Ingredients

The following ingredients have 8 Servings
  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup Italian dressing ((light or lowfat is okay))
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 cups seltzer water
  • 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs ((or substitute regular breadcrumbs))
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Vegetable oil with a high smoke point for frying ((I prefer grapeseed))
  • 2 cups marinara sauce for dipping - warmed before serving

Instruction

  • Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces (tenders), about 1 inch wide and 2-3 inches long. Put the chicken pieces into a glass or ceramic bowl, or in a plastic zipper bag. Pour the dressing, garlic and chili flakes over the chicken. Stir till all ingredients are mixed and the chicken is well coated with dressing.Cover the chicken and place it in the refrigerator. Let it marinate for at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours. The longer it marinates the better it will taste.
  • Prepare your batter by whisking together the flour, cornstarch, and seltzer water.
  • In a separate bowl, use a fork to mix together the panko breadcrumbs, salt, basil and oregano.
  • Coat the chicken pieces. Pick up a piece of chicken from the marinade and let the excess marinade drip off. Dip the chicken piece into the seltzer batter first. Let the excess batter drip off...
  • then dip it into the panko to coat.
  • Place the coated chicken piece on a plate. Repeat for remaining chicken pieces.
  • Heat your cooking oil in a skillet over medium high. Fry the breaded chicken pieces in batches of 6. If the oil is at the correct temperature, it should bubble and sizzle evenly—no splatters or popping.
  • Flip the chicken pieces when they turn dark golden brown. It will take 2-3 minutes per side for the chicken to become golden and crisp. Try to only turn them once, rather than repeatedly turning the pieces-- this will help to keep the crispy coating intact and keep them from becoming overly greasy.
  • Place fried chicken pieces on a wire rack to drain, if you have one. This will keep the chicken as crisp as possible. Use paper towels to catch the oil drips underneath the rack. If you don’t have a wire rack, you can drain the chicken pieces on a double layer of paper towels.
  • Serve schnitzel bites hot with warm marinara sauce for dipping.