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Original video by @feelgoodfoodie — all credit to the creator.

Feel Good Foodie

Sparkling Water Crispy Chicken Tenders with Honey Garlic Sauce

Chicken strips marinated in garlicky toom, dipped in an airy sparkling-water batter, and coated in seasoned panko for an extra-crackly air-fried crust. A glossy honey garlic sauce and more toom for dipping finish them off.

⏱ 12 minMiddle Eastern-inspiredchickenair fryercrispytoomgarlic

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ poundsboneless, skinless chicken breasts · cut into strips
  • ½ teaspoonsalt
  • ½ teaspoonblack pepper
  • ¼ cupToom garlic spread · plus more for dipping
  • 1 cupall-purpose flour · divided
  • 1 cuppanko breadcrumbs
  • 2 teaspoonspaprika
  • 1 teaspoondried oregano
  • ½ teaspoonsalt
  • ¼ teaspoonblack pepper
  • ½ cupsparkling water
  • —cooking spray

For the Honey Garlic Sauce

  • ¼ cuphoney
  • 3 tablespoonssoy sauce
  • 1 tablespoonharissa · optional
  • 1 tablespoonrice wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspooncornstarch · mixed with 1 tablespoon water to make a slurry

Steps

  1. 1

    Pat the chicken dry and season both sides with the salt and pepper.

  2. 2

    Add the toom on top and toss the chicken until well combined. Let it marinate for a few minutes while you make the batters.

  3. 3

    In a shallow bowl, combine ½ cup of the flour, the panko, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

  4. 4

    In another shallow bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup flour with the sparkling water and whisk until smooth. The batter will look like pancake batter — thick but pourable.

  5. 5

    Dip each chicken tender into the sparkling water batter and let any excess drip off, then roll in the flour-panko mixture, pressing lightly to help it stick.

  6. 6

    Place the tenders in an air fryer basket, making sure they are not touching, and spray with cooking spray.

  7. 7

    Air fry at 375°F for 10-12 minutes.

  8. 8

    Meanwhile, make the sauce: combine the honey, soy sauce, and vinegar and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened, about 1-2 minutes.

  9. 9

    When the chicken is done, toss it with the warm sauce just before serving. Dip in toom.

  10. 10

    Note: the caption also mentions whisking ½ cup flour with baking powder, paprika, and garlic powder in a bowl, but those ingredients and that bowl are not used in the rest of the method as written.

Creator's notes

Sparkling water in the batter is the key to the crisp factor, and the toom marinade both flavors the chicken and keeps it juicy and tender. Sponsored mention of Toom Garlic Dips (#toompartner).

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