Ingredients
For the Honey Mustard
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp wildflower honey
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
For the Chicken
- 2.5 lbs chicken tenders
- 4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2-3 large eggs
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
For the Crispy Rice Breading
- ~2 cups day-old, cooked short-grain rice
- 1 1/4 cups panko breadcrumbs
- Canola oil, for frying
Make the Honey Mustard and Prep the Breading
In a small bowl, whisk together all the honey mustard ingredients. Cover and refrigerate it while you prepare the chicken; the flavors will meld as it sits.
The key to the breading is the processed rice. Add the day-old rice to a food processor and pulse 4-5 times. You want to break the grains down into smaller, coarse bits, but be careful not to turn it into a powder.
In a shallow dish, combine the processed rice and the panko breadcrumbs.
Season and Bread the Chicken
In a small bowl, mix together the kosher salt, paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper. Reserve 2 1/2 teaspoons of this seasoning mix and add it to the rice and panko breading.
Use the rest of the seasoning to coat the chicken tenders thoroughly.
Set up a standard three-station breading line: a shallow dish with the flour, another with the eggs (beaten), and the third with the seasoned rice/panko mixture.
Lightly coat a seasoned chicken tender in the flour, shaking off the excess. Then, dip it into the egg, letting the excess drip off. Finally, press the tender firmly into the rice and panko mixture, ensuring it's completely coated on all sides. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
Fry the Chicken
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, pour in about 2-3 inches of canola oil and heat it to 360F.
Carefully lay a few of the breaded chicken strips in the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Fry for ~3-4 minutes, until the chicken is a deep golden brown and cooked through.
Remove the chicken to a wire rack to drain. Between batches, use a fine-mesh sieve to skim out any loose bits of breading from the oil to prevent them from burning. Serve immediately with the honey mustard.
