Here at the Bon Appétit test kitchen, birthdays are serious business. On a shared drive is a spreadsheet where each colleague lists their preferred treats the rest of us try to recreate. We’ve made gochujang and corn pizza, shrimp cocktail, three kinds of lasagna, and of course, lots of cake, including one shaped like a malfunctioning car clutch (don’t ask). For my colleague Jesse Szewczyk’s big day, he wrote, “no baked goods…anything super savory.” And we knew just the thing. A few weeks earlier, in one of our brainstorm meetings, Jesse had raised the idea of chicken breasts breaded with crushed pork rinds, inspired by his perpetual quest for high-protein foods. So on his birthday I made him the chicharron-crusted chicken tenders of his dreams, piling them on a cake stand with a candle stuck in the center, because everyone needs cake on their birthday, even if it’s one made from chicken. He loved them, and so did everyone else.
If replacing breadcrumbs with crushed chicharrones sounds outrageous, well, sure. But it’s one of those things you have to try to believe. The pork rinds are fiercely savory, underpinning the tenders with deep flavor, unlike neutral breadcrumbs. Surprisingly, they’re not overly greasy, and even when crushed, they retain their airy crunch. While I favor chicken tenders for their uniform size and ease of handling, you can easily swap in thinly sliced or finger-thick strips of skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Eaten with a squeeze of lemon juice and a green salad, or sliced into strips, placed over rice, and served with a tonkatsu sauce, chicharron chicken tenders are the protein-packed gift that keeps on giving.
Salted but unflavored chicharron are your best bet here, allowing you to customize the flavors yourself. The Italian seasoning listed is merely a suggestion—try an equal quantity of Tajín or powdered ranch instead for a fun variation. (Skip the salt if you choose either route.)
Recipe information
Total Time
40 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place 1 lb. chicken tenders in a single layer between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound to ¼" thick. Sprinkle all over with 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt and a large pinch of garlic powder.
Step 2
Pulse 5–6 oz. salted plain chicharrones, 2 tsp. Italian seasoning, 2 tsp. paprika, 1 tsp. garlic powder, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a food processor until chicharrones are about the size of sesame seeds; transfer to a shallow bowl.
Step 3
Place ½ cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend in a second shallow bowl and mix in a large pinch of kosher salt and a large pinch of garlic powder. Lightly beat 2 large eggs and a pinch of kosher salt in a third shallow bowl to blend. Working one at a time, dredge chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess, then dip in eggs, letting excess drip back into bowl. Dredge in chicharrones mixture, pressing lightly to adhere. Place on a rimmed baking sheet.
Step 4
If pan frying, pour vegetable oil into a large skillet to come ⅓" up sides (about 2 cups) and heat over medium-high. Working in 2 batches, cook chicken, turning halfway through, until golden brown and crisp, 7–9 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to drain.
Step 5
If using an air fryer, heat to 375°. Lightly coat chicken cutlets with nonstick vegetable oil spray or drizzle with vegetable oil. Arrange half of tenders in a single layer in air-fryer basket. Bake, turning halfway through, until golden brown and cooked through, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to a platter and repeat with remaining cutlets.
Step 6
Finely grate zest from 1 lemon over chicken. Cut lemon into wedges and serve chicken with lemon for squeezing over.
Recipe notes
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