Rice Krispies Chicken

4.74 from 42 votes

Use crisped rice cereal to make some of the crispiest chicken ever. These Rice Krispies Chicken Tenders are an easy family dinner recipe that the kids will beg for!

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Marinating Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: crispy fried chicken, fried chicken tenders, make chicken tenders, rice krispies breading

Servings:

Calories: 383kcal

Author: Julie Clark

Ingredients

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into thick slices (bought thin sliced chicken breasts, then cut in half)
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
4 cups rice krispies cereal (or more as needed)
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
Oil for frying

Instructions

In a large bowl add in chicken, buttermilk, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning. Let chicken marinade at least an hour or up to overnight refrigerated. 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 cup buttermilk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
In a large deep plate add in rice krispies and flour. 4 cups rice krispies cereal, ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
Once chicken has marinated, shake off excess buttermilk mixture and dredge each tender into the rice krispie mixture. Be sure to firmly press the chicken in to coat completely.
Once chicken has been coated, allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes so the rice krispie coating will adhere better to the chicken.
In a large pan add in 1-2 inches of oil and heat over medium high heat. Heat the oil to 350ºF. Then gently add in chicken strips in a single layer. Once the chicken is frying, do not touch it until it’s time to flip it.
Cook for 4-6 minutes per side or until chicken has cooked through.
Place the chicken strips on a wire rack with paper towels underneath to catch oil drips. This helps keep the chicken crispy on all sides.

Notes

This is a messy recipe, to ensure the rice mixture adheres to the chicken, it is important to add pressure to almost “crush” the rice krispies. If desired, you can pulse the cereal to create more of a breadcrumb. If you choose to pulse it, you will not have the crispy outside.
For a healthier version, bake on 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
For a gluten free version, leave out the flour, but remember to FIRMLY press the chicken into the rice mixture.

Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.

The calories shown are based on the recipe making 6 chicken tenders, with 1 serving 1 chicken tender. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. **

Nutrition