BAKED BUFFALO STICKY CHICKEN TENDERS

One of the best things about Fall is football season starting, and all of the wonderful snacking and tailgating that goes along with that!  One of our family favorites ANY time of the year is Baked Buffalo Chicken Tenders - baked and tender chicken, coated with a perfectly spiced sticky buffalo wing sauce and served with the BEST Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce ever - finger licking good! 

​I always forget how much everyone loves these - but they keep reminding me!

You won't believe how easy these are to make at home, and so much better than anything you can find pre-packaged, pre-cooked, and full of preservatives.  

​I usually use fresh chicken breasts or tender, and try to keep the pieces around the same shape and size, which will making baking them all the easier.  

A lot of folks like their Buffalo Chicken dripping with HOT sauce and their mouths on fire, and if that's what you prefer, go for it!  You can easily replace the Sweet Baby Ray's Buffalo Wing Sauce with straight-up Frank's Hot Sauce or Frank's Buffalo Hot Sauce, but it won't have the same "sticky" outside that we love.  

​You can also sweeten up the sauce by adding a tiny bit of barbecue sauce or honey.

​However you want to sauce things up, these things are seriously addictive. Everyone is always a little bit sad when the platter is empty!

BAKED BUFFALO CHICKEN TENDERS

One of our favorites for snacking and football parties…
Perfectly sticky baked and tender chicken, coated buffalo wing sauce and served with the BEST Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce ever – finger licking good! 

If you are lucky enough to have any leftovers, these tender and spicy chicken bites are wonderful sliced up in a zesty salad or rolled up in a wrap!

INGREDIENTS:
BONELESS CHICKEN:
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-sized strips or pieces)
1 cup all-purpose flour
5 cups (140g) corn flakes cereal
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 large eggs
¼ cup buttermilk
1 cup Sweet Baby Rays Buffalo Wing Sauce
 
BLUE CHEESE DIPPING SAUCE:                                 
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2/3 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup blue cheese crumbles
 
HOW I MAKE THESE:

1. PREPARE BLUE CHEESE DIPPING SAUCE:  In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, milk and Worcestershire sauce and stir until well combined.  Gently stir in the blue cheese crumbles, being careful not to break them up too much.  Cover and chill until ready to serve. 

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or non-stick foil; set aside.

3. In a food processor, add the corn flakes, salt pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper.  Pulse 5 to 6 times until the mixture is finely crumbled – but not completely crushed – some larger pieces can remain for texture.  (You can also do this in batches in a blender or place the ingredients in a large ziplock bag and pound them with a mallet until finely crushed.)  Pour the corn flake mixture into a flat bowl or dish; set aside. 

4. PREPARE CHICKEN:  In a large bowl, sprinkle the chicken pieces with the flour and toss until each piece of chicken is evenly coated.

5. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk.

6. Line up in the following order:  chicken / egg mixture / cornflake mixture / baking pan.

7. Using your fingers, dip each piece of chicken individually in the egg mixture, letting any excess drip off.  Then generously roll in the cornflake mixture, shaking off any excess.  Evenly place on prepared baking sheet.

8. Bake for 10 minutes, and then carefully flip the pieces over.   Continue baking for an additional 8 minutes; remove from oven and allow to cool on pan for 5 minutes.

9. While this is going on, heat up your Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wing Sauce.

10. Carefully place baked chicken pieces into a large bowl.  Pour 2/3 of the warm Buffalo Wing Sauce on top and gently stir to coat. 

11. Serve warm with remaining warm Buffalo Wing Sauce, Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce and celery.

SERVINGS:  Serves 4 as a meal, 8 as a snack.

NOTES:  Leftovers keep well for up to 1 week in refrigerator and are perfect sliced up for salads or wraps! 

Previously posted January 2013; revised and reposted October 2018.
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