Name: Cheese Cracker Coated Chicken Fingers
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts cut into finger-shaped pieces ( you should get around 5 from each chicken breast); 2 cups of cheese crackers any brand crushed but left coarse; 1/2 cup of Italian-flavored breadcrumbs; 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder; 1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning; 2 eggs beaten with 2 tablespoons of water; salt, and pepper to taste; cooking oil spray; Optional: cayenne pepper for heat just a pinch

These flavorful cheese cracker-coated chicken fingers have a delicious crunchy coating and are perfect with any dipping sauce.

Crispy, cheesy, and loaded with flavor—Cheese Cracker Chicken Fingers are a nostalgic twist on classic chicken tenders.

Crushed cheese crackers (like Cheez-Its or Goldfish) form a crunchy, salty coating that both kids and adults love. Baked or air-fried, these homemade chicken fingers are perfect for quick weeknight dinners, party snacks, or game day appetizers.

This chicken recipe can be baked or air-fried and is great served with a side of Jack Daniels BBQ sauce, Hot Sauce, Ranch Dressing, or Blue Cheese Dressing.

Check out this easy recipe in our printable recipe card at the bottom, just hit print and the ads will disappear.

chicken fingers baked coated with cheese cracker crumbs with hot sauce

Why Make This Recipe for Cheese Cracker Coated Chicken Fingers

Family Favorite: Kids love them because this crunchy chicken tastes like their favorite cheesy snack crackers, and parents love how easy they are.
Easy Ingredients: You likely have everything on hand or in the pantry with simple ingredients to include chicken, cheese crackers, eggs, and seasoning.
Crispy Without Deep Frying: Baked or air-fried, these turn out ultra-crunchy without all the grease or calories that occur from deep frying.
Freezer-Friendly: Make a big batch and freeze for fast meals on busy nights. Whether you're hosting a social event with friends or looking for a picky-eater-approved dinner idea, these cheddar cracker chicken tenders are a big win every time.

chicken fingers ready to be baked coated with cheese cracker crumbs

Suggestions and Tips for Making Cheese Crackers Coated Chicken Fingers:

Choose bold-flavored crackers like ranch, chicken flavored or spicy cheese for an extra kick.
Add parmesan cheese to the cracker mix for more cheesy flavor.
Use panko breadcrumbs with the crackers if you want an extra-light crunch.
Marinate chicken in buttermilk for 30 minutes beforehand for added tenderness.
Make ahead: Bread the chicken and freeze uncooked; bake straight from frozen, adding 5–7 minutes to cook time.
Keep the cheese crackers coarse when crushing them; either add panko or Italian-flavored breadcrumbs to them.
Try this recipe with boneless pork tenderloin, cube steaks, or thin boneless steaks
Always use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the food is safely cooked at the correct internal temperature is 165 degrees for chicken
For a little heat, add some cayenne pepper
When slicing chicken, it's easier if the chicken is very cold and just a little frozen
For a thicker coating, dip in egg and cracker crumbs twice. Do not overcook the chicken; you want a nice, tender, juicy chicken inside

sliced raw chicken fingers, cheese cracker crumbs and eggs beaten

Cheese Crackers Chicken Shopping List

2 boneless chicken breasts sliced into long strips like fingers
baked cheese crackers, any brand around
Italian seasoned bread crumbs
eggs beaten with a little water
optional: for a little spicy heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the breadcrumbs
for these exact measurement,s scroll down and hit print on the recipe card below

Give These Cheese Cracker Chicken Fingers a Try

These cheese cracker crusted chicken fingers are everything you want in a homemade comfort food recipe. A bonus is they're easy, cheesy, crispy, and crowd-pleasing.

Great for lunchboxes, game day or tailgate snacks, or even an easy weeknight dinner, they’re a creative way to use up pantry staples with a variety of snack crackers.

Once you try these, you’ll never want plain breadcrumbs again!

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Air Fryer Cooking Method

Air Fried: place the chicken fingers into an oil-sprayed air fryer basket.
Set the air fryer to 375 degrees and air fry them for 7 minutes then flip and continue cooking for around 6 more minutes or until the internal temperature in the chicken reaches 165 degrees using an instant-read thermometer

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American

Yield: 4

Author: Claudia Lamascolo

Cheese Cracker Coated Chicken Fingers

Chicken fingers baked or air-fried with a crunchy coating made with cheese crackers and breadcrumbs

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 35 Min

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless chicken breasts cut into finger-shaped pieces ( you should get around 5 from each chicken breast)
2 cups of cheese crackers any brand crushed but left coarse
1/2 cup of Italian-flavored breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
2 eggs beaten with 2 tablespoons of water
salt, and pepper to taste
cooking oil spray
Optional: cayenne pepper for heat just a pinch

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Set up your coating station:
Crush the crackers in a food processor on pulse, or add them to a plastic ziplock bag and crush them by hand with a rolling pin. These crackers should be coarse, not fine crumbs. Mix the Italian-flavored breadcrumbs in with the cheese crackers add to a pie plate and set this aside with the seasonings, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper if used.
Beat the eggs with water on a clean deep pie plate then set this aside.
On a cutting board slice the chicken lengthwise into finger-shaped pieces.
Dip them first into the egg mixture and then into the cheese cracker coating.
Place on the parchment paper and spray each chicken finger with cooking oil spray.
Bake in the preheated oven for around 20 to 25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees using an instant-read thermometer.
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce, ranch, blue cheese, hot sauce or honey mustard are the recommendations. Or choose from our assortment of homemade recipes for dipping sauces.

Notes

Suggestions and Tips for Making Cheese Crackers Coated Chicken Fingers:

Keep the cheese crackers coarse when crushing them either add panko or Italian-flavored breadcrumbs to them.
Try other flavored crackers for a different coating
Try this recipe with boneless pork tenderloin, cube steaks, or thin boneless steaks
Always use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the food is safely cooked at the correct internal temperature is 165 degrees for chicken
For a little heat, add some cayenne pepper to the mayonnaise mixture or a few teaspoons of hot sauce
When slicing chicken, it's easier if the chicken is very cold and just a little frozen
For a thicker coating dip in egg and cracker mixture twice
Do not overcook you want a nice tender juicy chicken inside

Air Fryer Cooking Method

Air Fried: place the chicken fingers into an oil-sprayed air fryer basket.
Set the air fryer to 375 degrees and air fry them for 7 minutes then flip and continue cooking for around 6 more minutes or until the internal temperature in the chicken reaches 165 degrees using an instant-read thermometer

Nutrition Facts

Calories

352.4

Fat (grams)

10.32 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

1.78 g

Carbs (grams)

11.46 g

Fiber (grams)

1.16 g

Net carbs

10.31 g

Sugar (grams)

0.95 g

Protein (grams)

50.51 g

Sodium (milligrams)

57051.39 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

145.3 mg

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