Boneless Wings:

Breading (Dry Mix):

Wet Batter (Slurry):

How to Make Boneless Chicken Wings:

• 

  Begin by preparing your chicken. Cut each chicken breast into 4-6 evenly sized strips or bite-sized pieces, depending on your preference. Next, prepare your breading and wet batter by placing them into two separate, wide bowls for easy dredging.
• 

  For each chicken piece, first dip it thoroughly into the dry breading mixture. Ensure it’s fully coated. Then, immerse it into the wet batter (slurry), letting any excess drip off. Finally, dip it back into the dry breading again, pressing gently to adhere. Shake off any excess flour and set aside, repeating this process for all chicken pieces.
• 

  In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the soybean oil to 350°F (175°C). Use a kitchen thermometer to ensure accuracy. Fry the chicken in small batches to avoid overcrowding the pot, which can lower the oil temperature and result in soggy chicken. Fry for approximately 6 minutes, or until the chicken is a beautiful golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F/74°C). Once fried, remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack over paper towels. Finally, toss the hot, crispy boneless chicken wings with your desired Golden BBQ sauce (or any favorite wing sauce) and serve immediately!

• Quick-Meat Tenderizer: For extra tender chicken, let the cut chicken strips sit in a solution of 1 tsp baking soda and 2 Tbsp white vinegar for just 10 minutes. Then, rinse the chicken thoroughly under cold water and pat completely dry before proceeding with the breading steps.
• Coat your freshly fried chicken in your absolute favorite wing sauce for a personalized touch!
• To Make-Ahead: If you need to prepare these in advance or want to keep them warm for a party, place the fried tenders on a wire rack set over a baking sheet in a 250°F (120°C) oven until ready to serve. This will help them stay crispy. Toss with the wing sauce just before serving to maintain maximum crunch.
• If your breading isn’t looking as fluffy or craggy as desired after the first dip, give it another quick dip in the cornstarch slurry and then back into the dry flour mixture.
• For an extra kick and depth of flavor, consider adding a tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce to the cornstarch slurry.

Nutrition per serving

Buttermilk is indeed a popular choice as a meat tenderizer, thanks to its mildly acidic and creamy culture. However, for this particular crispy chicken recipe, I opted for a much quicker and equally effective tenderizing method: using baking soda and vinegar. Marinating chicken strips in a baking soda solution works its magic in as little as 10 minutes, significantly faster than the 20+ minutes typically required for buttermilk to fully tenderize the chicken. While you could technically substitute the cornstarch slurry with buttermilk if you wish, it’s important to note that the cornstarch is specifically included to enhance the ultimate crispiness of the chicken, a key element of this recipe’s success.

Achieving perfectly seasoned fried chicken involves a blend of common yet potent spices. Drawing inspiration from popular fast-food chains like KFC (whose chicken breast strips often list rice starch, onion powder, dehydrated chicken broth, and leavening), a good breading typically includes flour, salt, various spices, and often cornstarch for texture. For our homemade crispy chicken tenders, we use a flavorful combination of **onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper**. These spices provide a robust and savory base. You can also experiment with a pinch of turmeric for color and earthy notes, or add some chicken bouillon powder for an extra layer of umami. The goal is a well-balanced seasoning that complements the crispy exterior and tender chicken within.

The right dipping sauce can elevate your boneless chicken wings from great to unforgettable! Here are some fantastic options to serve alongside your crispy creations:

• Classic Ketchup
• Sweet and tangy Honey Mustard
• Rich and savory Golden BBQ Sauce
• Cool and creamy Ranch dressing
• Pungent Blue Cheese dressing
• Spicy and vibrant Buffalo Sauce
• Our incredible Homemade Chick-fil-A Sauce

Remember, crispy chicken tenders and boneless chicken wings are essentially the same delicious concept! The real magic often happens when you coat them in a flavorful wing sauce. Here are some incredible sauces you can use to coat your chicken for truly finger-licking’ good chicken strips:

• Classic Buffalo Sauce (mild to extra hot!)
• Sweet Golden BBQ Sauce
• Sticky Honey BBQ
• Our signature Copycat Chick-fil-A Sauce
• Traditional BBQ Sauce
• Savory Teriyaki Sauce
• Tangy Honey Mustard
• Exotic Jamaican Jerk
• Sweet Onion BBQ
• Spicy Hot Garlic
• Smoky Chipotle BBQ
• Sweet Chili Sauce
• Fusion Srirachayaki
• Fruity Mango Habanero

Absolutely! Preparing boneless chicken wings in advance is a great strategy for entertaining. Here’s how to keep them crispy and delicious:

• To Make-Ahead and Keep Warm: After frying, place the boneless wings on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Keep them warm in a preheated oven at 250°F (120°C) until you’re ready to serve. This low temperature will keep them hot and help maintain their crispiness without overcooking. Toss them with your desired wing sauce just before serving to ensure the sauce adheres well and the texture remains perfect.

Cornstarch is a game-changer for fried foods, particularly in breading or battering chicken. Its primary role is to significantly **improve the crispiness** of the final product. When combined with flour, cornstarch reduces gluten development, which can make breading chewy. Instead, it creates a lighter, crunchier, and more delicate crust. This is why it’s a staple in many Asian cuisines for their deep-fried recipes, lending that irresistible shatteringly crisp texture that makes these boneless wings so delicious.

This particular recipe is specifically formulated for deep-frying in oil, leveraging the unique combination of cornstarch and flour to achieve its signature crispiness. While you can certainly make chicken tenders in the oven, this recipe’s precise breading method is optimized for frying. If you prefer an oven-baked option, we highly recommend checking out this crispy oven-baked chicken tenderloin version by Spend with Pennies. That recipe is crafted with a mixture of cornflake crumbs and panko crumbs, which are excellent for achieving crispiness in the oven, although regular bread crumbs could also work effectively.

When it comes to frying chicken, choosing the right oil is crucial for achieving a perfectly golden and crispy result with a clean flavor. Many popular fast-food restaurants, like KFC, often use partially hydrogenated soybean oil for their chicken strips due to its high smoke point and ability to create a consistent fry. For home frying, you’ll want to use oils with a high smoke point and a neutral flavor. Excellent choices include **peanut oil, soybean oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil**. These oils can withstand the high temperatures required for frying without breaking down or imparting undesirable flavors to your delicious boneless chicken wings.

Boneless wings come in various forms, from bite-sized nuggets to pieces resembling traditional bone-in wings or longer chicken strips, depending on the restaurant’s style. If you want to make them into perfect, pop-able bite-sized pieces, here’s how to adjust the recipe:

How to Make Boneless Chicken Bites:

1. **Prepare Chicken:** Cut your chicken breasts into small, uniform 1-inch pieces or chunks. This size is ideal for quick frying and easy snacking.
2. **Prepare Dry Breading:** In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, garlic salt, black pepper, paprika, onion powder, baking powder, cayenne pepper, and brown sugar until thoroughly combined.
3. **Prepare Wet Batter:** In a separate bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, water, salt, and eggs until you have a smooth slurry.
4. **Breading Process:** Dip each small chicken piece first into the dry breading, ensuring it’s well-coated. Then, dip it into the wet batter, allowing any excess to drip off. Finally, dip it back into the dry breading again, pressing gently to create a thick, textured coating. Repeat this sequence until all your chicken chunks are perfectly breaded.
5. **Fry to Perfection:** Heat your chosen frying oil (soybean, canola, or vegetable) to 350°F (175°C). Fry the chicken bites in small batches for approximately 6 minutes, or until they are golden brown and cooked through.
6. **Toss with Sauce:** Once fried, transfer the hot chicken bites to a large bowl and immediately toss them with your favorite wing sauce to coat evenly. Serve hot and enjoy!