Thai Sticky Chicken Fingers are a crunchy, sticky, and irresistible recipe for any occasion. Absolutely addicting!
“I made these exactly as written and my family loved them! The breading technique works great – it adheres to the chicken and stays nice and crispy. The sauce has so much flavor. Thanks for a great new recipe for my rotation!”
Capital D-ying over the recipe for Thai Sticky Chicken Fingers, which are special enough to serve going to be a smash hit at your Super Bowl watch party (or dinner tonight)!
After learning which teams are going to the Super Bowl this year (and totally guilty of asking my husband for the sole purpose of creating a themed dish for you) I decided to throw a theme out the window and instead concentrate on creating a dish that you’re going to crave until you physically make then sink your teeth into, because that’s exactly how I’d describe Thai Sticky Chicken Fingers – craveable!
Watch How to Make Them
What are Thai Sticky Chicken Fingers?
Chicken breasts sliced into strips are coated in a gluten-free breading that’s spiked with sliced almonds for a spectacular crunch that, get this, actually stays on the chicken fingers!
How many times have you made homemade chicken fingers or chicken breasts only to have the breading fall off after pulling them out of the oven?
I’ll show you my secret to making sure it stays firmly in place.
After baking, the chicken strips are tossed in a sticky-savory-sweet, Thai-inspired sauce then placed back in the oven for a few minutes to create a fabulous tacky coating.
These chicken fingers are going to knock your socks off. A little sweet, a little heat, and perfectly crunchy and sticky. Grab a wet wipe.
I recently heard that pizza is the #1 food people eat during the Super Bowl but seriously, ditch the grease and make a batch of these bad boys instead. You won’t regret it!
How to Make This Recipe
Start by pulverizing 1/2 cup sliced almonds in a food processor until they’re mostly crumbs, like the photo below, then add to a shallow dish like an 8×8 baking dish.
Next, process 4 cups Rice Chex to create 2 cups crumbs OR measure out 2 cups panko-style gluten free bread crumbs. I like Schar brand!
Add the crumbs to the almonds in the shallow dish then season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.
Next get the chicken ready. Chicken tenders work great for this recipe, but they are SO expensive. Chicken strips are a cinch to make from chicken breasts!
That said, slice 1-3/4lbs chicken breasts into 1″ strips then add them to a gallon size Ziplock bag with 1/2 cup gluten-free flour (or AP flour if not GF) plus 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper then shake until well coated.
Working in batches, shake any excess flour from the chicken strips then dunk them in a shallow dish with 2 eggs whisked with 2 Tablespoons milk, then roll in the crumbs, pressing to make sure they stick to the chicken strips.
Place the chicken strips on 2 baking sheets that have been lined with parchment paper, or foil sprayed VERY well with nonstick spray.
How to Make Your Chicken Breading Stick
Now, this is the important part!
Place the baking sheets into the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to give the breading a chance to adhere to the chicken strips. This is what will prevent it from falling off the chicken fingers once they’re baked. Miracle secret revealed!
After the resting period, spray the tops of the chicken strips with nonstick spray or olive oil then bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees. Turn the strips over, spray the tops with nonstick spray, then place back into the oven, flipping and rotating the baking sheets to ensure even cooking. Bake for 7-9 more minutes or until the chicken fingers are golden brown and cooked through.
Meanwhile, get the sticky Thai sauce cooking!
To a saucepan add 1/2 cup each sweet chili sauce and water, 1/4 cup each brown sugar and gluten-free Tamari, 2 Tablespoons each rice vinegar and lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes, and 1 microplaned or minced garlic clove. Honestly it sounds like a lot of ingredients but I usually have 99% of them on hand.
Bring the sauce to a boil then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until slightly thickened and reduced, 5-6 minutes.
Pour the sauce into a large bowl then dunk the chicken fingers in using tongs until well coated and place back onto the baking sheet. Bake for 4-5 more minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning, then pull them out.
Transfer the chicken fingers to a platter then sprinkle with more sliced almonds and chopped cilantro for freshness and color, then feast!
Crunchy, sweet, salty, STICKY – you’re going to love these chicken fingers on game day or any day! Serve with rice and steamed broccoli to make it a meal or place on a platter to nibble on throughout the game. Enjoy!
More Craveable Chicken Recipes
- Crispy Gluten-Free Chicken Cutlets
- Simple Grilled Chicken Thighs
- Chicken Pad Thai
- Chicken Fried Rice
- Gnocchi Chicken Pot Pie
- Pizza Chicken
- BBQ Chicken Quesadillas
- Baked Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1-3/4 lbs chicken breasts, cut into 1” thick strips
- 1/2 cup gluten free flour, or AP flour if not GF
- salt and pepper
- 2 eggs
- 2 Tablespoons milk, any kind
- 4 cups gluten-free Rice Chex pulverized into 2 cups crumbs OR 2 cups gluten free bread crumbs
- 3/4 cup sliced almonds, divided
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
For the sauce:
- 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup gluten free reduced-sodium Tamari, or soy sauce if not GF
- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes, or more or less
Directions
- Line 2 half sheet pans with parchment paper or foil then spray very well with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Whisk eggs and milk in a shallow dish. Add 1/2 cup almond slices to a food processor then process until mostly fine crumbs and then pour into another shallow dish. Add Rice Chex to food processor then process until fine crumbs and then add to almond crumbs (omit step if using store bought bread crumbs). Season almond + bread crumb mixture with salt and pepper.
- Add flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to a large Ziplock bag then toss with chicken fingers until well coated. In batches, shake excess flour from chicken fingers then dunk into egg mixture, and then roll in almond + bread crumb mixture, pressing to make sure crumbs stick. Place onto prepared baking sheets then refrigerate for 20-30 minutes to let breading fully adhere – don’t skip this step or breading will fall off.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray tops of chicken fingers with extra virgin olive oil or nonstick spray then bake for 10 minutes. Flip then spray tops of chicken fingers again with nonstick spray. Place back into the oven, flipping and rotating baking sheets, and then bake for 7-9 more minutes or until chicken fingers are golden brown and cooked through.
- Meanwhile combine ingredients for sauce in a small saucepan then bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Lower heat to medium then simmer until sauce is reduced and slightly thickened, 5-6 minutes. Pour into a wide bowl then dunk baked chicken fingers into sauce using tongs and place back onto baking sheets. Bake for 4-5 more minutes, watching closely to avoid burning, then serve sprinkled with remaining 1/4 cup sliced almonds and chopped cilantro.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I am the gluten version of this for my family last night. Thank you so much for sharing, the sauce on this was amazing. I thought the sauce would be great on a chicken, veggie, and noodle stir fry or with a Thai inspired panini as a dipping sauce.
I think you’re on the right track, Shar, that sauce would be good with tons of stuff!
Hi! So my husband and I LOVE this recipe, as it seems like everyone else does :) but I was wondering: would the sticky sauce be ok if I cooked it ahead of time? As in preparing it before the chicken is even crusted? We have a one year old and I try to have things prepared during his naps so dinner can be as quick and easy as ppossible. Thank you!
I think that could work! I’d just zap it for 30 seconds – 1 minute in the microwave before coating!
I made these for the Super Bowl this year and this recipe has become a favorite! I just made them again tonight, we needed something other than the grill, and my husband said, “this is better than Chinese takeout.” Now that is the best compliment. Thank you for all your great recipes!! And I love hearing about my home state.
From an Iowa girl transplanted in Plymouth, MA.
YESSSS – just want I want to hear. Thanks so much for the great feedback, Lori! :)
I just made these…they are awesome!! Like “boneless wings” but healthier!
We made these tonight and they are amazing! LOVED the sauce. It was great to leave the sauce off of some for my daughter who can’t stand any sort of spice. Loved the crunch and that the breading actually stuck! I did put them in the refrigerator for 20 minutes even though I didn’t want to! :)
I’ve made these twice now. I had extra sauce so I went back on the second batch and dipped the tenders in the sauce for a second time… AMAZING! Sooo good and is totally worth the prep time. I’ve looked at my Hy-Vee in Johnston and they didn’t have that particular sauce so I’ll try somewhere in WDM.
We are not a gluten free family so I made some adjustments to the breading, but these were so tasty! We loved them! I have tried similar recipes and the breading always falls off. It stayed on with this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
made these last night using panko. they got rave reviews from everyone in the family. thanks for the recipe!
Made these for the super bowl and they were GONE in the first five minutes of bringing them. I had some leftover marinade and used it on some ground beef later in the week, which was also fantastic! Definitely my favorite new recipe :)
Panko are crust free bread crumbs – NOT gluten-free!!!! Please revise your recipe! A well meaning friend made this for me and thank god I checked the recipe first or I’d be in for months of agony.
Made this tonight and the only problem was I SHOULD HAVE DOUBLED THE RECIPE because everyone loved it! Thanks
Can’t wait to try these! I’m a huge fan of sweet chili sauce! Did you find that at Hy-vee, by chance? Thanks!
Yep I did!
Made these for Super Bowl and they were awesome! I made way too much chicken so I didn’t have enough sauce, but even the plain ones were good. I served with a side of couscous. Delicious! Definitely will make these again.