In prep for tomorrow’s Husker game, this week’s tailgate recipe is going to be chicken served in hot dog buns. But, there’s also other tasty stuff. So hear me out. It’s called “Bird Dogs”. The basic idea is cutting the chicken into strips then breading and covering them with yummy sauce and bacon. We’re talkin’ mayo, honey mustard, chives, and cheese. And as usual, it’s a fairly simple recipe with big flavor.
Here is what you need:
8 chicken breast tenders
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Olive oil or vegetable oil
2 large egg whites
2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup panko crumbs
2 tsp. seasoned salt (Lawry’s works pretty well)
1/2 tsp. onion powder
4 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
8 hot dog buns
8 slices bacon, cooked
4 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1/2 cup honey mustard
Chopped fresh chives
Here’s what you need to do:
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Pour oil into a large cast-iron skillet to a depth of 1 inch. Heat oil to 350°F.
Meanwhile, whisk egg whites in a medium bowl until foamy. Add chicken to egg whites, and toss to coat. Stir together flour, panko, seasoned salt, and onion powder in a pie plate or other shallow dish. Remove chicken from egg whites, allowing excess to drip off; dredge in flour mixture, gently turning once or twice to coat. Add chicken to hot oil (in batches if necessary); fry until a thermometer inserted into thickest portion of chicken registers 165°F, 5 to 7 minutes, adjusting heat as needed to maintain temperature. Drain chicken on a plate lined with paper towels.
Preheat oven to broil with oven rack about 6 inches from heat source. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheese inside each bun; place 1 bacon slice inside each bun. Arrange buns on a baking sheet, and broil until cheese melts, 1 to 2 minutes. Spread about 1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise on each bun; place 1 chicken tender in each bun. Drizzle each with 1 tablespoon honey mustard, and top with chives.