenly.
- Prepare the chicken coating: In another large bowl, whisk the eggs with 35 g (¼ cup) of the flour mixture to create a thick binding mixture that helps the coating stick to the chicken.
- Coat the chicken: Add the chicken tenderloins into the egg-flour mixture and stir to coat each piece thoroughly. Then, one at a time, dredge each piece in the remaining flour mix, pressing with the palm of your hand to firmly adhere the coating and flatten the chicken evenly.
- Prepare the baking tray: Remove the hot baking tray from the oven carefully, add the olive oil and unsalted butter, and stir until melted and combined to create a hot oil and butter base.
- Arrange the chicken and coat with oil spray: Place the coated chicken pieces onto the baking tray, ensuring they do not touch, then spray the tops generously with olive oil spray to promote crispiness during baking.
- Bake the chicken: Bake for 10 minutes until the bottom turns golden brown and crisp. Flip each chicken tenderloin carefully, then bake for an additional 6–8 minutes until the other side is golden and crisp. Total baking time is approximately 18 minutes, adjusting as necessary based on tenderloin size, but do not exceed 22 minutes to avoid drying out the chicken.
- Rest the chicken: Remove from oven and transfer the chicken to a wire rack or paper towel to rest for 5 minutes to allow the crust to firm up and juices to redistribute.
- Prepare sweet potato fries: Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F) (200°C/400°F fan-forced). Toss sweet potato slices with cornflour, paprika, sea salt flakes, black pepper, and olive oil until evenly coated. Spread fries on a baking tray in a single layer ensuring they don’t touch.
- Bake the fries: Bake the sweet potato fries for 25 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking, until tender and slightly crispy. Allow fries to sit for 5 minutes post-baking to firm up.
- Make the ranch dressing: In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, chopped chives, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, black pepper, extra-virgin olive oil, and apple cider vinegar. Mix until smooth and well blended.
- Prepare the cabbage salad: Toss together shredded green cabbage, extra chives, dill (optional), sea salt flakes, and black pepper in a large bowl with tongs until evenly combined.
- Serve the meal: Divide the sweet potato fries between four plates, top with baked chicken strips, and add a side of cabbage salad. Serve ranch dressing on the side for dipping. Garnish with extra chopped chives or dill if desired. Optionally, serve family-style in the center of the table for communal enjoyment.
Notes
- The hot baking tray ensures that the chicken gets a crispy base quickly and prevents sticking.
- The use of butter along with olive oil in the baking tray adds flavor and helps with browning.
- Olive oil spray helps the coating crisp without the need for deep frying, keeping it lighter.
- Do not overbake the chicken to avoid dryness; monitor cooking time based on tenderloin size.
- Sweet potato fries can be baked simultaneously by placing them on a separate tray in the lower oven rack; add them 5 minutes before the chicken to synchronize cooking finishes.
- Sour cream in the ranch dressing can be replaced with Greek yoghurt for a healthier alternative.
- Fresh herbs like chives and dill brighten the ranch dressing and salad, but can be omitted or substituted according to preference.
Keywords: southern baked chicken strips, healthy fried chicken, baked chicken tenders, sweet potato fries, ranch dressing, cabbage salad, healthy comfort food
