Nana's Grand Papa and GG Spicy Chicken Strips

This chicken recipe was born out of necessity, yes, necessity. Living in the country means running errands requires a full day of driving and running around town. On those days, it is nice to stop in for a little lunch somewhere. Grand Papa and GG really enjoyed stopping by a local deli for the special spicy chicken strips and 'tater' logs that they served. After Grand Papa's doctor told him he could no longer eat those salty foods, the pair quit eating out on their trips to town. Because of this, the need for spicy chicken strips at home was born. This need was met with some pitiful excuses for spicy, as well as, some too crunchy to eat breading. Finally, this recipe won favor and is now (by request) on the Sunday dinner table nearly every week.

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PREP & COOK TIME 45 Minutes to 3½ Hours

SERVINGS 2 - 4

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4 Large Chicken Breasts; bones & skin removed

2 1/2 Tablespoons of cayenne pepper powder

2 Cups milk

2 Large eggs (or 3 medium)

3 Cups flour

4 Cups cooking oil (for FryDaddy®)

2 Tablespoons Mrs. Dash® Extra Spicy seasoning

1 1/2 Teaspoons Mrs. Dash® Fiesta Lime seasoning

1/4 Teaspoon Mrs. Dash® Tomato Basil Garlic seasoning

1/2 Teaspoon Mrs. Dash® Southwest Chipotle seasoning

1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder

Cut chicken breasts into strips. Do not cut them too thin or they will fry up hard and be too tough to eat (see photos for general size). Lightly beat two eggs and cayenne pepper powder into the milk in a bowl large enough to hold all of the chicken strips. Chicken should be completely submersed in liquid. If not, add a little more milk. Cover tightly with lid or plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for two to three hours to marinate. When chicken has finished marinating, remove it from refrigerator and pour off the milk/egg mixture. Set aside. Place flour in a large bowl. Mix all dry herbs together. This makes it easier to sprinkle onto the chicken before breading.

Remove chicken from the milk bowl and lay on top of the flour in bowl. Sprinkle generously with herb mixture. (see photo) Turn or shake to coat chicken with flour.

Heat oil in electric deep fryer or deep fry kettle on stove top. When oil is hot enough, (oil will sizzle around chicken when tip is dipped into it). Carefully add chicken strips. Do not place too many strips in the cooker at one time. Allow room for them to 'move around' in the oil or they will not cook properly. Flip strips over after 2 minutes; continue cooking for another 1½ to 2 minutes. If pieces are very large, you may need to cook them a minute or two longer. *Check for doneness. Remove from oil, drain on paper towel and enjoy with a side of 'tater' logs and your favorite sauce for dipping.

• For perfect chicken every time, you can use a cast iron chicken fryer, instead of electric deep fryer.
• Try using buttermilk in place of sweet milk.
• You may wish to add the herbs to the flour. I prefer shaking them directly onto the chicken for better coverage.
• You may wish to double bread the chicken, if so, do not pour off the marinade until you have finished with the second breading. Second breading is as simple as going from marinade to flour back to marinade and then into flour again before frying.
• Use less cayenne pepper and Mrs. Dash® Extra Spicy seasoning if your family is not in the habit of eating spicy foods.
• Adding more Mrs. Dash® Fiesta Lime and Southwest Chipotle seasonings while reducing the amount of the other seasonings will give the chicken more of a southwestern flavor.
• *Chicken should have an internal temperature of at least 165°F according to FoodSafety.gov

Looking for more spicy chicken recipes? Nana's Chicken and Peppered-Herb Gravy has a unique flavor with a bite. It can be found here.

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Finally, the one bit we cannot adjust. This recipe comes from an untitled work in progress (cookbook) by Jacqueline Cross. It is for personal use only. Please do not distribute multiple copies or add it to a collection without prior written permission. Ms. Cross thanks you from the bottom of her little pea-pickin' heart.

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