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This chicken strips recipe is super easy. I store these in my freezer and make 10 different types of meals using it. It is my favourite way to make dinner in under 30 minutes.

If you are a busy mum or if you are like me, who hates spending long hours in the kitchen, you will love this way to cook.

Make ahead and Freezer meals make life easy 

These chicken strips have saved my sanity on those days when I was struggling to put dinner on the table. I have been saved on school days when I had woken up unprepared to pack lunch and on weekends when we didn’t want to cook. It is better than takeaway and store bought ready to eat meals!

I am sure you know that a little planning goes a long way. I have found that because I prepare ahead and think through what I can cook and cannot, it saves me from eating out or getting takeaways. Also, believe it or not, it means less clutter in the kitchen and less food items being wasted.

Some people call it batch cooking, some call it freezer meals, I just call it my Kitchen Cheats. There are a number of ways you can save time in the kitchen. In the past 12 years of married life, I have learn’t a few tricks that save me time and energy.

What are chicken Strips? Are they the same as Chicken Tenders or Chicken Fingers?

Chicken strips are boneless chicken, cut and marinated with spices and fried. They are made from the breast part of the chicken. They don’t have a crispy crunchy coating… they are just fried to golden.

Some people call Chicken strips as Chicken Tenders although in my part of the world, chicken tenders are larger, more flat and made from a different type of boneless chicken. Chicken Tenders are coated with a breaded mix and are crispy.

Chicken Fingers are boneless chicken mince that has been mixed with spices and condiments and then coated with a coating  mix. These are frozen in shape and then fried or baked. 

Basically the difference between Chicken Strips, Tenders and chicken Fingers is that one is just fried chicken, another fried chicken with a coating and the other is kabab of sorts! 😀

Chicken Strips Recipe from Scratch

We used to buy boxed chicken strips from store every month but as you know, it is much cheaper and healthier to make your own from scratch. It is really easy to make chicken strips and you don’t even need a ton of ingredients.

This chicken strips recipe that I am sharing today  has helped me every time I am in a hurry. It requires little or no preparation and you can adapt it into many meals.

I use about 2kgs of boneless chicken every month, for our family of five, to make these chicken strips. It takes me about 30 minutes to make them all plus whatever I am making for dinner that day. I use some of the chicken in that day’s meal while the rest of it goes straight to the freezer in zipper bags.

Super Easy Chicken Strips Recipe

Since I am Asian, this chicken recipe contains ingredients that are quite easily found in our Indian cooking. If you don’t have any of these in your pantry, then try the ethnic food section of any grocery store. Most Indian stores have these spices. Here is how to make the chicken strips.

Ingredients:

• Boneless chicken – 250gms 
• Garlic paste- 1 teaspoon
• Ginger paste- 1 teaspoon
• Red chilli powder – 1 teaspoon (or less if you like it less spicy)
• Turmeric powder- half teaspoon
• Garam Masala- 1 teaspoon
• Salt to taste
• Olive oil- 2 tablespoons

How to proceed:

• Wash the chicken and cut the chicken into long thin flat strips.
• Mix all the ingredients together except oil. You may want use your hands to mix well. 
• Heat the olive oil on medium heat, add the chicken and saute till it starts browning.
• Turn off the heat when it starts to brown at the edges.
• Use as is or freeze in zipper bags. You can keep this in a zipper bag for over two months but I prefer to use up within 4 weeks.

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10 Quick and easy Recipes using Chicken Strips

These strips can be used in a variety of ways. Here is how I use them:

1. Fried Rice and other vegetable rice dishes:

I have used these with left over rice too but you can prepare rice ahead of time. I use a Rice cooker to make my rice. Usually, in the morning, after breakfast, I set up my rice cooker. I store veggies (pre-cut and pre-cooked) in the freezer or use the frozen ones to quickly saute in oil. Just throw in the chicken with the seasoning after the veggies are done. Add the worked-through rice, mix well and add some low sodium soya sauce; then a beaten egg and let it cook in low heat till the eggs are done. Run a fork throw to separate the rice kernels and ta-da! Your main course for dinner is ready.

2. Pizza topping:

I use these frozen chicken strips on top of our super quick pizza dough. Just add the vegetables and cheese and you’re done. It is like pizza in 30 minutes!

 

3. Kashmiri Dal with chicken:

Just boil Tuwar dal (split Pigeon peas) till tender in a pressure cooker. It takes about 10-15 minutes. Heat the oil, add mustard seeds, Limro leaves and let the seeds splutter. Add the cooked dal, a teaspoon (or less) of chilli powder, half a teaspoon of turmeric, , half a teaspoon of black pepper powder, salt to taste and the chicken strips. Add a cup of water. Let the dal come to a boil. Reduce heat and add a tablespoon of lemon juice. You can also add some Chat Masala (you find this easily in Asian shops).

4. Fillings in bread based dishes.

These chicken strips are perfect to be used in puff pastries and samosas. My children love it mixed with some mozarella cheese.

5. Wraps and Burrito:

We often use these chicken strips with fresh lettuce, sweet peppers and white onions, mayo and ketchup to make our burritos for school lunches. It is easy to make and pack.

6. Sandwiches:

Like wise, use it in a sandwich with vegies or cheese. I like to press it in our Sandwich maker to make pizza sandwiches.

7. Pasta and Macaroni:

I love to toss this into our macaroni too. It goes very well with left over macaroni to make a cold salad too.

8. Chinese Noodles:

You can use either instant noodles or the proper ones and make fantastic takeaway kind of dinner at home. Same recipe as Fried Rice above.

9. As a side dish:

Ofcourse, on its own it is perfect too.

10. Fried Chicken and Chips:

You can fry these further till golden and serve with chips.

These are just some of the ideas using our Chicken strips recipe. I hope you will try them.

Check out our favourite recipes like these below.

• Chicken Nugget from scratch
• Turkish Bulgur wheat pilaf Recipe
• 4 easy lunch box recipes

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