Chicken Strips Recipe (The Cheesecake Factory Copycat)

Photos of Chicken Strips Recipe (The Cheesecake Factory Copycat)

The Cheesecake Factory has a wide selection of meals ranging from sweet cakes like caramel pecan turtle cheesecake to a variety of main courses like the Steak Diane. Among the yummy appetizers on their menu are crispy fried chicken strips. Which we’ll be recreating with a buttermilk marinade that promises succulent and flavorful chicken pieces! Made irresistibly crunchy on the outside through breading and deep-frying.

Tips for Making Chicken Strips Like The Cheesecake Factory

The secret of our juicy and flavorful fried chicken strips is marinating. We leave our chicken in a buttermilk marinade mixed with ranch dressing and simple seasonings. We do this for hours for that tender and extra tasty chicken tenders. Once fried, you get to enjoy crispy golden brown chicken fingers that go great with a lot of side dishes and dips.

Of course, we’d like to have the results as close to the luscious finger food that your kids used to order from The Cheesecake Factory, so here are some tips to make the best chicken tenders:

Cut against the grain. When you slice chicken breasts, you would want to cut opposite of the visible thin lines or grain lines to easily break them apart. Doing this also gives you meat pieces that are more tender.
Firmly press the breading into your chicken strips to make sure that it sticks. If you have time, let them rest for a couple of minutes, and all these will help make your buttermilk fried chicken tenders extra crispy.
Check the temperature of the cooking oil. It shouldn’t be too high since it can burn the chicken breading. In contrast, low heat will make the chicken too dense and oily.
Have these chicken strips with your favorite dip. The best way to enjoy these homemade chicken strips is to have them with your favorite dips and sauces. Slather it with ketchup or a sweet and tangy honey mustard dip and make the experience a whole lot better!

Check out our CAQ section down below for easy and delicious dish pairing ideas for our crispy chicken fingers.

How To Make Chicken Strips (The Cheesecake Factory Copycat)

These scrumptious crispy chicken tenders are marinated in honey, ranch dressing, and buttermilk, simply breaded, and fried to perfection. No doubt, this easy recipe gives you the same crunchy chicken strips that the kids love from The Cheesecake Factory.

Prep: 15 mins

Marinate: 3 hrs

Cook: 3 mins

Total: 3 hrs 18 mins

Serves:

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup bread crumbs
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1½ tsp garlic powder
1½ tsp onion powder
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup honey
½ cup ranch dressing, plus extra to serve
1½ lb chicken breast , skinless & boneless, cut into strips
vegetable oil, for deep-frying

To Serve:

Fruit slices & chips

Instructions

Mix the garlic & onion powders, honey, ranch dressing, & buttermilk until well combined.
Marinate the chicken strips into the prepared mixture for at least 3 hours, best if overnight.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, crumbs, salt, & pepper.
Slightly drain the chicken from the marinade, & coat the chicken breasts in the mixture. Ensure that the chicken is at room temperature before doing this.
Deep fry the breasts in 375 degrees F oil for about 1 to 2 minutes or until they become golden brown.
Best served with ⅔ cup of fries, ½ cup mixed fruits, & 3 tbsp ranch dressing.

Nutrition

Sugar: 54g
:
Calcium: 220mg
Calories: 1092kcal
Carbohydrates: 113g
Cholesterol: 215mg
Fat: 34g
Fiber: 3g
Iron: 7mg
Potassium: 888mg
Protein: 83g
Saturated Fat: 8g
Sodium: 958mg
Vitamin A: 195IU
Vitamin C: 2mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

Want to share your experience making this Cheesecake Factory-inspired Chicken Strips Recipe? Join the discussion in the Recipe Sharing forum and let us know how it turned out!

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do you keep chicken strips crispy?

Place them on a baking sheet inside a preheated oven on low heat, around 200 degrees F. You can keep it inside for 2 hours, beyond that your chicken can start drying out. It will give you just enough time until you finish frying the rest of the batch. Leave them uncovered as well to prevent creating steam that will mess up the crispiness of your chicken fingers.

What do you eat with chicken strips?

Enjoy it with a side of fries or fresh fruits, just like how they serve it at The Cheesecake Factory. You can make fun curly fries inspired by Arby’s from scratch and our fresh fruit salad with six delicious fruits for a complete meal.

Conclusion

This recipe for making deep-fried chicken strips inspired by The Cheesecake Factory promises delicious-tasting finger food. Win the hearts of your children and bring back good memories by making this comfort food in your own kitchen.