Chicken Planks (Like Chicken Fingers, Only Better)
Tender chicken coated in crispy Saltine crackers – this quick and easy chicken planks recipe is sure to become a new family favorite. It’s like chicken fingers, only better!
This chicken planks recipe was one of my Mom’s weekly dishes growing up. They are so good! Our friends would hear we were having chicken planks and conspicuously hang around our house until Mama called us in for supper so they could secure an invite. After all, aren’t Southerners known for their fried chicken?
The taste and texture of this dish are so amazing, you’d never know the ingredients were so few and so simple. Yep, you only need 4 ingredients to make my chicken planks: chicken, oil, eggs, and Saltine crackers. We coat each chicken piece in the egg and Saltine crackers before frying them in the oil. It doesn’t take long for your plate of chicken planks to be ready to eat! I love serving them with my favorite dipping sauce, but you can serve them however you like.
Tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside, one bite and you’ll understand why these chicken planks are so popular! I think you will also be surprised at how much better they taste than any other chicken finger you’ve had. Let’s get fryin’!
Recipe Ingredients
- Saltine crackers (please don’t get low salt or no salt crackers, just trust me on this).
- Oil
- Eggs
- Chicken
How to Make Chicken Planks
Crush a sleeve of crackers and put half of them in the bowl, reserving the other half.
Pour about 1/4 inch of oil into the bottom of a skillet and let it heat up over medium heat.
While this is heating, place the chicken breasts inside two ziplock bags and beat out thin with the blunt end of a meat tenderizer or mallet.
I use two ziplock bags because one usually ends up splitting open in the course of my beating. I guess I have a lot of untapped aggression 😉.
They will be nice and flat and thin, about 1/4 of an inch.
Crack eggs into a bowl and beat them well.
Cut each chicken breast into three strips. Set up an assembly line of the three ingredients: chicken strips, eggs, and cracker crumbs.
Dip each strip into your egg mixture, on both sides.
Then press each side into the cracker mixture.
Here are our breaded chicken fingers, all ready to go.
Fair warning that after you do several pieces, your cracker crumbs will start to get gunky. That is when you add in your reserved crumbs.
Drop them into the hot oil. I cook mine on medium to medium-high heat. I like to use a heavy skillet for this, like my cast-iron skillet. Turn after they brown on one side and continue cooking.
Remove from the pan and place on a paper towel-lined plate.
These chicken planks are wonderful with any dipping sauce, or on their own.
Personally, I’m a ketchup gal. My husband likes honey mustard. Sara Jane (our bonus daughter) likes ranch, and Katy likes ’em plain.
I hope you make these soon, friends!
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It’s best to reheat them in the oven or air fryer.
- You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before following the above reheating instructions.
Recipe Notes
- The best cooking oil is vegetable oil, canola oil, or peanut oil.
- Substitute the crackers for breadcrumbs if you prefer.
Recipe FAQs
What do you serve with chicken planks?
First, pick your dipping sauce and serve it as an appetizer. Here are some homemade sauce recipes you might like: Alabama white barbecue sauce, Comeback sauce, and chipotle ranch dressing.
Secondly, you can serve your fried chicken as a main dish with your favorite side dishes. This might include coleslaw, potato salad, mac and cheese, parmesan oven fries, pasta salad, or cornbread.
Finally, you may also like to serve them in a tortilla wrap with your preferred salad toppings, like cheese, avocado, and fresh tomato. Add your sauce of choice and you have an unbeatable lunch right there!
Check out these other quick and easy chicken dishes:
Grilled Chicken Tender Recipe (No Grill Needed)
Easy Ranch Fried Chicken Tenders
Baked Chicken Tenders With Zesty Seasoning
Southern Fried Chicken (Fuss-Free)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 -3 sleeves Saltine crackers
- 2 eggs
- cooking oil
Instructions
- Pour the oil into a large skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat on medium while you prepare the chicken.cooking oil
- Place chicken in a gallon ziplock bag and beat out until 1/4-inch thick. Crack eggs into a bowl and beat with a fork. Crush saltines and put them in a separate bowl.2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 -3 sleeves Saltine crackers, 2 eggs
- Cut each chicken breast into three strips and dip each piece first into the egg bowl, then in the cracker crumbs; being careful to coat completely. Drop each piece into oil and cook, turning once, on medium to medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Nutrition
removeI originally published this recipe in 2008 and updated the photos and this post in 2020.
This post is featured on Meal Plan Monday and Weekend Potluck.
“Gunk” is also the name of the “stuff” that you hae to skim off the top of the water and sides of pot when you are boiling a chicken for stew or dumplings. Goat stew is sure nuff GUNKY! I wonder how many readers are country enough to know that!!?!!
ok, so I dont have a meat mallot in my kitchen…I had to use the bottom of a small boiler! Which worked just fine, and was kind of cool especially since I was a little wound up after running behind my whiny 2yr old today 😀
I too grew up with these chicken planks. Mama fixed them on a regular basis and they dissapeared fast! I fixed them for my son and now for my grandkids. Look forward to your recipes because its like my mama and grandmama are here cooking all over again..Keep them coming!!
“GUNKY!!!” Great term and well worth the education to get that one. Sort of like – “eeeuuuuwwww” which i got with my education. HeeHee. BTW planks look good too.
Hey Christy, I made these tonight and they were great. The kids really enjoyed them. These are better than any I’ve ever had. Oh, Katie thought it was funny calling them chicken planks. That’s a five year old for you.
Christy I made the chicken planks and they went over wonderfully. I just blogged about them today on Mommys Kitchen. Thanks for a new add to my recipe file. Ü
Hey Cookie! Thank you for the GREAT questions! I’m going to add these to my next Southern Plate newsletter, if you don’t mind!
A great substitute for paraffin in a recipe is to simply use solid vegetable shortening (ie Crisco). That is what I have always used when a recipe called for Paraffin. Unlike Paraffin, it can actually be digested, too!
when you first mentioned a chicken, broccoli, and cheese casserole, my mom’s immediately popped into mind. It sounds slightly different from what you are describing but I still think we may have a winner since you were younger when you last had it. I’ll do a tutorial on it soon! I will also look into getting the recipe for one more closely to what you described, although I think my mom’s might be the dead ringer.
Oh Cookie! You don’t know how happy it makes me to hear that you and your family are enjoying the recipes! When I get back from Disney, I’m going to focus on getting some more one dish meals and casseroles up!
In the meantime, if you need anything specific, feel free to email me!
Christy@southernplate.com
I won’t be answering emails between Sept 12-20, because I’ll be frolicking with Mickey Mouse!!!
😀
~Christy
Hey Christy! I want to go to Disney too! Are you going to do a how to survive at Disney post? I think I really need it!